Curious to know how her daughter would use the phone, Jane Bidder, the mother, followed Lucy to the school bus in the morning. The bus seats 20, of whom half have a mobile phone. One rings and several adolescent(青少年)owners fumble(摸索)with their bags.

Many parents have just come to realize that the mobile phone is no longer only for traveling business-men—it is as likely to be found in school bags.

The mobile phone seems to have become something essential for today's teens in Britain, according to a survey(调查)published last week, by NOP, a leading market research company in Britain. Research found that 66 percent of 16-year-old kids now have access to a mobile phone.

The mobile phone has been turned into a secret messaging service by teen users. They are talking on the mobile and their parents are not able to eavesdrop on the second line.

The interview with 2 019 young people aged 7 to 16 found that they favor the text messaging services because they offer a secret way of keeping in touch. The days of secret notes in the classroom are dying out.

For example, “cu” means “see you”; “lol”means “laugh out loud”；and “2nite” is an abbreviation(缩略语)of “tonight”. All these are based on shorthand phrases used on the Internet.

Many schools have banned(禁止)students using mobile phones.

Scientists believe children are especially vulnerable(易受伤害的)to the mobile radiation(放射线).

1. The story of Lucy is told to show us　　　　　　   .

A. British parents meet their children’s needs whatever they are

B. British kids have good relationships with their parents

C. how British parents accept the truth of teenagers owning a mobile phone

D. why every child gets a mobile phone as a birthday present in UK

2. What would be the best title for this news story?

A. School Bans Mobile Phones

B. Parents’ Curiosity about Children Using Mobiles

C. Mobile Popularity among UK Teens

D. Secret Messages Popular among Kids in UK

3. The underlined word “eavesdrop” means　　　　　　   .

A. join in activity　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. interrupt rudely

C. watch carefully　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. listen secretly

4. Interviews discover children like sending messages instead of　　　　　　   .

A. calling each other　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. writing to each other

C. playing games on line　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. greeting each other

More and more people are turning to utter(声称) deception(受骗)like this to land themselves a job or to move ahead in their careers.  Personnel officers, like most Americans, value degrees from famous schools.  A job applicant may have a good education anyway, but he or she assumes that the chances of being hired are better with a diploma from a well-known university.  Registers at most well-known colleges say they deal with deceitful(不诚实的)claims like these at the rate of about one per week.

Personnel officers do check up on degrees listed on application forms, then.  If it turns out that an applicant is lying, most colleges are reluctant to accuse(谴责)the applicant directly.  One Ivy League school calls them “cheaters”;  another refers to them as “special cases”.  One well-known West Coast school, in perhaps the most delicate phrase of all, says that these claims are made by“no such people”.

To avoid outright(彻底的)lies, some job-seekers claim that they“attended”or “were associated with”a college or university.  After carefully checking, a personnel officer may discover that“attending”means being dismissed after one semester.  It may be that “being associated with”a college means that the job-seeker visited his younger brother for a football weekend.  One school that keeps records of false claims says that this practice dates back at least to the turn of the century—that's when they began keeping records, anyhow.

If you don’t want to lie or even stretch the truth, there are companies that will sell you a false diploma. One company, with offices in New York and on the West Coast, will put your name on a diploma from any number of nonexistent colleges.  The price begins at around twenty dollars for a diploma from“Smoot State University”.  The prices increase rapidly for a degree from the “University of Purdue”. As there is no Smoot State and the real school in Indiana is properly called Purdue University, the prices seem rather high for one sheet of paper.

1. The main idea of this passage is that 　　　　　　   .

A. employers are checking more closely applicants now.

B. lying about college degrees has become a widespread problem

C. college degrees can now be purchased easily

D. employers are no longer interested in college degrees

2. According to the passage, “special cases” refers to cases where 　　　　　　   .

A. students attend a school only part-time

B. students never attended a school they listed on their application

C. students purchase false degrees from commercial films

D. students attended a famous school

3. We can infer from the passage that 　　　　　　   .

A. performance is a better judge of ability than a college degree

B. experience is the best teacher

C. past work histories influence personnel officers more than degrees do

D. a degree from a famous school enables an applicant to gain advantage over others in job applications

Holidays are happy days with pleasure and delicious foods. Many people, however, are worried about the weight that comes along with these delicious foods.

With proper planning, though, it is possible to control your weight. The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don’t have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy. The following suggestions may be of some help to you.

Do not miss meals. Before you leave home for a feast（宴会）, have a small, low-fat snack（小吃）. This may help to keep you from getting too excited before delicious foods.

Begin with clear soup and fruit or vegetables. A large glass of water before you eat may help you feel full. Use a small plate; a large plate will encourage you to have more than enough.

Better not have high-fat foods. Dishes that look oily or creamy have much fat in them.

Choose lean meat（瘦肉）. Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables.

If you have a sweet tooth, try mints（薄荷）and fruits. They don’t have fat content as cream and chocolate.

Don’t let exercise take a break during the holidays. A 20-minute walk after a meal can help burn off excess（过多的）calories.

1. Holidays are happy days with pleasure but they may______.

A. bring weight problems

B. bring you much trouble in your life

C. make you worried about your foods

D. make you hate delicious foods

2. In order to really enjoy your holidays without putting on weight, you’d better______.

A. drink much water and have vegetables only

B. not eat much food in high fat

C. not accept invitations to feasts

D. turn away from delicious foods

3. According to the passage, ______is a necessary part to stop you from putting on weight.

A. vegetables

B. water

C. calories of energy

D. physical exercise

4. Many people can’t help putting on weight after the holidays because they______.

A. can’t control themselves

B. go to too many feasts

C. enjoy delicious foods

D. can’t help turning away from the foods

5. Excess calories can be found in your body in the form of______.

A. energy

B. fat

C. food

D. something invisible（看不见的）

In a shopping center, you stand before a vending machine, and dial a number on your mobile phone. Seconds later, the food will fall on a shelf in the machine. It is a very easy way to get something to eat, the cost of which will show up on your mobile phone bill at the end of the month. In some restaurants, you dial a number after the waitress hands you your bill and get a receipt from the cashier. Mobile phones have become so important a part of life here that many people can not leave home without their phones. Nearly 80 percent of Finland’s five million people own mobile phones.

There are many more mobile phones than fixed ones in the country. That Finns describe themselves as perfect mobile phone users is not because they like to talk much but on the contrary. Finns are not very eager to talk. They are shy, but they are very eager to enjoy high-tech. Among teenagers, mobile phone ownership hits 100 percent. Many log on Web sites to download personalized music or pictures for their phones. Surveys show that Finns send an average of 25 messages a month on their mobile phones. Teachers have to ban the phones during exams to prevent cheating.

Mobile phones and related hand-held devices will make it technically possible to eliminate cash within ten years. Making that socially acceptable, however, may take longer. About 75 percent of all transactions in Finland are already performed with credit and debit cards. Except for mortgage(抵押) payments, which still require paperwork, mobile phones can perform any traditional banking function. Checks have not been used for at least five years. These provide a good start for mobile commerce. More and more people accept the mobile payment devices because of its fast and convenient service. Banks are beginning to join with enterprises to test a system that integrates(使一体化) the mobile payment devices with a cash register. Mobile commerce, as the theory goes, is entering people’s life step by step.

1. It can be concluded from the passage that ______.

A. mobile phones in Finland can perform all traditional banking functions

B. every teenager in Finland possesses a Nokia-brand mobile phone

C. Finns make full use of the cell phone

D. Finns are so active that they are eager to enjoy high technology

2. Which of the following is NOT mentioned when describing the multi-functions of mobile phones?

A. If one uses a mobile phone, he or she needn’t pay cash when shopping.

B. Mobile phones are so important that without it no Finns can leave home.

C. The cost of the food will show up on your cell phone at the end of the month.

D. In some other countries, cell phones are not made that multi-functional.

3. According to the passage, we can infer that ______.

A. in Finland, some students use cell phones to cheat in exams

B. Finn’s listening and speaking ability will degenerate

C. there are more fixed phones than mobile phones in Finland

D. mobile phones and related hand-held devices will eliminate cash within 10 years technically, meanwhile they will be accepted by the society

4. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. About four million Finns own cell phones.

B. Finland leads the world in the field of high-tech.

C. Checks have not been used for at least five years.

D. Finland is the home of “Nokia”.

The invention of the fridge contributed comparatively little to the art of food preservation. A vast way of well-tried techniques already existed—natural cooling, drying, smoking, salting,

sugaring, bottling…

What refrigeration did produce was marketing—marketing hardware and electricity, marketing soft drinks, marketing dead bodies of animals around the globe in search of a good price.

Consequently, most of the world’s fridges are to be found, not in the tropics where they might prove useful, but in the wealthy countries with mild temperatures where they are climatically almost unnecessary. Every winter, millions of fridges hum away continuously, and at vast expense, busily maintaining an artificially-cooled space inside an artificially-heated house, while outside, nature provides the desired temperature free of charge.

The fridge’s effect upon the environment has been evident, while its contribution to human happiness has been insignificant. If you don’t believe me, try it yourself, invest in a food cabinet and turn off your fridge next winter. You may miss the hamburgers, but at last you’ll get rid of the terrible hum.

1. The statement “In my fridgeless Fifties childhood, I was fed well and healthily. ” suggests that ______.

A. the author was well-fed and healthy even without a fridge in his fifties

B. the author was not accustomed to use fridges even in his fifties

C. there was no fridge in the author’s home in the 1950s

D. the fridge was in its early stage of development in the 1950s

2. Why does the author say that nothing was wasted before the invention of fridges?

A. People would not buy more food than was necessary.

B. Food was delivered to people two or three times a week.

C. Food was sold fresh and didn’t get rotten easily.

D. People had effective ways to preserve their food.

3. Who benefited the least from fridges according to the author?

A. Inventors.

B. Consumers.

C. Manufacturers.

D. Traveling salesmen.

4. Which of the following phrases in the fifth paragraph indicates the fridge’s negative effect on the environment?

A. with mild temperatures

B. climatically almost unnecessary

C. hum away continuously

D. artificially-cooled space

5. What’s the author’s overall attitude toward fridges?

A. Neutral.

B. Critical.

C. Objective.

D. It is hard to judge.

In response to the need for truly American textbooks, Webster published A Grammatical Institute of the English Language, a three-volume work that consisted of a speller, a grammar, and a reader. The first volume, which was generally known as The American Spelling Book, was so popular that eventually it sold more than 80 million copies and provided him with a considerable income for the rest of his life. While teaching, Webster began work on the Compendious Dictionary of the English Language, which was published in 1806.

In 1807 Noah Webster began his greatest work, An American Dictionary of the English Language. In preparing the manuscript（手稿）, he devoted ten years to the study of English and its relationship to other languages, and seven more years to the writing itself. Published in two volumes in 1828, An American Dictionary of the English Language has become the recognized authority for usage in the United States. Webster’s purpose in writing it was to demonstrate that the American language was developing distinct meanings, pronunciations, and spellings from those of British English. He is responsible for advancing simplified spelling forms: develop instead of the British form develope;theater and center instead of theatre and centre; color and honor instead of color and honor.

In 1840 Webster brought out a second edition of his dictionary, which included 70 000 entries instead of the original 38 000. This edition has served as the basis for the many revisions that have been produced under the Webster’s name.

1. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A. Webster’s Work

B. Webster’s Dictionaries

C. Webster’s School

D. Webster’s Life

2. The word “distinct” is closest in meaning to______.

A. new

B. simple

C. different

D. exact

3. According to this passage, which one of the following spellings would Webster have approved in his dictionaries?

A. Develope.

B. Theatre.

C. Color.

D. Honor.

One day he had just got into the train with all his luggage when a young man came and sat down in the seat opposite him. The young man took out a book and began to read it, while the actor tried to get some sleep in his corner of the carriage.

When he opened his eyes, he found that the young man was looking at him with his mouth open, his book forgotten. The actor shut his eyes and tried to sleep again, but every time he opened them, the young man was looking at him with the same fixed look. At last he gave up the attempt to sleep, took out a newspaper, put it up in front of him and began to read.

After a few moments the young man cleared his throat and spoke, “I beg your pardon, sir, ”he said, “but haven’t I seen you somewhere before? ”The actor didn’t answer. He didn’t even put his newspaper down.

The young man said nothing more for several minutes, but then he tried again. “I beg your pardon, sir, ”he said. “But are you going to San Francisco? ”

The actor put his paper down this time, looked at the young man severely without saying a word, and then put the paper up in front of him again.

This time there was an even longer pause before the young man spoke again. Then he said, in a last attempt to start a conversation with the great man, “I am George P. Anderson of Wilmington, Vermont. ”

This time the actor put his paper down and spoke, “So am I,  ”he said.

1. The actor didn’t feel like getting into conversation with anyone, for he ______.

A. never talked with strangers

B. was too tired

C. didn’t feel very well

D. wanted to read books

2. The young man he met with on the train ______.

A. didn’t know him at all

B. wanted to talk with him

C. recognized him at first sight

D. was a famous actor too

3. The actor took up a newspaper to ______.

A. cover his face

B. find a topic for a conversation

C. prevent any possible conversation

D. draw other people’s attention

4. The young man looked at the actor surprisingly because he ______.

A. mistook him as his friend

B. saw a picture of him in the book

C. was the wanted man by the police

D. recognized the famous actor

5. The underlined sentence “So am I. ” probably suggests that the actor ______.

A. didn’t want to talk to the young man

B. wanted to start the conversation

C. had the same name as the young man

D. was telling the truth

If resources are used this way, fewer resources can be used for other purposes. Therefore, societies sometimes decide to go without certain goods in the present so that their people will be better prepared for the future.

Most societies use some of their resources to make capital goods. Capital goods are any products that are used to make other things become more productive in the future. But it also means that the society may have to forego some consumer goods in the present. Therefore what society decides to produce determines the quality of life in both the present and future.

1. Which of the following are limited resources?

A. Wood and oil.

B. Coins and paper money.

C. Radios and TV sets.

D. Goods and products.

2. Capital goods refer to the products such as ______.

A. a car, a telephone and so on

B. food and drink

C. machinery and equipment

D. a computer

3. We make more capital goods in order to ______.

A. make other products for present consumer goods

B. make products for present consumption

C. make a nation’s economy grow in the present

D. help a nation’s economy become more productive in the future

4. How do societies make use of limited resources?

A. Most of their resources are used to make capital goods.

B. A certain number of resources are used to make capital goods.

C. All limited resources are used to make capital goods.

D. Most of their resources are used to make consumer goods.

5. If people want to live a better life in the future, societies have to______.

A. reduce the production of consumer goods

B. increase the production of consumer goods

C. use more resources to make capital goods

D. produce more goods in the future

So, how old is old? The answer is one you heard many times, from all sorts of people. You are as old (or young) as you feel. The calendar simply tells you how many years you have lived. Your body tells you how well you lived.

Old is a point of view. Alice Brophy said, “It makes me angry when people say, ’Gee, you look young for your age. ’What does that mean? Is there some model that you are supposed to look a certain way at 65 and 75 and 85? You know you can die old at 30 and live young at 80. ”

There are many myths about aging. Here are some of the more common myths—and the facts.

Myth 1: Most older people are in poor health.

Fact 1: Not so. There are neither biological nor physiological reasons to connect poor health with growing older. Older people are more likely to be affected by illness but old age itself is not a disease. It is possible to remain physically healthy throughout your life.

Myth 2: Older people are unable to change.

Fact 2: Older people are as easily changed in their life-styles as young and middle-aged people. Though sometimes they deal with the very big pressures—death of loved ones or jobs, financial or family problems—they deal wonderfully well. Older people give up smoking and break other bad habits just as successfully as younger people.

1. The article is mainly about ______.

A. the average life span

B. aging

C. people’s health

D. life myths

2. According to the article, which statement is true?

A. Aging does not mean you become unhealthy.

B. Older people are not as smart as young people.

C. Most older people are physically healthy.

D. Your health can tell you how many years you have lived.

3. Which questions is NOT answered in the article?

A. Do older people have more trouble breaking bad habits?

B. Is old age a disease?

C. How old is old?

D. What is the average life span today?

4. The reason why Alice Brophy got angry was that ______.

A. she didn’t think she looked young for her age

B. she didn’t like to be thought old

C. she was 65, but people thought she was 85

D. there wasn’t a model to follow to judge one’s age

5. Which of the following does the second fact support?

A. Older people have more pressures than younger people.

B. Younger people break old habit more easily.

C. Old people are not too fixed to change for new needs.

D. Younger and middle-aged people have the same problems as old people.

The size of a wave depends on how strong the wind is, how long it blows, and how large the body of water is. In a small bay(海湾)big waves will never build up. But at sea the wind can build up giant(巨大的)powerful waves.

A rule says the height of a wave (in meters) will usually be more than one-tenth of the wind speed (in kilometers). In other words, when the wind is blowing at 120 kilometers per hour, most waves will be about twelve meters. Of course, some waves may combine to form giant waves that are much higher. In 1933 the United States Navy reported the largest measured wave in history. It rose in the Pacific Ocean to a height of thirty-four meters.

1. One can guess the height of a wave by knowing______.

A. how fast the wind is blowing

B. how long the wind blows

C. how large the body of water is

D. how the wave is built up

2. The largest measured wave in history was in______.

A. the Indian Ocean

B. the Atlantic Ocean

C. the Pacific Ocean

D. the United States

3. When the wind is blowing at 80 kilometers per hour, the height of most waves will be______.

A. about one meter

B. about eight meters

C. about eighty meters

D. about ten meters

4. Air rises when______.

A. the wind is blowing

B. the body of water is large

C. there is a powerful wave

D. the sun heats the earth

5. The best title for this passage is______.

A. What Causes Waves

B. The Largest Waves in History

C. Beautiful

D. Waves in the Pacific Ocean