London—“Everyone else has one!” Lucy declared to her parents, trying to get a mobile phone as a gift for her 14th birthday. Her parents gave in.

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

Do you love holidays but hate the increase weight that follows?  You are not alone.

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）

The biggest safety threat facing airlines today may not be a terrorist with gun, but man with the portable computer in business class. In the last 15 years, pilots have reported well over 100 incidents that could have been caused by electromagnetic interference(电磁干扰). The source of this interference remains unconfirmed, but increasingly, experts are pointing the blame at portable electronic devices such as portable computers, radio and cassette players and mobile telephones.

RTCA, an organization which advises the aviation(航空) industry, has recommended that all airlines ban such devices from being used during “critical” stages of flight, particularly take-off and landing. Some experts have gone further, calling for a total ban during all flights. Currently, rules on using these devices are left up to individual airlines. And although some airlines prohibit passengers from using such equipment during take-off and landing, most are reluctant to place a total ban, given that many passengers want to work during flights.

The difficulty is predicting how electromagnetic fields might affect an aircraft’s computers. Experts know that portable devices give out radiation which affects those wavelengths which aircraft use for navigation(导航) and communication. But, because they have not been able to reproduce these effects in a laboratory, they have no way of knowing whether the interference might be dangerous or not.

The fact that aircraft may be damaged by interference raises the risk terrorists may use radio systems in order to damage navigation equipment. As worrying, though, is the passenger who can’t hear the instructions to turn off his radio because the music’s too loud.

1. The passage is mainly about ______.

A. effective safety measures for air flight

B. a possible cause of aircraft crashes

C. the faults of electronic devices

D. a new regulation for all airlines

2. Few airlines want to place a total ban on their passengers using electronic devices because ______.

A. they have other effective safety measures to fall back on

B. they don’t believe there is such a danger as radio interference

C. the harmful effect of electromagnetic interference is yet to be proved

D. most passengers refuse to take a plane which bans the use of radio and cassette players

3. Why is it difficult to predict the possible effects of electromagnetic fields on an airplane’s computer?

A. Because experts lack adequate equipment to do such research.

B. Because it is extremely dangerous to conduct such research on an airplane.

C. Because it remains a mystery what wavelengths are easier to be interfered with.

D. Because research scientists have not been able to produce the same effects in labs.

4. It can be inferred from the passage that the author ______.

A. hasn’t formed his own opinion on this problem

B. has overestimated the danger of electromagnetic interference

C. regards it as unreasonable to exercise a total ban during flight

D. is in favor of prohibiting passengers’ use of electronic devices completely

In Finland, home of Nokia, which makes 30 percent of the mobile phones sold around the world, and veritable mobile phone capital of the world, a mobile phone is not just a phone. It is a credit card, a menu, a stock ticker, and an entertainment center. It is a multifunction server. It is a passport to the future. In the high-tech world of telephones, Finland clearly leads the world. By pressing their phone’s buttons and reading text messages on small screens, the Finns can tinnier money in their bank accounts, trade stocks, purchase products used daily, rent videos, buy movie tickets, order flowers, and pay for parking—all without ever talking to anyone, that is to say, without using a phone for its traditional purpose.

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”.

Hemophilia（血友病）results when a gene fails to produce the protein needed for the blood to clot, or change from a liquid to a solid. The fault gene is passed from parents to children. People with hemophilia suffer uncontrolled bleeding. This can result in pain, tissue swelling（肿胀）and permanent damage to joints and muscles.

One in every ten thousand males has the most common kind of hemophilia. It’s extremely rare for females to have it. Patients can be treated with the missing clotting substance. They generally can lead normal lives.

Scientists say gene treatment may be a possible way to cure hemophilia in the future. Researchers consider hemophilia the best disease for gene treatment because it is caused by a single fault gene. Also, only a small increase in the missing clotting substance could provide good results. They tested gene treatment in six patients with severe hemophilia.

First, they removed skin cells from the patients’ arms. The researchers grew the cells in the laboratory. They added copies of the needed gene taken from healthy people. Then they created hundreds of millions of genetically changed cells. They placed these cells into the patients’ stomachs. After four months, the amount of blood clotting substance in the blood increased in four of the six patients. Some of the patients reported a decrease in bleeding problems. However, ten months later, the clotting substance was no longer in the patients’ blood. It is not clear if the implanted cells died or the added genes stopped working.

The researchers say the study showed that gene treatment is safe for people with the most common kind of hemophilia. But others expressed concern about the treatment because the effects were only temporary.

1. Which of the following statements is NOT true about hemophilia?

A. It is caused by a fault gene and is passed from parents.

B. It suffers uncontrolled bleeding.

C. People with hemophilia don’t have any physical damage and can lead normal lives.

D. It doesn’t succeed in making protein needed for blood to form into clots.

2. People with hemophilia can live normally when______.

A. they are treated with the missing clotting substance

B. they accept the scientists’ help

C. good copies of gene are placed in their bodies

D. they place some genetically changed cells into their stomachs

3. By carrying out the experiment, scientists conclude that______.

A. the effects of treatments are excellent and last long

B. gene treatment is a safe and possible way to treat hemophilia

C. people with hemophilia can recover completely with gene treatment

D. hemophilia is a disease that can be treated easily

4. Which of the following can be the title of the passage?

A. Whether people with hemophilia can live a normal life

B. How to control the bleeding for the patients

C. How the researchers remove skin cells from patients and place these cells into the patients

D. The gene treatment to the hemophilia

The fridge is considered a necessity. It has been so since the 1960s when packaged food first appeared with the label: “store in the refrigerator. ” In my fridgeless Fifties childhood, I was fed well and healthily. The milkman came daily, the grocer, the butcher, the baker, and the ice-cream man delivered two or three times a week. The Sunday meat would last until Wednesday and surplus（剩余的）bread and milk became all kinds of cakes. Nothing was wasted, and we were never troubled by rotten food. Thirty years on, food deliveries have ceased, fresh vegetables are almost unobtained in the country.

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.

Few men have influenced the development of American English to the extent that Noah Webster did. Born in West Hartford, Connecticut, in 1758, his name has become synonymous（与……同义）with American dictionaries. Graduated from Yale in 1778, he was admitted to the bar in 1781 and thereafter began to practise law in Hartford. Later, when he turned to teaching, he discovered how inadequate the available schoolbooks were for the children of a new and independent nation.

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.

About three hundred and fifty years ago, Africans first began to arrive in America. But they were not like other immigrants(移民) to the new American colonies(殖民地）. They came unwillingly, kidnapped into slavery. Men, women and children were forced to work on large farms owned by whites in the South. Others were slaves in the northern colonies, working in the homes or businesses of their owners. Even after the American War for Independence (独立), slavery continued.

Slaves were bought and sold like animals. Husbands and wives, parents and children, might be traded to different owners and never see each other again. If they displeased their owners, they might be beaten or even killed. This was life for most black Americans as recently as one hundred and forty years ago.

During America’s Civil War in the eighteen-sixties, slavery was finally ended. But for many years after, blacks were not treated equally with whites. Blacks were often forbidden stores, eating places, theatres and hotels. They were refused good education, jobs and housing. Often, they were prevented from voting(投票).

1. The first group of Africans arrived in America in the ______ century.

A. fifteenth　　   　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. sixteenth

C. seventeenth　　   　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. eighteenth

2. Africans were kidnapped to America and forced to work there as ______.

A. farmers　　   　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. workers

C. servants　　   　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. slaves

3. The slavery in America continued ______.

A. until the American War for Independence

B. until the American Civil War

C. since one hundred and forty years ago

D. after the American Civil War

4. After slavery was ended, American blacks ______.

A. were still treated badly

B. could be beaten or even killed freely

C. could be traded freely

D. were not set free from their slave owners

5. The title of this passage would be “______”.

A. The American Immigrants

B. The American Slavery

C. The History of the United States

D. The History of American Blacks

King Albert of the Belgians was born in 1875. In his youth he studied engineering and was especially interested in ships and aeroplanes. One of his favorite sports was mountain climbing, and it was as a result of falling while out climbing that he died in 1934, when he was 59.

He is best remembered by the Belgians for leader ship during World War Ⅰ, which broke out in 1914, only five years after he came to the throne(王位). Belgium was officially a neutral(中立的) country at the start of the war, but because the Germans could more easily attack France by crossing Belgium, they took no notice of Belgium’s neutrality, and invaded it soon after the beginning of the war. Albert realized that his small country had no chance of stopping the German army, but decided that rather than only give in, the Belgian army should fight. Although almost the whole of their country was conquered(占领), the Belgians, led by their king, continued to fight against the Germans throughout the full four years of the war. King Albert’s wife, Queen Elizabeth, also contributed her efforts to the war, working in a military(军事的) hospital. There she did all kinds of work, from scrubbing(擦洗) dirty floors to dressing the wounds of injured soldiers.

1. Albert became King of Belgium in ______.

A. 1919　　   　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. 1914　　　　　　　　 　　   C. 1909　　   D. 1880

2. The Belgians respected King Albert because he ______.

A. was a good engineer and a good sportsman

B. kept the Germans out of his native land

C. stayed with his soldiers throughout the war

D. safeguarded Belgium’s honor

3. The Germans attacked Belgium because ______.

A. Belgium and Germany had been enemies for many years

B. Belgium was a neighbor of France who was German’s enemy

C. it was easily to conquer Belgium than France

D. they wanted to invade France by crossing Belgium

4. When the war broke out, King Albert was ______.

A. sure of defeat and decided to give in

B. not sure of defeat and yet decided to fight on

C. confident that the Belgians would drive out the Germans and decided to fight on

D. not certain of victory so decided not to fight on

5. What do we know about King Albert’s wife?

A. She was a doctor before she married.

B. She was qualified as a nurse in the war.

C. She was willing to do anything for her country.

D. She was too proud to do dirty work.

A famous actor often had to travel by train. Of course, a lot of his fellow-passengers used to recognize him on his journeys, and some of them tried to get into conversation with him, but he was usually feeling tired after acting until late the night before, so he didn’t encourage them to talk to him.

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