Jascha Richter once sang “don't need too much talking without saying anything” to reveal his lonely feeling in a crowd.
Dad always told me never to ever reveal my true opinions towards other people if such opinions are negative. He said this is the “Chu Shi Zhe Xue”, the philosophy of dealing with social network.
It seems that everybody here just follows this philosophy very, very well.
Friends. I would say that if I were given true friendship I would definitely treasure it with my greatest care. If I really regard someone as my close friend, I would never leave her alone whenever she's in need, either financially or mentally. And I always believe, as long as I treat people with whole-hearted honesty, I would have some rewards—at least, just ONE true friend of the same gender（性别）.
Sometimes I just miss my friends in China. Perhaps when we became friends, we were still young, too young to have been polluted by any dirt in the society. But here, it is simply different. It seems that all of us have learnt how to SURVIVE in a foreign land and such an experience actually makes us learn how to extract (榨取) the most benefits from the surroundings in order to survive.
All are friends around me. I've looked through all the dark sides of their personalities and yet I have to pretend that I know nothing. THEY ARE GOOD. THEY ARE GOOD. AND WE ARE FRIENDS. And then I can make myself comfortable enough to talk to people I hate the most. And of course, they don't say any words truly from their hearts. Neither do I.
But, sometimes I just feel unwilling to talk to these people. Sometimes, I just want to be alone, quietly, without being forced to listen to their gossip or other useless words.
“Standing on a mountain high
Looking at the moon through a clear blue sky
I should go and see some friends         
But they don't really comprehend”
Jascha Richter expresses my feelings also.
67. 【小题1】What do we know about the writer’s father according to this passage?

A．He is really a good philosopher.

B．He possibly gets on well with others.

C．He told the writer to reveal her true opinions.

D．The passage doesn’t tell us at all.

68. 【小题2】What’s the most probable reason the writer mentions Jascha Richter’s song twice in the passage?

A．She likes Jascha Richter’s song.

B．Jascha Richter is one of her friends.

C．The song expresses her feelings.

D．She uses it to perfects her article.

69. 【小题3】Which of the following statements about the writer is TRUE?

A．She is now living abroad but doesn’t enjoy the life there.

B．She absolutely believes in her father’s philosophy.

C．She shows a positive attitude towards her relationship with others.

D．She thinks highly of her friends by repeating “They are good”.

70. 【小题4】The writer mostly expresses her ______ in this passage.

A．happiness

B．homesickness

C．sadness

D．loneliness

My house is made out of wood, glass and stone. It is also made out of software.

If you come to visit, you’ll probably be surprised when you come in. Someone will give you an electronic PIN （个人身份号码）to wear. This PIN tells the house who and where you are. The house uses this information to give you what you need. When it’s dark outside, the PIN turns on the lights nearest you, and then turns them off as you walk away from them. Music moves with you too. If the house knows your favorite music, it plays it. The music seems to be everywhere, but in fact other people in the house hear different music or no music. If you get a telephone call, only the nearest telephone rings.

Of course, you are also able to tell the house if you want something. There is a home control console (控制台), a small machine that turns things on and off around you.

The PIN and the console are new ideas, but they are in fact like many things we have today. If you want to go to a movie, you need a ticket. If I give you my car keys, you can use my car. The car works for you because you have the keys. My house works for you because you wear the PIN or hold the console.

I believe that ten years from now, most new homes will have the systems that I’ve put in my house. The systems will probably be even bigger and better than the ones I’ve put in today.

I like to try new ideas. I know that some of my ideas will work better than others. But I hope that one day I will stop thinking of these systems as new, and ask myself instead, “How will I live without them?”

What does the passage mainly discuss?

A. How to develop a new system.            B. The function of the PIN.

C. A home for the future.                  D. Easy life in the future.

What’s the purpose when the writer wrote the fourth paragraph?

A. To let readers know why his ideas are new.

B. To let readers know how special his house is.

C. To explain the importance of the PIN and the console.

D. To explain more easily what the functions of the PIN and the console are.

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

A. it has been controlled by computers

B. you can make a telephone call anywhere

C. it has your favorite music following you

D. the writer is able to change his new idea into practice

What is the writer most likely to be according to the passage?

A. An IT expert.    B. A famous doctor. 

C. An idealist      D. An experienced teacher.

What can’t be done in the writer’s new house?

A. turns on the lights

B. play music

C. get a telephone call

D. go swimming

Have you ever heard the old saying, “Never judge a book by its cover.”? This is a good rule to follow when trying to judge the intelligence of others. Some people have minds that shine only in certain situations. A young man with an unusual gift in writing may find himself speechless before a pretty girl when he speaks. He may not be able to find the right words. But don’t make the mistake of thinking him stupid. With a pen and paper, he can express himself better than anybody else.

    Other people may fool you into overestimating(过高估计) their intelligence by putting up a good front. A student who listens attentively and takes notes in class is bound to (一定会) make a favourable impression on his teachers. But when it comes to exams, he may score near the bottom of the class.

     In a word, you can’t judge someone by appearance. The only way to determine a person’s intelligence is to get to know him. Then you can see how he reacts to different situations. The more situations you see, the better your judgment is likely to be. So take your time. Don’t judge a book by its cover.

1. The passage suggests that ______.

     A. a good writer may not be a good speaker   

     B. a good writer is always a good speaker

     C. a speechless person always writes well   

     D. a good writer will find himself speechless

2. According to this passage, a student who listens attentively and takes notes

in class ______.

     A. is an intelligent student

     B. may not be an intelligent student

     C. will score better in exams

     D. will not be a good student

3. The passage suggests that we should judge a per-son’s intelligence through

______.

     A. his teachers

     B. his deeds in the classroom

     C. his appearance

     D. his reactions to different situations

4. The writer of this passage wants to tell us not to______.

     A. judge a book by its cover

     B. make the mistake of thinking a young man stupid

     C. overestimate a student’s intelligence

     D. judge a person’s intelligence by his appearance

 

 

 

    Department stores sell ready-to-wear clothing, which is also called ready-made-clothing. Such clothing is made in fixed sizes. Those people who find that ready-made clothing fits them well can save money by buying it. Most often, People do not fit exactly into a producer’s size. Their clothing must be altered(改变)to make it fit better, However, most alterations are not very expensive. The small cost of most alterations means that ready-made clothing can meet the needs of most customers.

    Those who can afford it often get someone to design and make their clothing. Such clothing is called custom-made(定做的). The person who makes it measures the customer, and then sews it so that it fits perfectly. Alterations are not needed. Custom-made clothing is largely sewn by hand, has better quality, better material, and is of the style you have chosen. Of course, it costs much more than ready-to-wear clothing. You need to pay the difference for the special fitting and better skill that you are receiving. This often means that you spend double or more than you would for a ready-made garment（衣服）.

    Custom-made clothing is not always that much better than ready-made clothing. It costs more partly because only one garment has been made, just for you. Companies that produce ready-made products make thousands of garments at a time. This means they can buy large quantities of material. Workers cut each size by the hundreds. Companies work out ways to make the garments, quickly by machine and pay workers according to their skill. Thus they can sell the finished products at a low price while still making money. Most of the clothing sold in the United States is made in this way. Customers gain from the lower prices which are made possible by mass production（批量生产）.It may or may  not give  them high quality.

1.According to the passage, people who buy ready-made clothing           .

A. wish to make alterations

B. can fit into the sizes

C. want to make it better

D. will spend less money

2.We can learn from the passage that custom-made clothing is             .

A. specially made

B. fashionably designed

C. chosen by few people

D. made with difficulties

3.Which of the following is true about ready-made clothing?

A. It is of poor quality.

B. It suits all people.

C. It takes more time to make it.

D. It is labor-saving to make it.

4.The purpose of the writer is            .

A. to explain why custom-made clothing costs more

B. to show the advantages of mass production

C. to provide information about different kind-of clothing

D. to tell readers how to make money from ready-made clothing

 

If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven't you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?

According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.?

The study also found the effect is greater, the younger people learn a second language.?

A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.

Scans showed that grey matter density(密度)in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.?

“Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,” said the scientists.?

It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.?

Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and maths skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible(灵活的),”he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”

The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and 34.Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,”explained the scientists.?

The main subject talked about in this passage is_______.?

A. science on learning a second language?

B. man's ability of learning a second language?

C. language can help brain power?

D. language learning and maths study?

In the second paragraph, the writer mentions “exercise” in order to_______.

A. say language is also a kind of physical labor?

B. prove that one needs more practice when he(she)is learning a language?

C. to show the importance of using the language when you learn the language?

D. make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well?

The underlined word “bilingual” probably means_______.?

A. a researcher on language learning

B. a second language learner?

C. a person who can speak two languages

D. an active language learner ?

We may know from the scientific findings that_______.?

A. the earlier you start to learn a second language the higher the grey matter density is

B. there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn't know a second language?

C. the experience of learning a second language has bad effect on people's brain

D. the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time?