What will you be doing when you are 26 years old? Studying at university or working for a living? Take a look at what Albert Einstein was doing at the age of 26.

100 years ago, Einstein was working in Switzerland. His hobby was physics. Without much money or help, he wrote five papers(论文) for a physics magazine. Three of these greatly changed the study of physics and our understanding of space, time, light and matter(物质). His most famous work is on the Theory of Relativity(相对论). Einstein was given the Nobel Prize for his discoveries. Although he also did many other things later, the years 1905 has been called Einstein’s “Year of Wonders”. It has been 100 years since then. Because of this, the UN has named 05 the World Year of Physics.

Today, over fifty years after Einstein’s death, a question is asked,  “ Will there ever be another Einstein?” It may take a long time. After all, Einstein was born more than 200 years after Sir Isaac Newton, another great scientist. Besides, physics is a different field now, and education is different, too. Even if you can’t be the next great scientist, it is still helpful to remember some of the things that made Einstein great. He thought independently(独立地) and read widely. He left with us a formula(公式) for life: If A is a success in life, then A="X+Y+Z." X is work, Y is play, and Z is keeping your mouth shut.

1.The year 1905 is known as Einstein’s “Year of Wonders” because           .

A．Einstein was working in Switzerland in 1905	B．Einstein was 26 years old in 1905
C．Einstein made some very important discoveries in 1905	D．Einstein studied physics in 1905

2.Why hasn’t there been another scientist as great as Einstein?

A．Because the study of physics is not enough.

B．Because it is hard to make important discoveries as Einstein did.

C．Because people don’t work hard any more.

D．Because physics is getting more and more difficult.

3.The UN has named 05 the World Year of Physics because           .

A．Einstein is 100 years old this year

B．Einstein has been dead for more than 50 years

C．there have been other great discoveries after Einstein’s death

D．it is the 100th year since Einstein’s “Year of Wonders”

4. What does Einstein’s formula for life mean?

A．Success means years of hard work.

B．Success means all study and no play.

C．Success means working hard, relaxing and not talking too much.

D．Success is a secret that nobody knows.

 

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

Recently, two researchers, Jose Millan and Michele Tavella from the Federal Polytechnic school in 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 band. He could even talk as he watched the vehicle and guided it with his thoughts.

“our brain has billions of nerve ceils. 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. Millan, 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 frotn. 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.

Which of the following shows the path of the signals described in Paragraph 5?

A. scalp→computer→cap→wheelchair

B. computer→cap→scalp→wheelchair

C. scalp→cap→computer→wheelchair

D. cap→computer→scalp→wheelchair

4.

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

5.

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

 

"A survey was conducted in Shanghai where interviewees were asked if they wanted to be a factory worker．One percent of all people interviewed said “YES," Wang Hongjun, a technician, said, raising his voice for dramatic effect．"But I can tell you, only a small part of that 1 percent are telling the truth．"

       I've met colorful people like Wang all over China．They are cynical （玩世不恭的） yet warmhearted, plain spoken but smart．And many of them are confined （局限于） to work in factories．

       Wang is a top technician but also represents manual factory workers, who are China's most important natural resource．Their energy is powering China's economic boom, and their muscle is turning the wheel of the world's factory．

       But does their unskilled labor give their life meaning? At school, did they tell their friends: "When I grow up I want to work in a factory making socks?" Did you?[来源:Zxxk.Com]

       Factory work has always been a stepping-stone from farm life to the city and a modern life．It's been happening for centuries, but today, with our space-age technology, it's outdated．Earning 1,200 yuan （$169） per month working in a factory is better than that on a farm, but as Wang points out, it's not a dream career．There should be better ways to earn your rice．

       Many modern factories no longer have production line workers．Robots do the assembly （装配）．People just do the monitoring．In this age of technology, in which China is now working smarter and not just harder, why are people still standing in production lines?

       But life is cheap in China．So why not continue to exploit the low-cost labor situation and keep the economy growing fast, some entrepreneurs may ask．

1.How many people surveyed really like to be factory workers?

       A．One percent                      

       B．Only a small part

       C．Only a small part of that one percent   

       D．The writer didn’t mention it．

2.Which is NOT the writer's opinion of factory workers?

       A．cynical                                     B．unimportant

       C．warmhearted                                D．plain spoken

 

 

3.Wang Hongjun is a person who is         ．

       A．difficult to get along with

       B．humorous but serious

       C．cynical but warmhearted, plain spoken but smart

       D．full of energy but doesn't want to work hard

4.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

       A．Factory workers make contributions to China's economic boom．

       B．Working in a factory is better than that on a farm．

       C．Factory workers are satisfied with their living conditions．

       D．Some entrepreneurs exploited the low-cost labor situation．

5.The writer uses          to begin the passage．

       A．a lot of figures                                    B．many examples

       C．some dialogue                                     D．the result of a survey

 

Mini Book Excerpts (节选)

Biography

When Salinger learned that a car park was to be built on the land, the middle-aged writer was shocked and quickly bought the neighboring area to protect it… The townspeople never forgot the rescue and came to help their most famous neighbor.

J. D. Salinger: A Life by Kenneth Slawenski (Random House, $27)

Mystery (疑案小说)

"You're a smart boy. Benny's death was no accident, and you're the only who saw it happen. Do you think the murderer should get away with it?" The boy was staring stubbornly at his lap again.

A thought suddenly occurred to Annika, "Did you …You recognized the man in the car, didn't you?"

The boy hesitated, twisting his fingers, "Maybe," he said quietly.

Red Wolf by Liza Marklund (Atria Books, $25.99)

Short Stories

She wants to say to him what she has learned, none of it in class. Some women are born stupid, and some women are too smart for their own good. Some women are born to give, and some women only know how to take. Some women learn who they want to be from their mothers, some who they don't want to be. Some mothers suffer so their daughters won't. Some mothers love so their daughters won't.

You Are Free by Danzy Senna (Riverhead Books, $15)

Humor

Do your kids like to have fun? Come to Fun Times! Do you like to watch your kids having fun? Bring them to Fun Times! Fun Times!'s "amusement cycling" is the most fun you can have, legally, in the United States right now. Why spend thousands of dollars flying to Disney World when you can spend less than half of that within a day's drive of most cities?

Happy: And Other Bad Thoughts by Larry Doyle (Ecco, $14.99)

1.If the readers want to know about the life of Salinger, they should buy the book published by ________.

A．Ecco             B．Atria Books        C．Riverhead Books    D．Random House

2.The book Happy And Other Bad Thoughts is intended for ________.

A．young children                         B．Disney World workers

C．middle school teachers                   D．parents with young children

3. Which book describes women with characters of their own?

A. Happy And Other Bad Thoughts

B. J. D. Salinger: A Life

C. You Are Free

D. Red Wolf

4. After finishing the book Red Wolf, the readers would learn that ________.

A．the boy helped arrest the murderer

B．Benny died of an accident

C．the murderer got away with the crime

D．Annika carried out the crime

 

One day a police officer managed to get some fresh mushrooms(蘑菇). He was so   26   with what he had bought that he offered to   27   the mushrooms with his brother officers. When their breakfast arrived the next day, each officer found some mushrooms on his plate. "Let the dog  _28__a piece first," suggested one__29_ officer who was afraid that the mushrooms might be poisonous(有毒的).

    The dog seemed to_30__his mushroom, and the officers then began to eat their meal, saying that the mushrooms had a very strange __31___ quite pleasant taste.

An hour later, however, they were all astonished_32___the gardener rushed in and said_33___that the dog was dead. _34__, the officers jumped into their cars and rushed to the __35___hospital. Pumps(洗胃器) were used and the officers had a very_36___time getting rid of the mushrooms that__37__in their stomachs.

     When they_38___to the police station, they sat down and started to__39__the mushroom poisoning. Each man explained the pains(痛苦) that_40___had felt and they agreed that these had grown worse on their_41___to the hospital. The gardener was  42__to tell the way in which the poor dog had died." Did it__43___much before death?" asked one of the officers, feeling very pleased that he had escaped a_44__death himself. "No," the gardener looked rather __45___. "It was killed the moment a car hit it."

1.A. sure           B. careless     C. pleased          D. disappointed

2.A. share          B. grow         C. wash             D. cook

3.A. check          B. smell        C. try          D. examine

4.A. exciting       B. shy          C. happy            D. careful

5.A. refuse         B. hate         C. want             D. enjoy

6.A. besides            B. but          C. and              D. or

7.A. until          B. while        C. before       D. when

8.A. cruelly            B. traditionallyC. seriously    D. finally

9.A. Immediately    B. Carefully        C. Finally      D. Slowly

10.A. animal            B. biggest      C. plant        D. nearest

11.A. hard          B. busy         C. exciting     D. unforgettable

12.A. stopped       B. dropped      C. settled          D. remained

13.A. hurried           B. drove            C. went     D. returned

14.A. study         B. discuss      C. record       D. remember

15.A. they          B. anybody      C. he           D. all

16.A. road          B. street           C. way      D. direction

17.A. punished      B. called           C. promised D. helped

18.A. suffer            B. eat          C. harm         D. talk

19.A. strange       B. painful      C. peaceful     D. natural

20.A. happy         B. interested   C. surprised    D. excited