Clothes can make phone calls, play music, dial your pal's number, keep you warm during cold weather and operate your computer.

This is not a fantasy. A British company, called electro­texiles, has created a wide range of clothes—clothes tha have minds of their own ! Scientists, working for the company, have invented a kind of fabric that can be mixed with flexible electronic materials to create intelligent clothing. The results are electronic garments.

If you think the weather has to be wired to different devices, think again. These designer clothes are wirefree, soft to touch and washable! Like any electronic device, these high­tech clothes have to be powered. Currently, a tiny nine­volt battery serves the purpose. But the researchers hope that in the near future the clothes will generate electricity by using body heat. These clothes are 100% shockproof, they say.

The electrotexiles team has also created the world's first cloth keyboard. These keyboard can be sewn into your trousers or skirt. To use this device, you will have to sit down and tap on your lap! These “lap­tap” devices are all set to take over laptop computers!

Another useful garment is the shirt­cum­mobile phone. This handy invention enables drivers to chat comfortably with others at the wheel! Other popular electronic wears include the denim (牛仔布) jacket with flexible earphones sewn into the hoop and the electronic ski jacket with a built­in heater. The ski jacket is also programmed to send signals to a satellite. This technology is known as global positioning system and can be used to track lost skiers and wandering kids.

Having completed the cloth keyboard, scientists have already started to work on a new project—a necktie that can be used as a computer mouse. What is the next? Do you have any idea?

60．The electronic garments are similar to other electronic devices in that ________.

A. they feel smooth and soft  

B. they use electricity as power

C. they can be washed in water 

D. they are made from flexible materials

61．How will researchers improve these high­tech clothes?

A. Body heat will be used as power.

B. The wearer will not get shocked.

C. A tiny nine­volt battery will work. 

D. They will get charged automatically.

62．The main purpose of the text is________.

A. to advertise for an English company

B. to predict the future trend of the products in the company

C. to show how rapidly science develops

D. to introduce some intelligent (智能的) clothing in the company

63．It can be inferred that the author's attitude towards the company is ________.

A. negative (消极的)   B. casual 

C. optimistic   D. doubtful

A recent online poll (民意调查) asked kids what they hated most about school. “Classes are boring” came in first. “Too much homework” was a close second. Since all activities remain interesting for only so long, too much homework can lead to ennui. So, why are some kids getting homework overload? Teachers give two reasons. First, they say, the government now requires schools to meet higher-than-ever achievement goals for students. If students don’ t succeed, the school faces punishment. Second, many parents want their children to be able to get into the best colleges and universities. These parents believe homework is a way to ensure that students are learning as much as possible.

    People who favor homework argue that it can have many beneficial effects. They claim it can help students develop good study habits. Homework can help students recognize that learning can occur at home as well as at school. It can help develop their independent learning and responsible character traits(性格特征).

   But studies show that middle school students doing 60 to 90 minutes of homework a night are doing just as well in school as those doing more than 90 minutes. And homework can have negative effects. Homework can deny students access to leisure(休闲) activities that also teach important skills. For example, sports teams teach cooperation and leadership, in addition to helping kids stay physically active. Another problem with too much homework is that parents can get too involved. They can put too much pressure on their kids.

So what should be done? Good homework assignments in the proper amount will have positive effects. Too much homework, however, will have negative effects. The bottom line: Students in grades three through six should do no more than 30 to 60 minutes of homework each night.

1.The underline word “ennui” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by “______” .

   A. relaxation      B. fancy          C. boredom            D. intelligence

2. According to Paragraph 1, the kids are given much homework because ________.

   A. schools are evaluated in terms of students’ achievement.

   B. the government doesn’t take the problem seriously

   C. it is a good way to improve the students’ ability

   D. time will be made full use of in this way

3.Those who are in favor of homework think that _______.

   A. homework helps students to succeed

   B. it’s good for kids to help each other in learning

   C. parents are a great help when kids do homework at home

   D. homework helps children to learn independently

4. Which of the following is NOT a negative effect of too much homework?

   A. Kids have little time to do leisure activities.

   B. There is a lack of sleeping time.

   C. The chances of learning other skills are lost.

   D. Kids are under pressure from their parents.

5. The author’s purpose in writing the passage is _______.

   A. to criticize the school teachers

   B. to attract public attention to kids’ study

   C. to offer more help to today’s kids

   D. to call for proper amounts of homework

Section C

Direction：Read the following text and choose the most suitable summary from A—F for each paragraph. There is one extra summary which you do not need.

A. Promotion by the press and media.

B. Foreign influences into British cuisine.

C. The variety of British cuisine.

D. The effect of history and climate.

E. Traditional meals for different times of the day.

F. International awards to British cuisine.

1 ______

They say a country’s cuisine（烹饪） is a reflection of its culture and national character. Therefore, the UK has always been a diverse country, since every region has its own traditional foods. For example, traditional Scottish cuisine is famous for its robust character： haggis, Aberdeen Angus beef, shortbread and whisky. Wales is well known for its lamb and leeks. Ireland is synonymous with Guinness, Irish whiskey and Irish stew.

2 ______

There are of course dishes common to the whole UK as well. Everyone （except vegetarians） likes a full English breakfast in the morning, followed by a Sunday roast for lunch, perhaps followed by fish and chips or a pork pie for dinner. For dessert, there are dozens of famous British cheeses to choose from.

3 ______

British cuisine has had a better international reputation for the last decade or so. Why is that？One reason is definitely that the wide range of ethnic groups in the UK has given British cuisine new ingredients, flavours, combinations and techniques. Curry, which is originally an Asian dish, is now officially the most popular food in the UK, whereas sandwiches used to be the most popular. With significant numbers of Polish people coming to the UK recently, Polish food shops can be found in almost every British city. Most cities have a Chinese quarter as well.

4 ______

Another reason for the improvement, however, is the large number of cookery programmes on British television. British people are more educated about food than they ever before. British chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White are internationally famous and even have television shows in the USA.

5 ______

So what are the results？In 2009, British restaurants received more Michelin stars than in any other previous year. The Michelin Guide （first established in France） sets the international standard for restaurant cuisine. With so much good food to eat, perhaps it is not surprising the UK now has an obesity problem.