In the future your automobile（汽车） will run on water instead of gas! You will be able to buy a supercomputer that fits in your pocket! You might even drive a flying car!
For each prediction that has come true today, several others have missed by a mile. Many of these predictions didn’t consider how people would want to use the technology, or if people really needed it in their lives or not. Let’s look at some predictions from the not-too-distant past.
Robot Helpers
Where’s the robot in my kitchen? Nowhere, of course. And he’s probably not coming anytime soon. Robots do exist today, but mostly in factories and other manufacturing environments.
Back in the 1950s, however, people said that by now personal robots would be in most people’s homes.
So why hasn’t it happened?  Probably because robots are still too expensive and clumsy. And maybe the idea of robots cooking our dinners and washing our clothes is just too weird. At home we seem to be doing fine without them.
Telephones of Tomorrow
In 1964 an American company introduced the video telephone. They said by the year 2000 most people would have a video phone in their homes. But of course the idea hasn’t caught on yet.
Why? The technology worked fine, but it over—looked something obvious: people’s desire for privacy（隐私）. Would you want to have a video phone conversation with someone after you just step out of the shower（淋浴）?  Probably not---it could be embarrassing! Just because a technology available doesn’t always mean people will want to use it.
And finally, how about that crazy prediction of the flying car? It’s not so crazy anymore! But a flying car remains one of the most fascinating technology ideas to capture our imagination. Keep watching the news, or perhaps the sky outside your window, to see what the future will bring.
【小题1】
The whole passage is mainly about ________________.

A．predictions that have come true.	B．predictions that haven’t come true.
C．why predictions don’t come true easily.	D．what technology will bring about.

【小题2】
The author of this passage won’t believe that _________________.

A．predictions needn’t consider people’s practical use of technology.

B．the future isn’t always easy to guess.

C．not all past predictions have come true.

D．many of the high—tech things our parents thought we’d be using by now

simply never appeared.
【小题3】
The underlined word “weird” probably means __________.

A．wonderful

B．stupid

C．practical

D．strange

【小题4】
What does the author think of the flying car?

A．It is too difficult to imagine.	B．It is too crazy an idea.
C．It is likely to be made.	D．It is often reported in the news.

Every people（民族）uses its own special（特殊的）words to show its ideas and feelings. Some expressions are commonly used for many years. Others are popular for just a short time. One such American expression is“Where’s the beef?”It is used when something is not as good as it is said to be In the early 1980s “Where’s the beef?”was one of the most popular expressions in the United States. It seemed as if everyone was using it at the time.

Beef, of course,is the meat form a cow, and no food is more popular in America than a hamburger（汉堡包）made from beef. In the 1960s a businessman named Ray Kroc began building small restaurants that sold hamburgers at a low price. Kroc called his restaurants“McDonald’ s”.Ray Kroc became one of the richest businessmen in America.

Other business people watched his success. Some of them opened their own hamburger restaurants. One company（公司）called“Wendy’s”said its hamburgers were bigger than those sold by McDonald’s or anyone else’s .The Wendy’s Company began to use the expression“Where’s the beef?”to make people know that Wendy’s hamburgers were the biggest. The Wendy’s television advertisement（广告）showed three old women eating hamburgers. The bread that covered the meat was very big, but inside there was only a bit of meat. One of the women said she would not eat a hamburger with such a little piece of beef.“Where’s the beef?”she shouted in a funny way. The advertisement for Wendy’s hamburger restaurants was a success .As we said, it seemed everyone began using the expression“Where’s the beef?”

53．_______started Mc Donald’s restaurant.

A．Ray Kroc  B．McDonald     C．Wendy      D．Three old women

54．Other people wanted to open hamburger restaurants because they thought_______.

A．they could sell hamburgers at a low price  B．hamburgers were easy to make

C．beef was very popular in America        D．they could make a lot of money

55．Wendy’s made the expression known to everybody_______.

A．with many old women eating hamburgers

B．by a television advertisement

C．while selling bread with a bit of meat in it

D．at the McDonald’s restaurant

56．We can learn from the passage that the expression“Where’s the beef?”means_______.

A．the beef in hamburgers is not as much as it is said to be

B．the hamburgers are not as good as they are said to be

C．something is not so good as one says     

D．Wendy’s is the biggest

 

A long time ago, there lived a poor man whose real name has been forgotten. He was little and old and his face was wrinkled, and that was why his friends called him Mr. Vinegar. His wife was also little and old, and they lived in a little old cottage at the back of a little old field.
"John," said Mrs. Vinegar, "you must go to town and buy a cow. I will milk her and churn（搅拌） butter and we shall never want for anything."
"That is a good plan," said Mr. Vinegar, so he started off to town while his wife waited by the roadside.
Mr. Vinegar walked up and down the street of the town looking for a cow. After a time, a farmer came that way, leading one that was very pretty and fat.
"Oh, if I only had that cow," said Mr. Vinegar, "I would be the happiest man in the world!"
"She's a very good cow," said the farmer.
"Well," said Mr. Vinegar, "I'll give you these 50 gold pieces for her."
The farmer smiled and held out his hand for the money, "You may have her," he said, "I always like to oblige（施恩惠） , my friends!"
Mr. Vinegar took hold of the cow's halter and led her up and down the street. "I am the luckiest man in the world," he said, "for only see how all the people are looking at me and my cow!"
But at one end of the street, he met a man playing bagpipes（风笛） . He stopped and listened -- Tweedle Dee Tweedle Dee.
"Oh, that is the sweetest music I ever heard," he said, "and just see how all the children crowd around the man and give him pennies! If I only had those bagpipes, I would be the happiest man in the world!!"
"I'll sell them to you," said the piper.
"Will you? Well then, since I have no money, I will give you this cow for them."
"You may have them," answered the piper, "I always like to oblige a friend."
Mr. Vinegar took the bagpipes and the piper led the cow away.
"Now we will have some music," said Mr. Vinegar, but try as hard as he might, he could not play a tune. He could get nothing out of the bagpipes but "squeak, squeak". The children instead of giving him pennies laughed at him.
The day was chilly and in trying to play the pipes, his fingers grew very cold. He wished he had kept the cow.
He just started for home when he met a man who had warm gloves on his hands. "Oh, if I only had those pretty gloves," he said, "I would be the happiest man in the world."
"How much will you give for them?" asked the man.
"Oh, I have no money, but I will give you these bagpipes," answered Mr. Vinegar.
"Well," said the man, "you may have them for I always like to oblige a friend."
Mr. Vinegar gave him the bagpipes and drew the gloves on over his half frozen fingers. "How lucky I am," he said as he trudged（跋涉） homeward. His hands were soon quite warm, but the road was rough and the walking hard. He was very tired when he came to the foot of the steep hill. "How shall I ever get to the top?" he said. Just then he met a man who was walking the other way. He had a stick in his hand which he used as a cane to help him along.
"My friend," said Mr. Vinegar, "if only I had that stick of yours to help me up this hill, I would be the happiest man in the world!"
"How much will you give me for it?" asked the man.
"Well, I have no money, but I will give you this pair of warm gloves," said Mr. Vinegar.
"Well," said the man, "you may have it for I always like to oblige a friend."
Mr. Vinegar's hands were now quite warm, so he gave the gloves to the man and took the stout（结实的） stick to help him along. "How lucky I am!'' he said as he toiled upward.
At the top of the hill he stopped to rest. But as he was thinking of all his good luck that day, he heard someone calling his name. He looked up and saw only a green parrot sitting in a tree.
"Mr. Vinegar, Mr. Vinegar," it cried.
"What now?" said Mr. Vinegar.
"You're a dunce（傻瓜） , you're a dunce!'' answered the bird, "you went to seek your fortune and you found it, then you gave it for a cow, and the cow for some bagpipes, and the bagpipes for some gloves, and the gloves for a stick which you might of cut by the roadside. He He He, you're a dunce! You're a dunce!''
This made Mr. Vinegar very angry. He threw the stick at the bird with all his might. But the bird only answered, "You're a dunce! You're a dunce!" And the stick lodged in the tree where he could not get it again.
Mr. Vinegar went on slowly for he had many things to think about. His wife was standing by the roadside and as soon as she saw him, she cried out, "Where's the cow? Where's the cow?" "Well, I just don't know where the cow is," said Mr. Vinegar. And then he told her the whole story.
【小题1】What’s the meaning of the underlined word in the passage?

A．成功

B．财富

C．幸福

D．健康

【小题2】How many exchanges happen in the passage?

A．1

B．2

C．3

D．4

【小题3】Why does the parrot think Mr.Vinegar foolish?

A．Because Mr.Vinegar married an old woman

B．Because Mr.Vinegar gave his fortune for nothing

C．Because Mr.Vinegar was little and old

D．Because Mr.Vinegar did nothing but be angry

【小题4】What’s Mrs.Vinegar’s feeling after she knew the fact?

A．Sad

B．Calm

C．Happ

D．Angry

根据对话情景和内容，从对话后的选项中选出能填入每一空白处的最佳选项，选项中有两项为多余选项。

------Oh, I have been moving from one place to another.

------And so do I.

------ _________6______

------It’s in the next village.

------_________7______

------Yes, you need to take a bus. It goes every hour.

------I’ll go there now. _________8______

------Thanks. _________9______

------How many do you want?

------Two dozens. _________10_____

------Ok, see you later.

------See you later.

A. I’ll make some cakes for a party.

B. Is it far from here?

C. Why are you moving to your new house?

D. I’d like some eggs.

E. Would you carry the box for me?

F. Do you want anything?

G. Where’s the nearest supermarket?

 

根据对话内容，从对话后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Oh, I have moving from one place to another.
And so do I.
_________【小题1】______
It’s in the next village.
_________【小题2】______
Yes, you need to take a bus. It goes every hour.
I’ll go there now. _________【小题3】______
Thanks. _________【小题4】______
How many do you want?
Two dozens. _________【小题5】______
Ok, see you later.
See you later.

A．I’ll make some cakes for a party.

B．Is it far from here?

C．Why are you moving to your new house?

D．I’d like some eggs.

E. Would you carry the box for me?
F. Do you want anything?
G. Where’s the nearest supermarket?