Investors soon will be able to own shares of Facebook stock. The world’s biggest social media network presented documents to the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday. The documents are required before the company can make its initial public offering（首次公开募股）or IPO. A date for the stock sale has yet to be announced.

Experts say Facebook could raise about five billion dollars. That would be one of the biggest IPO sales ever. And it would be much bigger than Google’s first public stock sale in 2004. At that time, the Internet search company raised almost two billion dollars.

Facebook has 800 million users around the world. It is the second most visited website after Google. Now, experts say the social media network is in a position to become one of the most valuable Internet companies.

Stock expert Anupam Palit at Greencrest Capital says that among social media sites, Facebook is in a class by itself.

“It is the biggest company in this space and we believe what makes it very unique from every other company that went public last year in this space is that it is very, very profitable.” said Anupam Palit.

Early estimates place the total value of the social network between 75 and 100 billion dollars. That includes earlier investments by other companies. David Kirkpatrick wrote the book The Facebook Effect. He says Facebook’s IPO will be historic.

The stock sale could also make Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg one of the world’s youngest billionaires. He is only 27.

Investment companies are likely to buy Facebook stock first. But investment manager Jim O’Shaugnessy says that is not so bad. He says the prices of some IPO stocks are too high and fall not long after they first go on sale.

    Recently, share prices of some Internet businesses have fallen after their stocks were first offered. For example, stocks of Linkedln, Groupon and Zynga, dropped in price by as much as 25% after going public.

There were similar questions eight years ago when Google first sold stock to the public. Today, Google is one of the world’s most valuable technology companies.

1.Which of the following is true about Google?

    A. Google’s first public stock sale began in 2005.

    B. Google is the world’s most valuable company.

    C. Google’s share price rose after its stock was first offered.

    D. Google raised almost two billion dollars from its first public stock sale.

2.According to the passage, we can know Facebook ________.

    A. has 800 million users in the USA       B. has announced the date for its first stock sale

    C. is the most visited website today       D. is the world’s biggest social media network

3.We can infer from the passage that ________.

    A. Facebook stock is being sold very well

    B. Mark Zuckerberg will get much money from the stock sale

    C. Mark Zuckerberg was only 27 when Facebook was founded

    D. investment companies have bought many Facebook shares

4.Which would be the best title for this passage?

    A. Facebook and Its IPO               B. The Difference Between Facebook and Google

C. The Founder of Facebook            D. A Book Called The Facebook Effect

 

An early invention by Albert Einstein has been rebuilt by scientists at Oxford University. They are trying to develop an environmentally friendly refrigerator that runs without electricity.

We all know that modern fridges cause damage to the environment. They work by using a kind of man-made greenhouse gas called Freon (氟里昂), which is far more damaging than carbon dioxide.

Now Malcolm McCulloch, an electrical engineer at Oxford, is leading a three-year project to develop appliances that can be used in places without electricity.

His team has completed a prototype (样机) of a fridge patented in 1930 by Einstein. It used only pressurized gases to keep things cold. The design was partly used in the first refrigerators, but the technology was dropped when more efficient compressors (压缩机) became popular in the 1950s. That meant a switch to using Freon.

Einstein’s idea uses butane (丁烷) and water and takes advantage of the fact that liquids boil at lower temperatures, when the air pressure around them is lower.

“If you go to the top of Mount Qomolangma, water boils at a much lower temperature than it does when you’re at sea level and that’s because the pressure is much lower up there,” said McCulloch.At one side is the evaporator (蒸发器), a bottle that contains liquid butane. “If you introduce a new vapor above the butane, the liquid boiling temperature decreases and, as it boils off, it takes energy from the surroundings to do so,” says McCulloch. “That’s what makes it cold.”

The gas fridges based on Einstein’s design were replaced by Freon-compressor fridges partly because Einstein’s design was not very efficient. But McCulloch thinks that by changing the design and replacing the types of gases used it will be possible to quadruple (翻两番) the efficiency.

However, McCulloch’s fridge is still in its early stages. “It’s very much a prototype,” he said. “Give us another month and we'll have it working.”

72．According to the passage, an early invention by Albert Einstein _______.

A．has been rediscovered because it costs much less and works more efficiently

B．is being redesigned because it could be used in places without electricity

C．has just been found to be energy-saving and environmentally friendly

D．will be fully made use of and become the fridge of the future

73．Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

A．Freon was used in fridges long before the 1950s.

B．Freon is what makes current fridges big polluters.

C．McCulloch thinks he could improve Einstein's design by using other types of vapors.

D．The fridge Malcolm McCulloch and his team designed will be put into production soon.

74．We can learn from the text that the prototype completed _______.

A．changed the air pressure around it

B．was tested on the top of Mount Everest

C．increased the liquid boiling temperature

D．used only pressurized gases to keep things cold

75．McCulloch’s words in Paragraph 6 _____.

A．serve as an explanation for the principle behind Einstein’s fridge

B．give you the reason why Einstein’s fridge was not efficient

C．tell you how to take advantage of low air pressure

D．show you how Einstein’s fridge works

I have only once been in trouble with the law．The whole process of being arrested and taken to court was a rather unpleasant experience at the time, but it makes a good story now． What makes it rather disturbing was the arbitrary（随意的）circumstances both of my arrest and my subsequent （随后的） fate in court．

It happened in February about twelve years ago．I had left school a couple of months before that and was not due to go to university until the following October．I was still living at home at the time．

One morning I was in Richmond, a suburb of London near where I lived．I was looking for a temporary job so that I could save up some money to go traveling．As it was a fine day and I was in no hurry, I was taking my time, looking in shop windows, strolling in the park, and sometimes just stopping and looking around me．It must have been this obvious aimlessness that led to my downfall．

It was about half past eleven when it happened．I was just walking out of the local library, having unsuccessfully sought employment there, when I saw a man walking across the road with the obvious intention of talking to me．I thought he was going to ask me the time．Instead, he said he was a police officer and he was arresting me．At first I thought it was some kind of joke

But then another policeman appeared, this time in uniform, and I was left in no doubt．

'But what for?" I asked

‘Wandering with intent to commit an arrestable offence,' he said．

‘What offence?' I asked

'Theft,' he said

'Theft of what?'I asked

'Milk bottles,' he said, and with a perfectly straight face too!

'Oh,' I said．

It turned out there had been a lot of petty thefts in the area, particularly that of stealing milk bottles from doorsteps．

Then I made my big mistake．At the time I was nineteen, had long untidy hair, and regarded myself as pan of the sixties' 'youth counterculture'．As a result, I wanted to appear cool and unconcerned with the incident, so I said, 'How long have you been following me?  in the most casual and conversational tone I could manage．I thus appeared to them to be quite familiar with this sort of situation, and it confirmed them in their belief that I was a thoroughly disreputable （品行不端的） character．

         A few minutes later a police car arrived．

         'Get in the back,' they said．'Put your hands on the back of the front seat and don't move them．'

         They got in on either side of me．It wasn't funny any more．

         At the police station they questioned me for several hours．I continued to try to look worldly and familiar with the situation．When they asked me what I had been doing, I told them I'd been looking for a job．'Aha,' I could see them thinking, 'unemployed'．

Eventually, I was officially charged and told to report to Richmond Magistrates' Court the following Monday．Then they let me go．

I wanted to conduct my own defense in court, but as soon as my father found out what had happened, he hired a very good solicitor （律师） ．We went along that Monday armed with all kinds of witnesses, including my English teacher from school as a character witness．But he was never called on to give evidence．My 'trial' didn't get that far．The magistrate （法官） dismissed the case after fifteen minutes．1 was free．The poor police had never stood a chance．The solicitor even succeeded in getting costs awarded against the police．

And so I do not have a criminal record．But what was most shocking at the time was the things my release from the charge so clearly depended on．I had the 'right' accent, respectable middle-class parents in court, reliable witnesses, and I could obviously afford a very good solicitor．Given the obscure nature of the charge．I feel sure that if I had come from a different background, and had really been unemployed, there is every chance that I would have been found guilty．While asking for costs to be awarded, my solicitor's case quite obviously revolved （回转） around the fact that I had a 'brilliant academic record'．

Meanwhile, just outside the courtroom, one of the policemen who had arrested me was gloomily complaining to my mother that another youngster had been turned against the police． 'You could have been a bit more helpful when we arrested you,' he said to me reproachfully （责备地） ．

What did he mean? Probably that I should have looked outraged （暴怒）and said something like, 'Look here, do you know who you're talking to? I am a highly successful student with a brilliant academic record．How dare you arrest me!' Then they, probably, would have apologized perhaps even taken off their caps, and let me on my way．

1.Judging from the first paragraph, the writer's attitude towards his story is _______．

A．angry                                          B．sad

C．amused                                      D．more than just one of the above

2.The first man who came up to him was ______．

A．a uniformed policeman                  B．a policeman in plainclothes

C．not a policeman                          D．a good joker

3.The court never asked the author's English teacher to give evidence because _______．

A．the time for the trial was limited to fifteen minutes only

B．the author wanted to conduct his own defense in court

C．the case was dismissed before the trial reached that stage

D．he was found to be unqualified as a character witness

4.The author believes that he would most probably have been declared guilty if _______．

A．the magistrate had been less gentle

B．he had really been out of work

C．he had been born in a lower—class family

D．both B and C

5.In the opinion of one of the policeman who had arrested the author, the whole thing might not have occurred if ______．

A．he had protested strongly at the time

B．he had begged to be allowed to go home

C．he hadn't wandered aimlessly

D．he had tried to look cool

6.We can see from the passage that the author ______．

A．has broken the law only once

B．has never broken the law

C．has broken the law on more than one occasion

D．once broke the law without knowing it

 

 1 Year, 47 Issues
Cover Price: $217.87
Your Price: $47.00
About The New Yorker Magazine:
The New Yorker is the eclectic magazine for readers interested in the arts, current events, and culture. The New Yorker includes articles on domestic and international news, exploring current ideas and trends, plus sports, fashion, and entertainment events. In addition, The New Yorker is well known for publishing outstanding short fiction and cartoons with an ironic twist.

1 Year, 12 Issues
Cover Price: $68.89
Your Price: $15.96
About Playboy Magazine:
Playboy is a magazine of literature, political thought, sports, commentary and humor. Although Playboy is most well-known for its pictorials (插图)of beautiful women, it is also highly regarded for its interviews and fiction writing. Playboy includes regular feature articles on finance, sports, self-improvement, technology, and psychology. You must be 18 or older to order Playboy.

1 Year, 10 Issues
Cover Price: $39.90
Your Price: $23.00
About Nick Magazine:
Nick is filled with wonderful entertainment for children, ages 6 to 14. It is wholesome (对身心有益的), imaginative, and truly from a child’s point of view. Nick sees the world from your child’s perspective (视角). Share the award-winning entertainment and humor magazine from Nick with your kids.
  
1 Year, 12 Issues
Cover Price: $35.40
Your Price: $15.00
About Lucky Magazine:
Lucky is the ultimate shopping magazine with the best looks, the best buys, and the best trends before they hit the stores. But what makes it really unique is all the detailed information you’ll get on how to purchase the merchandise (商品) you’ll find. Lucky provides you with 800 numbers, web site addresses, and more to make your shopping experience easy and convenient! Lucky is your one-stop shopping guide to all the greatest new products on the market. What’s more, it provides wonderful entertainment for women.
【小题1】Which magazine gives buyers the cheapest price according to the advertisements?

A．The New Yorker

B．Playboy

C．Nick

D．Lucky

【小题2】What is the striking feature of the Lucky magazine?

A．It supplies much entertainment for women and children.

B．It contains many outstanding novels and cartoons.

C．It is famous for beautiful pictures of beautiful women.

D．There’s much detailed information on how to find new products on the market.

【小题3】If you are a housewife, which magazine will you probably buy?
A. A. The New Yorker        B. Lucky           C. Nick        D. Playboy
【小题4】What information is contained in all the four magazines?

A．Sports

B．Entertainment

C．News

D．Trends

PEOPLE who have had a painful experience may wish they could wipe the memory from their minds. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University, US, say that this may someday be possible.
A drug remains far off, but researchers have laid a foundation with their discovery that proteins can be removed from the brain’s fear center to cut memories forever.
Previous research had already shown that a special behavior therapy (治疗) could cut painful memories. But relapse (复发) was possible because the memory hadn’t necessarily disappeared.
By looking at that process, Richard Huganir and Roger Clem, two researchers from Johns Hopkins University, discovered a “window of vulnerability (脆弱的窗口)” when proteins are created. The proteins help signals travel within the brain as painful memories are made. Because the proteins are unstable, they can be easily removed with drugs or behavior therapy to cut memories.
Researchers used mice to find the window, but think the process would be the same in humans. They used electric shocks to make the mice fear a certain sound. The sound triggered (触发) the creation of the proteins, called calcium-permeable (钙通透性) AMPARS, which formed for a day or two in the fear centers of the mice’s brains.
The researchers are working on ways to reopen the window by recalling (唤醒) the painful memory and using drugs to remove the protein. They published their report online last month in Science Express.
Their research has drawn interest and concern from experts in mental healthcare.
Kate Farinholt, a mental health expert with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Maryland, US, said many people suffering from a painful event might benefit from erasing a memory. “Erasing a memory and then everything bad built on that is an amazing idea, and I can see all sorts of potential ,” she said.
But there are a lot of unanswered questions, too.
“Completely deleting a memory is a little scary. How do you remove a memory without removing a part of someone’s life,” Farinholt said. “And is it best to do that, considering that people grow and learn from their experiences?”
【小题1】What have researchers at Johns Hopkins University found recently?  

A．A new drug to erase painful memories from human brains.

B．A special behavior therapy to erase painful memories.

C．Removing certain proteins from the brain can wipe painful memories.

D．Erasing memory damages a patient’s brain functions.

【小题2】What makes it possible to erase painful memories according to Paragraph 4? 

A．The way the brain cells are created.

B．The unstable character of the proteins in the brain.

C．The strength of the signals the proteins send.

D．The drugs that can stop the formation of memories.

【小题3】Which of the following shows the stages of the process done on mice? 
a. removal of fear proteins            b. making mice fear a certain sound
c. fear proteins created in mice brains   d. making mice recall painful memories

A．a-b-c-d

B．d-a-c-b

C．b-c-d-a

D．c-b-d-a

【小题4】What is Kate Farinholt’s opinion of the research? 

A．People may lose the chance to learn from their bad experiences.

B．The research will be a great breakthrough in treating painful memories.

C．People could suffer long-term memory loss.

D．People could forget happy memories as well.