One evening in February 2007 . a student named Paula Ceely brought her car to a stop on a remote in Wales . She got out to open a metal gate that blocked her path . That's when she heard the whistle sounded by the driver of a train.Her Renault Clio parked across a railway line. Second later,she watched  the train drag her car almost a kilometre down the railway tracks.

     Ceely's  near miss  made the news because she blamed it on her GPS device(导航仪).She had never driven the route before .It was dark and raining heavily . Ceely was relying on her GPS. But it made no mention of the crossing ."I put my complete trust in the device and it led me right into the path of a speeding train ,"she told the BBC.

   W ho is to blame here ? Rick Stevenson ,who tells Ceely's story in his book When Machines Fail US, finger at the limitations of technology. We put our faith in digital devices, he says,

      but our digital helpers are too often not up to the job. They are filled with small  problems. And it’s not just GPS devices: Stevenson takes us on a tour of digital disasters involving everything from mobile phones to wireless key boards.

     The problem with his argument in the book is that it’s  not clear why he only focuses digital technology,while  there may be a number of other possible  causes. A map-maker might have left the crossing off a paper map. Maybe we should blame Ceely for not paying attention. perhaps the railway authorities are at fault for poor signaling system. Or maybe someone has studied the relative dangers and worked out that there really is something specific wrong with the CPS equipment. But Stevenson doesn’t say.

It’s a problem that runs through the book. In a section on cars, Stevenson gives an accout of the advanced techniques that criminals use to defeat computer-based locking systems for cars. He offers two independent sets of figures on car theft; both show a small rise in some parts of the country. He says that once once again not all new locks have proved reliable. Perhaps, but maybe it’s also due to the shortage of policemen on the streets. Or changing social circumstances. Or some combination of these factors .

The game between humans and their smart devices  is complex. It is shaped by economics and psychology and the cultures we live in. Somewhere in the mix of those forces there may be  way a wiser use of technology.   

If there is such a way, it should involve more than just  an awareness of the shortcomings of our machines. After all, we have lived with them for thousands  of years. They have probably been fooling us for just as long .

1.

What did Paula Ceely think was the cause of her accident?           

 A. She was not familiar with the road.           

 B. It was dark and raining heavily then.   

C. The railway works failed to give the signal.

D. Her GPS device didn’t tell her about the crossing

2.

The phrase”near miss” (paragraph 2 ) can best be replaced by _______.    

A. closebit                    B. heavy loss             C.narrow escape         D. big mistake    

3.

Which of the following would Rick Stevenson most probably agree with?          A. Modern technology is what we can’t live without.

B. Digital technology often falls short of out expectation.    

C. Digital devices are more reliable than they used to be.   

D. GPS error is not the only cause for Celery’s accident. 

4.

In the writer’s opinion, Stevenson’s argument is________.

A. one-sided     B. reasonable      C.puzzling      D.well-based

5.

What is the real concern of the writer of this article?

A.The major causes of traffic accidents and car thefts.

B.The relationship between humans and technology

C. The shortcomings of digital devices we use.           

D. The human unawareness  of technical problems.

 

I’m fat. I’m too skinny. I’d be happy if I were taller, shorter, had curly hair, straight hair, a smaller nose, bigger muscles, longer legs. Do any of these statements sound familiar? Do you often put yourself down? If so, you’re not alone. As a teen, you’re going through a ton of changes in your body. And as your body changes, so does your image(形象) of yourself. Lots of people have trouble getting used to it and this can affect their confidence. w w w.k s 5 u.c o m

Some people think they need to change how they look or act to feel good about themselves. But actually all you need to do is change the way you see your body and how you think about yourself.

The first thing to do is recognize that your body is your own, no matter what shape, size, or color it comes in. If you’re very worried about your weight or size, go to your doctor to check that things are OK. But it’s no one’s business but your own what your body is like—finally, you have to be happy with yourself. w_w w. k#s5_u.c o*m

Next, find which aspects(方面) of your appearance you can change and which you can’t change and need to accept— like their height, for example, or their shoe size.

If there are things about yourself that you want to change and can do this by making goals for yourself. For example, if you want to get fit, make a pan to exercise every day and eat nutritious foods. w w w.k s 5 u.c o m

When you hear negative comments coming from within yourself, tell yourself to stop. Try building your confidence by listing three things in your day that really gave you pleasure. It can be anything like the way the sun felt on your face, the sound of your favorite band, or the way someone laughed at your jokes.

From the first paragraph, we can infer that_____.w_w w. k#s5_u.c o*m

A．most teens like to have a special body image

B．many teens can’t accept their body change easily

C．teens prefer to change their body image quickly

D．teens usually change their opinions on their body image

Which of the following does the author probably agree with? w_w w. k#s5_u.c o*m

A．Change the way other people look at you.

B．Go to your doctor for advice on how to change your body.

C．Learn from some celebrities on how to change your body.

D．Realize you can’t change everything about yourself.

The underlined phrase “put yourself down” in the first paragraph probably means____.

A．make yourself fall down        B．write down your name somewhere

C．force yourself to do something   D．say negative things about yourself

The passage is mainly about_. k#s5_u.c o*m

A．how to adjust to the changes of your body

B．how to build confidence by changing your body

C．how to keep an attractive body image

D．how to find pleasure in your day

The morning in London was wet, wet, wet. I had to check out from the 36  before noon, and then I would have a few 37  before my conference started near Richmond Park in the 38  . I started early for a literary London 39  with just my two feet, a guidebook and a map and a backpack with purse, camera and 40  .

My hotel was in Bayswater, and by walking through Kensington Gardens, 41  by the Peter Pan statue, I soon 42  myself in Kensington, former home of many a great 43  .

The more I 44  into literature, the more I want to learn, the more I see 45  I don’t know, what I haven’t 46  . Like Peter Pan. Familiar title, but a book I have never read.

Among my classic favorites are several books 47  Henry James. Some years ago I had some time alone in Roma and I spent a morning 48  for James’ home there, which is now a museum.

My walk 49  . Turning a corner right here, passing a square, looking up to see signs with familiar names, T.S. Elliot, W.M. Thackeray, Ezra Pond… Stopping for a 50  at a small French cafe, trying to 51  my wet and cold feet, writing my diary, then out again. I 52  in paradise（天堂）river, surrounded by images of words and famous writers.

Have you ever tried a literary walk? It is a great way of 53  . You not only see a city or a place like it is today, you can keep on 54  you are back home, reading the books by the authors, imagining their 55  , their places, knowing a tiny little bit more about the man or woman behind the creating hands and mind.

36. A. home                  B. park                  C. museum                   D. hotel

37. A. minutes                     B. hours                C. days                         D. weeks

38. A. dawn                  B. morning            C. evening                    D. midnight

39. A. walk                   B. riding               C. sight                        D. view

40. A. dictionary           B. computer           C. diary                        D. book

41. A. passing               B. flying               C. rushing                    D. sitting

42. A. saw                    B. noticed              C. looked                            D. found

43. A. writer                 B. doctor               C. actor                        D. worker

44. A. put                            B. jump                 C. dive                         D. look

45. A. how                   B. what                 C. where                      D. whether

46. A. written               B. read                  C. seen                         D. done

47. A. with                   B. for                    C. of                            D. by

48. A. searching            B. working            C. asking                      D. advertising

49. A. took on               B. put on               C. kept on                    D. got on

50. A. beer                   B. coffee               C. hamburger                D. tea

51. A. wash                  B. cure                  C. clean                        D. warm

52. A. crossed               B. bathed               C. drank                       D. swam

53. A. learning                     B. reading             C. traveling                  D. visiting

54. A. when                  B. before               C. until                        D. as

55. A. families                     B. lives                 C. experiences               D. habits

 

The subject of this year’s Kunming International Expo(博览会) is “man and nature walking hand in hand into the 21^st Century”. When the UK was asked to take part, it seemed natural to build a garden. Now the British Garden will be a central part when Expo opens on May 1.

David Patterson , the Curator(馆长) of the Department of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, is leading the team now putting the finishing couches to the garden．The Royal Botanic Gardens were chosen for a very good reason. They have the largest collection of Chinese plants in the world outside China.

“Ever since people in Britain started gardening for pleasure they have used Chinese plants,” Patterson told English Corner. “There are probably Chinese flowers in nearly every garden in Britain. This is a good chance to give something back.”The garden has been carefully designed to mix traditional British skills with the local Chinese environment. David Patterson describes the garden as “formal but gentle”. It contains a raised flower bed, a summer house and a lot of local trees. The garden is contained behind a wall of local, yellow stone. It is intended to be a place of serious thinking and quiet enjoyment.

“You could say that we’ve painted a picture,” said David Patterson. “And we have designed the garden to continue for a long time, so that the people of Kunming will be able to enjoy it long after the Expo is over.”

 

1.Visitors to the Kunming International Expo will most probably feel ______________. w.w.w.k.s.5.u.c.o.     

A. man is the master of nature      B. man quite agrees with nature

C. nature is a helping hand to man      D. China has a long history of gardening

2.The underlined expression “putting the finishing touches to the garden” here means ______________. w.w.w.k.s.5.u.c.o.

A. starting building the garden      

B. examining the main body of the garden

C. doing the last part of the work to the garden  

D. completing the design of garden

3.In the British Garden you will feel ______________. w.w.w.k.s.5.u.c.o.  

A. nothing familiar    B. everything British    C. excited and noisy     D. quiet and happy

4.The passage is mainly ______________. w.w.w.k.s.5.u.c.o. 

A. an introduction to the British Garden   

B. an explanation of the design of the British Garden

C. a high praise for the Chinese gardening 

D. a short talk on this year’s Kunming International Expo