A mobile phone service which makes your handset (手机) scream when it's been stolen has been started, with its makers claiming it could put an end to mobile theft altogether.

　　The Remote XT system uses software to link customers' mobile phones directly to a secure remote server, which stores all their data from phone numbers to text messages and e-mails. If the owner's phone is lost or stolen? he can dial a 24-hour call centre and have it registered as stolen. The handset is then disabled, and cannot even be used if a new SIM card is put in. At the same time, the system sets off an alarm sounding like a highpitched (声音尖锐的) scream, which can only be stopped by removing the battery.

　　Existing data is also wiped off the phone but, because the information has been stored centrally, it can be retrieved as soon as the victim gets a new phone, the system design-ers said.

　　“By making mobiles unusable to anyone but the rightful owner, the phones become worthless and we will see the market for sto-len handsets stopped once and for all, ”said Mark Whiteman, managing director of Re-mote XT. “Such phones cause disaster for the huge criminal industry that has profited from mobile theft for too long. ”

　　For the moment the system is aimed at business customers and comes with a fee of 9. 99 pounds per month, possibly available to the majority of average user within two years as mobile technology advances.

　　According to the latest UK government statistics, mobile phone theft has risen 190 per cent in recent years, with one third of all UK robberies now only involving mobile phones. It's estimated a mobile handset is stolen every 12 seconds in Britain costing UK consumers around 390 million pounds ($ 735 million) every year.

(1) The passage mainly focuses on________.

[　　]

A．a mobile phone security system

B．the advance in mobile technology

C．suggestions on mobile phone use

D．mobile phone theft in the UK

(2) Which of the following is NOT true about the Remote XT system?

[　　]

A．It uses software to disable customers' stolen phones.

B．It takes remote control of phones sto-len or lost.

C．Owners can get their phones back with the help of it.

D．Now only business customers benefit from it.

(3) The underlined word “retrieved” (in Par-agraph 3) probably means “________”.

[　　]

A．destroyed

B．restored

C．examined

D．protected

(4) According to the passage, phone theft in the UK can be best described as________.

[　　]

A．severe

B．illegal

C．civil

D．popular

In America, drivers' education is part of high school. Every student in his or her second year of high school is required to take a course in drivers' education. However, unlike other courses, it isn't given during the regular school year. Instead, it is a summer course.

The course is divided into two parts: class time for learning the laws and regulations, and driving time for practice. The students study the basic traffic laws they must know to pass the written driving test, which is given to anyone who wants to get a driver's license.

Driving time is a chance for the students to sit behind the steering wheel and practice all kinds of skills that are required to drive a car. Each student is required to drive for a total of six hours. The students are divided into groups of four. The students and the instructor go out driving for two hours. Thus, each student gets half an hour of driving time per outing. The instructor and the "driver" sit in the front seats and the other three students sit in the back.

The cars for drivers' education are different from other ears. In this kind of car there are two sets of brakes, one on the driver's side and the other on the instructor; s side. Thus, if the student driver runs into difficulties, the instructor can take over. This kind of car also has another special feature. On the rear window of the car is a sign that reads： STUDENT DRIVER. That lets nearby drivers know that they should be more careful because the student driver isn't very experienced.

After the student has passed the drivers' education course and reached the proper age to drive, they can go to a designated state office to take the driving test, which is made up of an eye examination, a written test, and a road test. The student must pass all the three tests in order to get a driver's license. If the student does well in the drivers' education class, he or she will have no problem passing the test with flying colors and getting licensed.

56. In America, the driver's course mentioned above

A. is carried on at the same time as other courses

B. is given to anyone wanting to get a driver's license

C. is offered to all the students of Grade Two in high school

D. is considered as par  of the advanced education

57. We can infer that the students are required to           in their whole driving practice.

A. go out driving for twelve times        B. spend at least six hours driving

C. drive for two hours                        D. get half an hour driving each time

58. Which of the following does NOT agree with the requirements for the students wanting to get their driver's licenses?

A. Their age must conform to relevant regulations.

B. They should go to have their driver's tests.

C. They must have their eyes examined.

D. They can take the driving test in their own schools.

59. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Students who take the driving lessons don't need to learn laws and regulations.

B. The car for driver's education has a sign on the rear window.

C. Every student can pass the driving test only if he/she takes a course in driver's education.

D. The road test in the driving test is more important than the other two ones.

60. In the last sentence, "with flying colors" means

A. happily          B. successfully       C. colorfully            D. quickly

I had the meanest mother in the world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal (谷类食物), eggs or toast. While others had Cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different from other kids' too. But at least I wasn't alone in my sufferings. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.

My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times. She had to know who our friends were and where we were going. She insisted if we said we'd be gone an hour, then we be gone one hour or less—not one hour and one minute. And she always insisted upon us telling the truth. Now you can see how mean she was.

The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night and up at eight the next morning. We had to wash dishes, make beds, and learn to cook. We had to wear clean clothes and take a bath, while the other kids always wore their clothes for days. I believe she laid awake at night thinking up mean things to do to us.

Through the years, things didn't improve a bit. We could not lie in bed, “sick” like our friends did, and miss school. Our marks in school had to be up to par(达到正常水平). Our friends' report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother, being as different as she was, would settle for nothing less than ugly black marks.

As the years rolled by, we were one by one put to shame. We were graduated from high school. With our mother behind us, talking, hitting and demanding respect, none of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout.

My mother was a complete failure as a mother. Out of four children, a couple of us attained some higher education. And whom do we have to blame for the terrible way we turned out? You're right, our mean mother. She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults.

Now I am trying to raise my three children. I am filled with pride when my children think I am mean because, you see, I had the meanest mother in the world.

1.What does the sentence “But at least I wasn't alone in my sufferings.” mean?

A．The author's mother was only mean to her.

B．The author's mother suffered her.

C．The author's mother was mean to her sister, brothers and her.

D．The author wasn't alone because of suffering.

2.Why was the author's mother mean to her children?

A．Because she wanted her children to be top students in school.

B．Because she wanted her children to bring home colored report cards like her friends did.

C．Because she wanted her children to drop out.

D．Because she wanted her children to do their best at school and be educated and respected citizens.

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

A．Some of the children weren't able to go to college because of their mean mother.

B．Mother didn't let the author tell lies.

C．Mother asked the author to wear clean clothes.

D．The author could not miss school even if she was ill.

4.The passage was written in a way of _______ tone?

A．humorous         B．hateful            C．ridiculous         D．critical

阅读下面短文，请根据短文后的要求进行答题。（请注意问题后的字数要求）

[1]Keeping a busy social life among lots of friends may keep people slimmer than spending hours on a treadmill, according to scientists. They say that socializing and meeting with friends helps boost levels of ‘brown fat’ in the boby which burns calories to generate heat.

[2]Living in a stimulating, social environment was found to reduce abdominal fat in mice by half over four weeks, even if they ate more. US researchers say that social stimulation can       

by converting white fat into brown, White stores calories and makes us fatter, while brown burns energy to generate heat .Converting white fat into brown is difficult, as we all know, normally requiring long term exposure to cold conditions or activating part of the body’s nervous system

[3]However, scientists from Ohio State University now think that having a busy social life is an even more effective way of changing white fat into brown, The team came up with their theory by studying the effects of various living environments on mice. Those who lived alongside a greater number of mice and had more space and toys to stimulate them lost far more weight over the course of the study than their ‘couch potato’ ones.

[4]Study author Dr. Mattew During, whose team’s findings appear in journal Cell Metabolism said: I’m still amazed at the degree of fat loss that occurs. Explaining how new technology had threatened face-to-face socializing, he added: ‘It’s not just a sedentary lifestyle and high calorie foods, but an increasing lack of social engagement.’

[5]Co-author Dr. Lei Cao said: ‘Loneliness is a profound factor for cancer and death; it’s on par with cigarette smoking. Social engagement is very important’.

1.What’s the main idea of this passage? (no more than 10 words)

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2.Fill in the blank in Paragraph 2 with proper words. (no more than 5 words)

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3.What’s the purpose of the study of mice? (no more than 20 words)

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4.How does socializing help make people slim? (no more than 15 words)

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5.Translate the underlined sentence into Chinese.

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