63. We can learn from the passage that in Uganda ______.

　　　 A. forty call center operators helped make Question Box known to villagers

　　　 B. it was very convenient for villagers to have access to Internet service

　　　 C. users are very interested in current events

　　　 D. a local technology company cooperate with Question Box

62. Which of the following is TRUE about Question Box according to the passage?

　　　 A. Uganda is the original place where the service started.

　　　 B. Some modern technologies have been used for improving the service.

　　　 C. Question Box won’t be able to work if there is no electrical power.

　　　 D. It was impossible for a grandma to use Question Box.

61. According to the passage, “Question Box” is a service intended to________.

　　　 A. help improve the living standard of the people in poor areas

　　　 B. promote the computer technology

　　　 C. provide answers raised by the people who have no access to the Internet

　　　 D. enrich the local people’s life

60. Which can be the best title of the passage?

　　　 A. Grandfather’s life　　　　　　　　　 　　　 B. The Helpful Donation

　　　 C. The Perfect Mistake　　　　　　　　 　　　 D. An Impressive Speech

B

When you have a question about something, where do you go? For many people the answer is simple. They go online to a search engine like Google or Yahoo. But what about people in rural or underdeveloped areas who may have no way to get on the Internet? Luckily, Rose Shuman, a business and international development consultant in California, has found a way for them. Her amazing solution is “Question Box”.

Question Box is a service that provides answers -- free of charge -- for people who cannot search the Internet directly. They might not be able to read, or they simply have no access.

Question Box began two years ago in India. People use a metal call box with a push-to-talk button to connect to a live operator, as Rose Shuman explains, “You just push a button, a big green button, and that will connect you directly to our operators who are sitting in front of computers, and speak your language. And you can ask them any sort of question you want, and they'll look it up in English or in Hindi, or whatever the main language is, and translate the answer right back for you.”

The service is currently offered in two villages. The latest version of the box uses mobile phone technology and solar panels in case the electrical power fails. Rose Shuman says the aim was to make the box as easy as possible for users.

“Rather than try to bring a lot of infrastructure to them and expect them to learn how to use the Internet, the idea was to make a technology that even Grandma could use, figuring that Grandma could probably walk up to a box and push a button,” added Shuman.

In April, Question Box expanded to Uganda. Forty community workers with mobile phones connect villagers to call center operators in Kampala. The community workers go around telling people about the service. They wear T-shirts that say “Ask Me.”

But Internet service in Uganda proved slow and undependable. So Question Box teamed up with a local technology company to store information on a local server. That way, the researchers in Kampala can quickly search the database for answers when users ask about current events and many other subjects.

Rose Shuman continued, “When was Mahatma Gandhi born and how long is the Nile River? What's the tallest mountain? The funniest one I think we got was, 'Did the pyramids ever move to another place?', which we found pretty funny. But we did look it up, and they haven't moved.”

59. Who does “the Master Carpenter” in the last paragraph probably refer to?

　　 A. Grandpa’s master.　　　　　　　　 　 B. One of Grandpa’s friends.　

　 C. God.　　　　　 　　　　　　 D. Grandpa’s co-worker.

58. The people in the church but Grandpa felt confused at what the director said because ________.

A. Grandpa didn’t tell the director that he was the owner of the glasses

B. the director wanted to return the glasses even though he liked it

　　　 C. the director could not get such glasses in their own country

　　　 D. the glasses were not included in the donation list

57. Grandpa spent much of his time and money in church mainly to ________.

　　　 A. help the priest do some religious work

B. help those people in need

C. make some woodwork for the church

D. seek some help from God

56. Which of the following is NOT true about Grandpa Nybakken according to the passage?

　　　 A. He was an outgoing man and held an active attitude towards life.

　　　 B. He had a large family to support.

C. He was a carpenter working in the church.

D. He was a loyal Christian.

47.　 A. honor　 B. recognize　　 C. recall　 D. observe

Section C　 (12分)

Directions: Complete the following passage by using ONE word that best fits the context.

A college professor had his sociology class go into the poor areas of Baltimore to do research 　48　 　200 boys. The students in the sociology class were asked to write a prediction of each boy’s future. In every case the students wrote, “He hasn’t got a chance.” Twenty-five years 　49　 　another sociology professor came across the earlier study. He had his students follow up on the project to see what had 　50　 　to these boys.

With the exception of 20 boys who had moved away or died, the students learned that 176 of the remaining 180 had achieved more than ordinary success as lawyers, doctors and businessmen.

The professor was surprised and decided to 　　51　 　into the matter further. Fortunately, all the men were in the area and he was able to ask each one, “How do you 　　52　 　for your success?” In each case the reply came with feeling, “There was a teacher.”

The teacher was still alive, so he sought her out and asked the old lady 　　53　 　magic she had used to make these boys achieve success.

The teacher’s 　　54　 　sparkled and her lips broke into a gentle smile. “It’s really very 　　55　 ,” she said, “I loved those boys.”

PART THREE: READING COMPREHENSION (30分)

Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are 4 choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.

A

Grandpa Nybakken loved life-especially when he could play a trick on somebody. At those times, his large Norwegian frame shook with laughter while he pretended innocent surprise, exclaiming, “Oh, forevermore!” But on a cold Saturday in downtown Chicago, Grandpa felt that God played a trick on him, and grandpa wasn’t laughing.

Grandpa worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he was building some boxes for the clothes his church was sending to an orphanage abroad. On his way home, he reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but they were gone. He remembered putting them there that morning, so he drove back to the church. His search proved fruitless.

Suddenly, he realized what happened. The glasses had slipped out of his pocket unnoticed and fallen into one of the boxes, which he had nailed shut. His brand new glasses were heading for China!

The Great Depression was at its height, and Grandpa had six children. He had spent twenty dollars for those glasses that very morning.

“It’s not fair,” he told God as he drove home in frustration. “I’ve been very faithful in giving of my time and money to your work, and now this.”

Several months later, the director of the orphanage was on vacation in the United States. He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him, so he came to speak on Sunday night at my grandfather’s small church in Chicago. Grandpa and his family sat in their usual seats among the small congregation(教堂会众).

“But most of all,” he said, “I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year.”

“Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of replacing those glasses. Along with not being able to see well, I experienced headaches every day, so my co-workers and I were much in prayer about this. Then your boxes arrived. When my staff removed the covers, they found a pair of glasses lying on the top.” After a long pause, he continued, “Folks, when I tried on the glasses, it was as though they had been custom-made just for me! I want to thank you for being a part of that!”

The people listened, happy for the amazing glasses. But the director surely must have confused their church with another, they thought, there were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas.

But sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, an ordinary carpenter realized the Master Carpenter had used him in an extraordinary way.

46. A. dying　　 B. active　 C. alive　　 D. dead