Today just as technology changed the face of industry, farms have experienced an “agricultural revolution”. On the farm of today, machines provide almost all the power.
One of the most important benefits will be the farm computer. A few forward-looking farmers are already using computers to help them run their farms more efficiently. The computers help them keep more accurate(精确的) records so they can make better decisions on what crops to plant, how much livestock (家畜) to buy, when to sell their products, and how much profit they can expect. Many computer companies have been developing special computer programs just for farmers. Programs are being written for pig producers, grain farmers, potato farmers, and dairy farmers. In the future, farmers will be able to purchase computer programs made to their needs. Because of the growing importance of computers on the farm, students at agricultural colleges are required to take computer classes in addition to their normal agricultural courses. There can be no doubt that farmers will rely on computers even more in the future. While the old-time farm depended on horse power, and modern farms depend on machine power, farms of the future will depend on computer power.
Another technological advance which is still in the experimental stage is the robot, a real “mechanized hired hand” that will be able to move and, in some ways, think like a human being. Agricultural engineers believe that computer-aided robots will make shocking changes in farming before the end of the century. Unlike farmers of the present, farmers of the future will find that many day-to-day tasks will be done for them. Scientists are now developing robots that will be able to shear (修剪) sheep, drive tractors, and harvest fruit. Even complex jobs will be done by robots. For example, in order to milk their cows, farmers must first drive them into the barn, then connect them to the milking machines, watch the machines, and disconnect them when they are finished. In the future, this will all be done by robots. In addition, when the milking is completed, the robots will automatically check to make sure that the milk is pure. The complete change of the farm is far in the future, but engineers expect that some robots will be used before long.
1.According to the passage, computers can not help farmers decide _______.
A. how much money they can earn from their products
B. whether to plant a certain kind of crop
C. what livestock to raise
D. when to sell their products
2.Which of the following statements is true?
A. Farmers in the future will depend totally on computers.
B. Farmers mainly use machines on their farms at present.
C. Both computers and robots have been in use on today’s farms.
D. Students at agricultural colleges needn’t take their normal agricultural courses.
3.What is the best title for the whole passage?
A. Computer, Farmers’ Best Friend
B. Farmers in The Future
C. The Agricultural Revolution
D. Computers and Robots
Dear Sir,
I have to travel every day from Souk Road to the airport. Two buses travel along their route: the number 49 and number 16. But by the time the number 16 bus reaches Souk Road it is always full, so I can’t get on it. I have to wait for the number 49, because sometimes there are empty seats on it.
The timetable says that there are buses from Souk Road to the airport every ten minutes. If this is so, why do I have to wait half an hour for a bus nearly every day?
The regulations (规章) say that if there are empty seats on a bus, the bus must stop at every stop where people are waiting. Why do the half-empty buses go straight past me when I am standing at the bus stop?
The regulations say that no bus may carry more than 40 seated passengers and 20 standing passengers. Yesterday I was the first to get off the bus when it reached the airport. I counted the other passengers as they got off. There were 129 of them.
It is clear that our bus companies break the regulations and think little of their passengers. Can nothing be done to make your service better?
Yours,
Tired passenger
1.The writer has to take Bus No. 49 because______.
A. it arrives on time
B. it travels faster
C. it is not always full
D. it has fewer seats on it
2.The regulations say that each bus may carry ______ passengers at most.
A. 20 B. 40 C. 60 D. 129
3. From the passage we can infer that the writer of the letter is probably ______.
A. a bus driver
B. an airport worker
C. a very tired traveler
D. an English teacher
4.What kind of letter is this passage?
A. It’s a letter of thanks
B. It’s a letter of complaint (投诉)
C. It’s a letter of introduction
D. It’s a letter of apology
Life in 2060
Let us suppose it is now about A.D. 2060. Let’s make believe (假装；虚构) it is about sixty years from now. Of course, things have changed and life is very different.
Voyages to the moon are being made every day. It is as easy to take a holiday on the moon today as it was for the people in 1960 to take a holiday in Europe. At a number of scenic spots on the moon, many hotels have been built. The hotels are air-conditioned, naturally. In order that everyone can enjoy the beautiful scenery on the moon, every room has at least one picture window. Everything imaginable is provided for entertainment (娱乐) of young and old.
What are people eating now? People are still eating food. They haven’t yet started to take on heir (继承) supply of energy directly as electrical current or as nuclear power. They may some day. But many foods now come in pill form, and the food that goes into the pill continues to come mainly from green plants.
Since there are several times as many people in the world today as there were a hundred years ago, most of our planet’s surface has to be filled. The deserts are irrigated with water and crops are no longer destroyed by pests. The harvest is always good.
Farming, of course, is very highly developed. Very few people have to work on the farm. It is possible to run the farm by just pushing a few buttons now and then.
People are now largely vegetarians (素食者). You see, as the number of people increases, the number of animal decreases. Therefore, the people have to be vegetarians and we are healthier both in our bodies and in our minds, and we know the causes and cure of disease and pain, and it is possible to get rid of diseases. No one has to be ill any more.
Such would be our life in 2060.
1.When was the passage written?
A. In about A.D. 2060. B. In about 1960.
C. In about 2000. D. In about 2004.
2.According to the passage, what will be on the moon in about A.D. 2060?
A. Many tourists. B. Many other animals.
C. Many plants. D. A sea.
3.What will people eat then according to the passage?
A. Biscuits in pill form.
B. Foods in pill form.
C. Foods in water form.
D. Foods in gas form.
4.The passage tells us that in 2060, ____ on the earth than now.
A. there are fewer population
B. there are more pests
C. there is less water
D. the crops are getting better
Mr. Baker lived in an old and low house. His wife was blind in both eyes and the two children were very young. All his family often went hungry(挨饿). He had nothing but a small piece of field. One autumn he grew some wheat in his field. He hoped it would do well because all family would depend on it. The whole winter it often snowed. And the next spring the wheat was doing well. Mr. Baker was happy. One day Mr. Baker went to watch his wheat. To his surprise, a lot of crops were eaten up by a horse. He became angry but could not find out whose horse had eaten them. He thought the horse would go there again. So he decided to stay in his field and tried to catch the horse.
A few days later a yellow horse came in his field again and began to eat the wheat. Mr. Baker ran after it quickly, with a stick in his hand. But the beast ran much faster than he. He tried his best, but could not catch up with it. The next morning, when Mr. Baker was working in his field, he saw the yellow horse pulling carriage on the road. He picked up a stick at once, ran closer to the horse and began to beat it up.
The driver was surprised and stopped him. He asked, “Why are you beating my horse?”
“It has nothing to do with you,” Mr. Baker said angrily. “The beast knows why I’m beating him!”
1.What was Mr. Baker?
A. A farmer B. A doctor
C. A keeper D. A driver
2.Why was Mr. Baker happy at first?
A. Because he found out the beast that ate up his wheat.
B. Because he would soon get a good harvest.
C. Because wheat was doing well.
D. Because his family would not grow any more wheat.
3.Mr. Baker tried his best to catch the horse to ____________.
A. sell it for some money
B. find out the owner of the horse
C. make it work for him
D. beat it up (痛打)
4.Which of the following is true？
A. The horse knew that it had done wrong.
B. The horse had nothing to do with the driver.
C. The horse knew whose wheat it had eaten up.
D. The horse belonged to the driver.
书面表达
假如你是李华，在上一周去英国参加了由Fiona的学校组织的两校学生交流活动，在英国期间，你居住在Fiona的家中。回国后，请你给Fiona写封感谢信，内容包括：
1. 交流活动中的收获和感受
2. 回忆在Fiona家度过的美好日子
3. 感谢她送你的英文图书
注意：1. 词数100左右
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯
3. 开头语已为你写好（不计入总词数）
提示词汇：文化交流活动：Cultural Exchange activity
Dear Fiona,
I’ve been back home safely from England.
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Yours,
Li Hua
短文改错
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误仅限1词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
Dear Arthur,
In your last letter, you told me something about your sister’s surfing on the Internet. I’m familiar to your situation. As computers become more and more popular, some students cannot help play online games and chatting. It is not only a problem of wasting time, and a serious problem for their future! What you should do at first is to find out what make her addicted to computer games. Lack of love from parent? Poor scores? Then having a heart-to-heart talk with her. Secondly, you should help herself with her study to build up her confidence and make her interesting in it. Thirdly, find something else for her to do instead computer games. Your efforts will surely help change her life.
Yours,
Colin
