阅读下面短文,掌握其大意,然后从各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项。
In our modern world, when something wears out, we throw it away and buy a new one. The is that countries around the world have growing mountains of because people are throwing out more rubbish than ever before.
How did we _ a throwaway society? First of all, it is now easier to _ an object than to spend time and money to repair it. _ _ modern manufacturing (制造业) and technology, companies are able to produce products quickly and inexpensively. Products are plentiful and _ _.
Another cause is our of disposable (一次性的) products. As people, we are always looking for _ to save time and make our lives easier. Companies thousands of different kinds of disposable products: paper plates, plastic cups, and cameras, to name a few.
Our appetite for new products also to the problem. We are _ buying new things. Advertisements persuade us that _ is better and that we will be happier with the latest products. The result is that we _ _ useful possessions to make room for new ones.
All around the world, we can see the _ _ of this throwaway lifestyle. Mountains of rubbish just keep getting bigger. To the amount of rubbish and to protect the _ __, more governments are requiring people to recycle materials. _ , this is not enough to solve our problem.
Maybe there is another way out. We need to repair our possessions throwing them away. We also need to rethink our attitudes about _ . Repairing our possessions and changing our spending habits may be the best way to reduce the amount of rubbish and take care of our environment.
1.A. key B. reason C. project D. problem
2.A. gifts B. rubbish C. debt D. products
3.A. face B. become C. observe D. change
4.A. hide B. control C. replace D. withdraw
5.A. Thanks to B. As to C. Except for D. Regardless of
6.A. safe B. funny C. cheap D. powerful
7.A. love B. lack C. prevention D. division
8.A. sensitive B. kind C. brave D. busy
9.A. ways B. places C. jobs D. friends
10.A. donate B. receive C. produce D. preserve
11.A. adapts B. returns C. responds D. contributes
12. A. tired of B. addicted to C. worried about D. ashamed for .
13.A. newer B. stronger C. higher D. larger
14.A. pick up B. pay for C. hold onto D. throw away
15.A. advantages B. purposes C. functions D. consequences
16.A. show B. record C. decrease D. measure
17.A. technology B. environment C. consumers D. brands
18. A. However B. Otherwise C. Therefore D. Meanwhile
19.A. by B. in favour of C. after D. instead of
20.A. spending B. collecting C. repairing D. advertising
iPad vs textbooks
What if you could have your whole backpack at the touch of your fingertips? In the first month of the Apple iPads release, 25million were sold! People all over the world use iPads for all sorts of different things, but one of their finest qualities is the ability to be a textbook. __1.____
To begin with, iPad are less expensive. Textbooks become outdated and schools have to buy new books, but with an iPad schools can update them for free. _2.___ Schools don’t have to spend $500 every year for iPads because they last a while and can be updated.
___3.__ Students usually have multiple classes, which results in multiple textbooks. Heavy backpacks filled with books can cause back problem. A solution to that is an iPad, which only weighs 1.33 pounds and can hold all of a student’s textbooks.
Thirdly, schools should get rid of their textbooks and get iPads because they have more capabilities. Some might think all of the apps are distracting, but the apps actually make iPads more efficient. 4. _ Textbooks cannot do those tasks, but iPads can easily do them with just a tap of the fingertip.
Lastly, iPads are a better choice for schools instead of textbooks because these devices allow students to access their learning anywhere at any time. _5.__ With iPads, they find it easier to get their homework done.
In conclusion, schools should get rid of their clumsy textbooks and switch to iPads. iPads have allowed this generation to have their entire backpack in the palm of their hands.
A. These tablets are perfect for busy students.
B. Secondly, iPads cost less and are more popular.
C. Therefore, they can use the saved money for other programs.
D. iPads have already replaced textbooks in over 600 American counties.
E. Moreover, in high school, textbooks have an average of 4.8 pounds each.
F. Schools have every reason to do away with their school books and switch to iPads.
G. iPads absorb the need to buy calculators, dictionaries, and other items that are found within the device.
Robots make me nervous—especially the ones which seem to think for themselves. I was embarrassed to admit this till I heard that Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, felt the same way.
Gates said in an interview with the social networking and news website Reddit: “I am in the camp that is concerned about super intelligence. First the machines will do a lot of jobs for us and not be super intelligent．That should be positive if we manage well. A few decades after that though the intelligence is strong enough to be a concern.”
Well, maybe I don’t have to worry about my computer and kitchen equipment yet. After I use them I can always pull the plug. But in the future, machines might find a way to prevent us from switching them off. There’s a terrible thought!
Maybe the problem with computers too clever for us is not that they are evil like some we’ve seen in sci-fi movies. What could put us in danger is that they might be too efficient. That’s what philosopher Nick Bostrom from Oxford University believes. He says that machines are indifferent (漠然) to humans and in pursuit of their own goals，the destruction of people might be just additional damage. Bostrom gives us an example: A machine which might have as its only goal to produce as many paperclips as possible might look at human bodies as extra material for paperclips and go after you. Because it is, well, a machine, it would not take pity on you.
It’s a good thing that American writer Isaac Asimov thought about how far robots can go and left us his three rules of robotics. They state that a robot may not hurt a human being or allow the human being to come to harm.
I’m glad my machines at home are “dumb”. All my cleaner wants to take over is the carpet in my living room. Let’s hope they don’t create an appliance which wants to take over the world!.
1.The author quoted Bill Gates’ words in Paragraph 2 in order to make the text________.
A. better-known B. more persuasive
C. better-organized D. more interesting
2.An intelligent paperclip machine would harm us because _______.
A. it is much cleverer than us
B. it would take over the world
C. it would see us just as material
D. it has the strong feeling of destroying us
3.How does the author feel about Isaac Asimov’s rules of robotics?
A. Optimistic B. Sympathy
C. Disappointed D. Regretful
4.What does the text mainly focus on?
A. The benefits of future robots.
B. The new applications of robots.
C. The concern for super intelligence.
D. The popularity of robots in the future.
What's the most important thing in life?
People's answers vary greatly. For British scientist Robert Edwards, the answer is having a child. "Nothing is more special than a child," he told the BBC.
Edwards, the inventor of the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) technology---more commonly known as "test-tube (试管) baby" technology---passed away on April 10, 2013 at the age of 87.
"Edwards changed the lives of millions of ordinary people who now rejoice (高兴) in the gift of their own child," said Peter Braude, a professor at King's College London. "He leaves the world a much better place."
Edwards started his experiments as early as the 1950s, when he had just finished his PhD in genetics. At that time, much of the public viewed test-tube babies as "scary", according to Mark Sauer, a professor at Columbia University, US.
Edwards and his colleague Patrick Steptoe faced opposition from churches, governments and media, not to mention attacks from many of their fellow scientists. "People said that we should not play God and we should not interfere with nature," Edwards once told Times. He said that he felt "quite alone" at the time.
"But Edwards was a fighter, and he believed in what he was doing," said Sauer. Without support from the government, the two struggled to raise funds to carry on. And in 1968 they finally developed a method to successfully fertilize human eggs outside the body.
The first test-tube baby was born on July 25, 1978. Her name was Is Louise Brown. Despite people's safety concerns, Brown was just as healthy as other children.
"IVF had moved from vision to reality and a new era in medicine had begun," BBC commented.
Ever since then, public opinion has evolved considerably. Couples who were unable to have babies began thronging (拥向) to Edwards' clinic. Nowadays, Reuters reports, some 4.3 million other "test-tube" children exist. Edwards received a Nobel Prize in 2010 and was knighted (封为爵士) by Queen Elizabeth n the following year.
Before his death, Edwards was still in touch with Louise. "He is like a granddad to me," she said in an interview with the Daily Mail.
He is a granddad to millions, in fact.
1.What’s the article mainly about?
A. The first test-tube baby.
B. A new era in medicine.
C. The inventor of IVF technology.
D. The changes IVF technology has brought.
2.The writer quoted Peter Braude to .
A. show how difficult it was for Edwards to do his work
B. describe what kind of person Edwards was
C. explain why he is loved by all children
D. comment on his achievement
3.The underlined word "opposition" in Paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to " "
A. attack B. support C. test D. influence
4. What is the correct order of events in Edwards' life?
a. He received a Nobel Prize.
b. He struggled to raise funds.
c. The first test-tube baby was born.
d. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
e. He succeeded in fertilizing human eggs outside body.
f. He started his experiments on IVF technology.
A. f-e-b-c-a- d B. f-b-e-c-d-a
C. f-b-e-c-a-d D. f-e-d-a-c-b
Papa’s jaw dropped when Mama told him that Sister had cheated on her final exams—not to succeed but to fail. “It’s unbelievable!” he said. “Sister has always been so proud of her good grades!”
“Yes, she has,” said Mama. “But it’s not unbelievable. It just shows how badly she wanted off the swimming team.”
“Wanted off the swimming team?” said Papa. “She never said anything about that to me.”
“Of course she didn’t,” said Mama. “She was afraid you’d blow your top. You already had her getting a swimming scholarship to college and winning gold medals at the Olympics. Can you imagine how much pressure she must have felt? For her, being on the team couldn’t have been much fun.”
“Oh, my gosh!” Papa said, clapping a hand to his forehead. “I’ve been so stupid! I just thought she’d want to be a champion swimmer because she’s so good at it.”
“It’s like anything else, dear,” said Mama. “No matter how good at it you are, if it stops being fun, you won’t want to do it anymore.”
Papa put his head in his hands.
“She must be really mad at me,” he mumbled. “Maybe I should say sorry to her.”
Sister’s footsteps could be heard on the stairs. She came into the kitchen and looked hopefully up at her parents.
“Honey,” said Mama with a smile, “your papa and I have decided that there’s no reason for you to be on the swimming team if you don’t want to.”
Sister’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Yippee!” she cried.
“And,” added Papa, “there’s no need for any more drills. I’m sure you’ll bring your grades back up all by yourself.”
Sister ran to Papa and jumped into his arms. She gave him a big hug. “I’m going to go play cards with Lizzy!” she said. “See you later!”
From the kitchen window, Mama and Papa watched their daughter run down the sunny road toward Lizzy’s house.
“It’s good to see her happy again,” said Mama.
“It sure is,” Papa agreed. “As for the swimming team, there’s always next year.”
“If?” Mama prompted him.
“Oh, right,” said Papa. “If she wants to.”
Mama smiled. “At least you’re learning, dear,” she said. She kissed him.
“Well, you know what they say,” Papa said. “Better late than never.”
1.The underlined expression “blow your top” probably means _____.
A. change your opinion
B. become very excited
C. get very angry
D. fall down with fear
2.Mama insisted that the child should do _____.
A. what she was willing to B. what she felt easy to
C. what she was able to D. what she felt right to
3.Which of the following words best describes Papa?
A. Cruel but reasonable. B. Crazy but confident.
C. Stubborn but honest. D. Ambitious but considerate.
4.Which might be the proper title for the passage?
A. Easier Said Than Done
B. Health Is Better Than Wealth
C. Better Late Than Never
D. Something Is Better Than Nothing
Myth: If you cut your hair, it will grow long faster.
Truth: That’s not true. “Your hair isn’t like a lawn or a rosebush, where cutting can stimulate fresh growth,” says Phillip Kingsley. The length of your hair is genetically determined. When it reaches a certain length, it stops growing. When you clear up the dead split ends, this make your hair look healthier, but not necessarily longer.
Myth: If you skip meals, you lose weight fast.
Truth: There’s no truth in this advice. Not only will you not lose weight by starving yourself, but according to Carol Ann Rinzler, this may actually cause you to gain weight. Rinzler reasons that missing a meal causes your metabolism(新陈代谢) to slow down so that you burn food more slowly. This only makes you feel hungrier and by the time you finally do reach the table you will probably eat more food. Strange as it may seem, studies show that eating several small meals and snacks throughout the day is a more healthy way to lose pounds.
Myth: If you swallow gum，it will stay inside your stomach for seven years.
Truth: Actually, it takes just a few days for gum to make its exit---not seven years, says NeiIzenberg, M. D., editor of Kids Health Organization. But because gum is made of the same thing as rubber, it cannot be fully digested in your stomach--- so if you gum up the works on a regular basis, you might find yourself in a sticky situation.
Myth: The best way to stop a nosebleed is to lift your head back.
Truth: Now that’s bad advice. Bloody noses are caused by broken blood vessels, so while lifting your head back might stop the fluid from rushing out of your nose, it won’t stop the bleeding; you’ll just end up swallowing lots of blood. Your best bet “Rest quietly. Don’t poke or pick, and the blood will naturally clot (凝结成块) within a minute or two”, suggests Dr. Izenberg.
1.The length of your hair is determined by ________.
A. cutting it often
B. your gene
C. the food you eat
D. clearing up the dead split ends.
2.According to Carol Ann Rinzler, skipping meals will __________.
A. help you lose weight fast
B. help you lose weight slowly
C. cause you to become fatter
D. make you burning food more quickly
3. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Gum cannot be fully digested in the stomach.
B. Gum can stay inside your stomach for seven years if you swallow it.
C. Gum can leave your stomach after you swallow in a few days later.
D. If you often swallow gum, you might find yourself in a sticky situation
