题目
题型：月考题难度：来源：
“Life is speeding up. Everyone is getting unwell.”
This may sound like something someone would say today. But in fact, an unknown citizen who lived
in Rome in AD 52 wrote it.
We all love new inventions. They are exciting, amazing and can even change our lives.
But have all these developments really improve the quality of our lives?
Picture this: You’re rushing to finish your homework on the computer. Your mobile phone rings, a
QQ message from your friend appears on the screen, the noise from the television is getting louder and
louder. Suddenly the computer goes blank and you lose all your work. Now you have to stay up all
night to get it done. How calm and happy do you feel?
Inventions have speeded up our lives so much that they often leave us feeling stressed and tired.
Why do you think people who live far away from noisy cities, who have no telephones, no cars, not
even any electricity often seem to be happier? Perhaps because they lead simpler lives.
One family in the UK went “back in time” to see what life was like without all the inventions we have
today. The grandparents, with their daughter, and grandsons Benjamin, 10, and Tomas, 7, spent nine
weeks in a 1940s house. They had no washing machine, microwave, computer or mobile phones.
The grandmother, Lyn, said, “It was hard physically, but not mentally.” She believed life w
as less materialistic. “The more things you have, the more difficult life becomes,” She said. The boys said they
fought less to fight over, such as their computer. Benjamin also noticed that his grandmother had
changed from being a “fashionable, beer-drinking granny, to one who cooked things.”
Here are some simple ways to beat the stress often caused by our inventions!
Don’t be available all the time. Turn off your mobile phone at certain times of the day. Don’t check
your e-mail every day.
Don’t reply to somebody as soon as they leave a text message just because you can. It may be fun
at first, but it soon gets annoying.
1．The passage is mainly about .
A．problems with technology
B．improvements of our life with technology
C．the important roles technology plays in our everyday life
D．major changes which will be likely to happen to technology
2．The writer quoted what a citizen in ancient Rome said at the beginning of the story in order to .
A．share a truth about life
B．tell us what life was like long time ago
C．make us wonder what causes such a thing to happen
D．point out that you experience some big problems and they may be
the same
3．The family chose to spend some time in a 1940’s house because .
A．they liked to live simple lives
B．they were curious about how people lived without modern inventions
C．they were troubled by modern inventions
D．living in a different time would be a lot of fun for them
4．What does the word “available” in the suggestion offered by the writer mean?
A．Busy on line
B．Free
C．Be able to
D．Be found by others.
答案
核心考点
举一反三
Counterfeit (假的) medicines are a widespread problem in developing countries. Like other counterfeits,
they look like real products. But counterfeit drugs may contain too little or none of the active ingredients
(原料) of the real thing.
People do not get the medicine they need. And in some cases the counterfeits cause death. Twenty
children in Bangladesh died last year after being given acetaminophen (醋氨粉). The medications contained
ingredients that looked, smelled and tasted like the real thing. The medicine was produced by a local drug
company that used a dangerous substitute to save money.
The problem with counterfeit medicines is especially bad in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The
W. H. O. estimates that up to thirty percent of the medicines on sale in many of those countries are
counterfeit. .
The W. H. O. says counterfeits make up less than one percent of the illegal drug market in countries like
the United States, Canada, Japan, and New Zealand.
But the agency also says as much as fifty percent of the medicine sold on the Internet is counterfeit.
Much is being done to fight counterfeit drugs. Several companies are developing ways to make
counterfeits easier to identify. And there are existing methods, like a machine that can quickly identify
chemicals in pills to confirm if the pills are real. Other ideas include things like special tracking codes for drug
packages. People could send a text message with the code and get a message back proving that what they
bought is listed in a database. Some drug makers and other companies put three-dimensional images called holograms (条形码) on their products as a security device.
| 1. What advice can we get from Paragraph 4? (no more than 8words) ______________________________________________. 2. What is the main idea of the last paragraph? (no more than 10 words) _______________________________________________. 3. Complete the following statement with proper words. (no more that 4 words) A local drug company produced counterfeit medicines by using dangerous substitutes ______________________________________________________________________________. 4. Fill in the blank in Paragraph 3 with a proper sentence. (no more than 10 words) _____________________________________________. 5. What does the underlined word "they" in Paragraph 1 refer to? (no more than 3 words) _____________________________________________. |
| Many patients who don’t want to tell their doctor how much they really drink are often more honest with a computer. The computer __31__ (use) for this purpose is programmed to be friendly. For example, if a patient called Ann says that __32__ her parents are dead, the computer will say: “I’m sorry to hear that, Ann.” Apart from expressing sympathy, the computer __33___ also question and remind. If a patient says he __34__ drinks alcohol, the computer can ask him, “Never? Not even at parties or at Christmas?” Does this direct contact __35__the patient and the computer mean that we do not need doctors any more? It depends. Computers are useful __36__ they do not look shocked if you say you drink two bottles of whisky __37__day. And they do not stop to talk on the phone as doctors often do. But ___38___ a doctor said, “We smile and we give a patient a handkerchief or put arm around her shoulder if she __39__ (cry). That is ___40___ people will always want us.” |
| Alzheimer"s disease affects millions of people around the world. American researchers say the disease will affect more than one hundred million people worldwide by the year twenty fifty. That would be four times the current number. Researchers and doctors have been studying Alzheimer"s patients for a century. Yet the cause and cure for the mental sickness are still unknown. However, some researchers have made important steps towards understanding it. Several early signs of the disease involve memory and thought processes. At first, patients have trouble remembering little things. Later, they have trouble remembering more important things, such as the names of their children. There are also some physical tests that might show who is at risk of developing Alzheimer"s disease. The tests look for proteins in brain and spinal cord fluid. The proteins appear to be found only in people with the disease. The protein tests correctly identify the presence of the disease in about ninety percent of patients. Now, a much simpler physical test to predict Alzheimer"s risk has been developed. Researchers found that trouble with the sense of smell can be one of the first signs of Alzheimer"s. Using this information, they developed a test in which people were asked to identify twelve familiar smells. These smells included cinnamon, black pepper, chocolate, paint thinner, and smoke. The study continued for five years. During this period, the same people were asked to take several tests measuring their memory and thought abilities. Fifty percent of those who could not identify at least four of the smells in the first test had trouble with their memory and thinking in the next five years. Another study has shown a possible way to reduce a person"s chances of developing Alzheimer"s disease in old age. Researchers in Chicago found that people who use their brains more often are less likely to develop Alzheimer"s disease. Those who read a newspaper, or play chess or word games are about three times less likely to develop the condition. Researchers say they still do not know what causes Alzheimer"s disease. But they say these findings might help prevent the disease in the future. 41. What’s the main idea of the passage? A. Some early signs of the Alzheimer"s disease. B. Some physical tests about Alzheimer"s disease. C. The research about Alzheimer"s disease. D. The patients of Alzheimer"s disease. 42. What’s the current number of Alzheimer’s patients? A. 100 million B. 25 million C. 400 million D. 2050 million 43. What is not the early signs of the Alzheimer"s disease according to the passage? A. Poor memory B. Proteins exist in the brain. C. Trouble with the sense of smell. D. Less use of the brain. 44. What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 1 refer to? A. Alzheimer"s disease. B. Alzheimer"s patients. C. The cause and cure. D. The research. 45. According to the passage, we can learn that _______. A. there are no proteins in the brains of the people with no Alzheimer"s disease B. the people who often use their brains will not get Alzheimer"s disease C. researchers and doctors have found ways to cure Alzheimer"s disease D. the people who have the trouble with the sense of smell will certainly suffer from Alzheimer"s disease |
| Limit the use of private cars, improve public transport and encourage the use of bicycles to control traffic congestion(拥挤) during the 2008 Olympics, experts from foreign countries advised Beijing on Friday. Professor Nigel Wilson, of the civil and environmental engineering department of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said he was "supportive to the limiting of private cars during the Olympic Games", saying that in foreign countries, the method is also adopted during big events, but he was unsure about the approach. The government planned to keep an average of more than one million cars off the roads to improve traffic flow during the Olympics, said Liu Xiaoming, deputy director of the Beijing Traffic Committee, at the China Planning Network First Urban Transportation Congress. Sharing Wilson"s view, Dr. Yoshitsugu Hayashi, dean of the Graduate School of Environmental Studies of Nagoya University, believed the reduction in car use should be achieved not by banning, but through incentives. "Drivers who don"t use their private cars could be given points," he said, "and the points could be exchanged for goods from online shopping." Wetzel stressed limiting the use of company cars. "Governmental officials should also be encouraged to use public transportation or ride bicycles," he said, adding that he himself is a bicycle-rider in London. Matthew Martimo, director of Traffic Engineering with Citilabs, said the bicycle was China"s advantage. "Limiting private cars is an idea worth trying but it is just a temporary solution," he said. "The real cause of congestion is high density of people in Beijing and many have cars." Beijing, with a population of 15 million, is home to more than three million automobiles, and the number is rising by 1,000 a day. Professor Wilson said the Olympic Games was a great opportunity for Beijing to think about traffic problems and develop transportation, adding that the city had already been making public transport more efficient. Beijing has promised to stretch its 114-kilometer city railway to 200 kilometers before the opening of the Olympic Games. “We are looking forward to borrowing Beijing"s experiences and drawing from its lessons in preparation for the 2012 Olympics,” said Wetzel. 51. The underlined word incentives in paragraph 4 means_______. A. something that encourages people to try B. online shopping C. points could be exchanged for goods D. award 52.It can be seen from the passage that ______. A. the government planned to forbid over 1 million cars to run on the roads during the Olympics. B. banning private cars is the best way to solve traffic congestion in Beijing C. Beijing now has 200 kilometers of city railway D. the use of company cars will not be limited 53. Why did Wetzel stress “ he himself is a bicycle-rider in London”? A. To limit the use of company cars. B. To encourage governmental officials to use public transportation or ride bicycles. C. To show that riding bicycles is good for health. D. To show that he loves riding bicycles. 54. Which of the following may be the reason for the traffic congestion in Beijing? A. The 2008 Beijing Olympic games. B. The number of cars in Beijing is rising by 1,000 a day. C. The large population in Beijing and the large number of cars. D. Public transport in Beijing is not efficient. 55. The purpose of the passage is ________. A. to limit the use of private cars, improve public transport B. to encourage the use of bicycles to control traffic congestion during the 2008 Olympics C. to borrow Beijing"s experiences and draw from its lessons in preparation for the 2012 Olympics D. to tell the advice given by foreign experts on traffic congestion during 2008 Beijing Olympics |
| As I was reading a recent story in Slate on 20-somethings complaining about how the economy was ruining their life plans, I couldn’t help but think the 20-somethings sounded like a bunch of spoiled children who grew up expecting everything to be easy for them. As a 20-something myself, I certainly share their disappointment: my husband and I probably won’t be able to buy a house until we’re in our 40s, and we too are burdened by student loans(贷款). But why should it be any different? Being young persons in America, shouldn’t they take up all of the challenges and opportunities that this country offers? Consider some of these views shared in the Slate story: Jennifer, 29, owner of a two-bedroom apartment with her husband, worries that she won’t be able to have children for at least a decade because they can’t afford to buy a house yet. I read that, and I thought, what planet is she living on where you need to own a house in order to have kids? Has she ever visited a developing country, or even downtown areas in this one? Home ownership is a luxury(奢华), not a fertility requirement. A 26-year-old in the story despairs(绝望) that he can’t afford to get a Ph.D. in literature. Well, that sounds a bit like expressing disappointment that no one will pay you to write poetry on the beach in Thailand for five years. Yes, it’s sad that these young people feel so lost. But I think the problem is their extremely high expectations, not economic reality. Beth Kobliner, author of Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties, says that she thinks people’s expectations are slowly adjusting, but today’s 20-somethings grew up at a time when everyone’s wealth appeared to be expanding. Their parents probably saw their home values rise along with their investments. “So you have people who have grown up in an environment where people had great expectations of what living well means,” says Kobliner. This recession(衰退) will certainly play a role in forcing those expectations into more realistic group. In the meantime, it seems a lot better for our mental health to focus on being grateful－for our one-bedroom apartments, for living in modern cities, or perhaps just for being able to eat three meals a day－than on longing for some kind of luxury life. 41．What makes the author think the 20-somethings sound like a bunch of spoiled children? A．They expect everything to be easy for them. B．They complain that the economy is spoiling their life plans. C．They are reluctant to face all of the challenges. D．They are burdened by student loans. 42．The underlined word “fertility” in Paragraph 3 probably means . A．baby production B．pleasant C．baby comfort D．essential 43．Which of the following is not one of the complaints of the 20-somethings? A．They can’t have children for at least a decade to buy a house. B．They have only one-bedroom apartment to live in. C．They can’t buy a house until 40 because of student loans. D．They despair at not being able to afford a Ph.D. in literature. 44．What’s the author’s attitude towards the 20-somthings with high expectation in Paragraph 5? A．Intolerant. B．Negative. C．Unbelieving. D．Understanding. 45．What is the best title for this passage? A．How Young People Afford to Continue Their Study B．Why Young People Can’t Afford to Buy a House C．When Young People’s High Hopes Create Despair D．What the 20-somethings’ High Expectations Are |