The most frightening words in the English language are, “Our computer is down.” You hear it more and more when you are on business. The other day I was at the airport waiting for a ticket to Washington and the girl in the ticket office said, “I’m sorry, I can’t sell you a ticket. Our computer is down.”

“If your computer is down, just write me out a ticket.”

“I can’t write you out a ticket. The computer is the only one allowed to do so.”

I noticed every passenger was just standing there drinking coffee and staring at the black screen. Then I looked down on the computer and asked her, “What do all you people do?”

“We give the computer the information about your trip, and then it tells us whether you can fly with us or not.”

“So when it goes down, you go down with it.”

“That’s good, sir.”

“How long will the computer be down? I wanted to know.”

“I have no idea. Sometimes it’s down for 10 minutes, sometimes for two hours. There’s no way we can find out without asking the computer, and since it’s down it won’t answer us.”

After the girl told me they had no backup computer, I said. “Let’s forget the computer—What about your planes? They are still flying, aren’t they?”

“I couldn’t tell without asking the computer.”

“Maybe I could, just go to the gate and ask the pilot if he is flying to Washington,” I suggested.

“I wouldn’t know what gate to send you to. Even if the pilot was going to Washington, he couldn’t take you if you didn’t have a ticket.”

“Is there any other airline flying to Washington within the next few hours?”

“I wouldn’t know,” she said, pointing at the dark screen. “Only ‘IT’ knows. It can’t tell me.”

By this time there were quite a few people standing in lines. The words soon spread to other travelers that the computer was down. Some people went white, some people started to cry and still others kicked their luggage.

1.Where do you often hear the frightening words “Our computer is down”?

A.a(chǎn)t the airport. B.At the gate.

C.On business D.In the ticket office

2.What could the girl in the ticket office do without asking the computer?

A.She could do nothing.

B.She could write out a ticket.

C.She could still sell a ticket.

D.She could answer passengers’ questions.

3.What does the underlined word “down” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A.White B.Broken

C.Black D.Dark

4.We can learn from the last paragraph that .

A.a(chǎn) modern computer won’t be down

B.computers can take the place of human

C.there will be great changes in computers

D.sometimes a computer may bring suffering to people

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A. must B. will

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In the 35 years since I was a teenager, celebrity worship (崇拜) has increased among teens due to the explosion of television celebrity gossip shows, and instant access to celebrity news on the Internet. It's no wonder that many teens are obsessed with stars when news programs often are filled with entertainment stories and the lives of celebrities.

Celebrity worship syndrome (綜合征) is now considered a personality disorder. While it is normal for teenagers to follow the lives of their favorite stars, parents should try to monitor everything their child finds interesting. Parents should take action if they suspect a teen is too obsessed with celebrities and showing little interest in school or withdrawing from the family. When teens talk a lot about celebrities and view them as just means of entertainment, this is considered normal celebrity worship. However, when a teenager is obsessed with a star and often expresses a desire to have a close personal relationship with a celebrity or feels they have a special connection to a star, this may be the time for concern.

Recent studies have shown that teens who develop an unhealthy obsession with celebrities often suffer from low self confidence and depression. Teens who are overly obsessed with stars often have damaged relationships with their parents.

1.We learn from the second paragraph that ____.

A.teens today are not so obsessed with celebrities

B.the author is surprised at celebrity worship

C.the media greatly contributes to celebrity worship today

D.celebrities expose their lives too much

2.Parents should become concerned when their children ____.

A.talk a lot about celebrities with others

B.put up celebrity posters in their bedrooms

C.ask to go to their favorite star's concert

D.desire a close personal relationship with their favorite star

3.The last paragraph implies that ____.

A.parents should not care too much about a child's celebrity worship

B.children can normally get out of celebrity worship when they are older

C.children with celebrity worship usually have high opinion of themselves

D.celebrity worship syndrome can be a serious problem if left overlooked

4.What is most likely to be talked about in the paragraph following the passage?

A.The harm of celebrity worship syndrome.

B. What to do with children's celebrity worship syndrome.

C. More signs of celebrity worship syndrome.

D. Who will suffer most from celebrity worship syndrome.

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The iPad’s intuitive interface (直觀界面) makes it attractive to seniors around the world, says Takahiro Miura, a researcher at the University of Tokyo. “The iPad is a good tool for seniors because it’s very easy to use,” he says. “Unlike the PC, it doesn’t require former knowledge.”

James Cordwell, a researcher in London, says the iPad’s popularity with seniors is helping Apple reach beyond its traditional base of young customers. “The world’s population, especially in developed markets, is getting older. It’s probably a market where Apple has least entered,” Cordwell says. Senior users are “a key source of growth for them in the future.”

Seniors make up about 22 percent of the population in Japan. They may prove that seniors are willing to accept the iPad. Besides the customer group under 30, they spend more than any other group in the country, according to a report. Motoo Kitamura, 78, a former gas salesman, bought an iPad to help him communicate with his 2-year-old grandson and prevent him from experiencing some of the mental problems that sometimes come with getting older. “Trying new things like that is good mental exercise,” he says.

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A. It has intuitive interface.

B. It is easy to operate.

C. Beginners can use it without similar experiences.

D. People can use it as a way to do mental exercise.

2.What can we learn from the text?

A. People above thirty are Apple’s largest customer group in Japan.

B. The traditional customers of Apple’s products are usually the young.

C. Seniors will soon grow into Apple’s largest customer group.

D. Seniors in Japan are fond of buying latest hi-tech products.

3.What is the text mainly about?

A. iPad leading Apple to seniors.

B. iPad influencing the customer group.

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閱讀下面短文,從短文后各題所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)(A、B、C和D)中,選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項(xiàng)。

Four brothers left home for college, and they became successful doctors and lawyers.

Some years later, they got together again. While having dinner, they for a long time. They discussed the they had given their elderly mother who lived far away in another city. The first said, “I had a house built for Mama.” The second said, “I had my Mercedes-Benz dealer(奔馳經(jīng)銷商)send a to her.” The third said, “I built a beautiful for Mama.” The fourth said, “You know Mama loved reading poems and you know she can’t read any more because she can’t very well. I met a businessman who had a parrot that can recite many . It took him 12 years to it to speak and he earns his living by renting it out. I had to pay him $100,000 a year for twenty years, it is worth it.” On hearing that, the other brothers were by his good thought.

After the holidays their mother her thank-you notes, which read, “Milton, the house you built is so huge. I only live in one room, but I have to clean the whole house. It’s a (an) job. Thanks anyway.”

“Marvin, I am too old to . I stay home and have others work for me, so I’ll use the car. The was good, although not realistic. Thanks.”

“Michael, you gave me an expensive building for many people to plays or watch movies in it, but all my friends are dead. I’ve almost my hearing and I’m nearly blind. I won’t use it. Thank you all the same.”

“Dearest Melvin, you are the son to have the good sense to give a little thought to your gift. The chicken tasted so . I liked it very much. Thank you.”

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2.A.gifts B.chances C.wishes D.challenges

3.A.warm B.big C.safe D.lonely

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5.A.station B.museum C.library D.theater

6.A.what B.how C.why D.when

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8.A.stories B.words C.poems D.lyrics

9.A.protect B.beat C.raise D.train

10.A.but B.so C.unless D.a(chǎn)lthough

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12.A.sent out B.put up C.took out D.picked up

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18.A.lost B.a(chǎn)dmired C.remained D.discovered

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B. the importance of a good relation with teachers

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B. Many kids can do well without a good relationship with teachers.

C. If you get on well with your teachers, you must have a good result in exams.

D. if you have a good relationship with your teacher, you can turn to him when in trouble.

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A. Teachers sometimes have the same feelings as students do.

B. Teachers are excited even if you wouldn’t like to accept their teaching.

C. Though few, there are still some students who can learn even if they don’t like the teacher.

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