There were two interesting pieces of news items in the paper a few years ago. One was about a man who received a bill from the telephone company for $ 2,000 a month for doing nothing.
　　The connection between the two news items is simple; computers-the best invention of the 20th century. The telephone bill came from a computer which made a terrifying mistake; that man’s bill was only $ 23.26. The other item was not as amusing. A man walked into the unguarded computer room of a large packaged food company and expertly programmed the computer to pay him $ 2,000 a month for raw meat which he “supplied ” to the company. Of course he never sent the meat, but he certainly received the money . The computer wrote out a bill, and even “signed ” it. It was only a random (隨便) check that uncovered the trick. It could be happening in thousands of other companies all over the world.
　　Computers are not the magical workers that some people say they are. They make mistakes, they’re sometimes slower than human beings and they’re easily fooled.
　　The US used to conscript (征兵) people with the help of a computer. The army sent out a card, which had to be filled in and sent back. It was easy to avoid being called up simply by spreading candle-wax(臘) on the card. The computer couldn’t read the card, and did nothing with it.
　　It’s in our everyday life that computers cause many problems. Let’s get back to using people instead of computers, before a mistake that we can’t put right.
小題1:In the first paragraph we can conclude ______.

A．the paper is telling a lie	B．the first sentence is the topic sentence
C．the two news items made people surprised
D．if a man did nothing at all for the telephone company, he would still get $2,000 a month

小題2:The main idea of the second paragraph is _______.

A．the computers are magical workers

B．the computers can do anything as well as man

C．the computers can write out the bill and even sign it

D．the computers sometimes also make mistakes

小題3:Computers ______.

A．were used to conscript people	B．a(chǎn)re usually faster than human beings
C．a(chǎn)re not so magical as people expect
D．were not easily controlled and always fooled human beings

小題4:The writer thinks _______.

A．we’d better use people instead of computers in our everyday life

B．we should not use computers because they always make mistakes

C．computers are widely used in our everyday life

D．if we want to work well, don’t use the computers

Learning English is a great challenge, but with a little help from technology it can be as easy as a piece of cake.
As well as the classroom, teachers and textbooks, the Internet, TV and radio programs can play an active role in helping learn English. The Internet is full of rich and up-to-date information. English learners might wish to try http://www.in2english.com.cn.  This website is co-established by the British Council, the BBC World Service and Central Radio and TV University. It provides cultural information about Britain and has an example of the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) that students can use for practice. Different levels of grammar tests can also be found.
Make friends online
Another useful website for middle school students and teachers is: Besides reading 21st Century School Edition online, students are also invited to put their views on different topics up on the website.
Users have the opportunity to make friends with people who share their interests.
In the teaching and learning section, there are reading and vocabulary tips for students.
Compared with the Internet, TV programs have their own advantages: one does not have to sit at a computer and the audio and visual effects can even be relaxing.
One popular English-learning program is called "Modern English". This focuses on oral English in practical situations such as taking photos and shopping.
The short dialogues and useful phrases may help students to express themselves if they go abroad or meet foreigners in China. More than 50 TV stations in about 300 cities have aired the program.
Word to World
If you watch Beijing Television Channel 8, you might see a program titled "Study Abroad". On this show Professor Wang Qiang from New Oriental School hosts "From Word to World".
He selects words with a deep cultural background and teaches useful phrases related to that word. Cartoons are also used to explain how to use the word in daily life. Listening to the radio may not be a new way to learn English but it is easy.
China Radio International airs a program called "Studio Classroom" at 6:30 a.m. every day. This 25-minute program is aimed at middle school students and covers subjects from current news to travel and history, all in simple language.
小題1: This passage ______.

A．introduces some new websites and TV and radio programs

B．focuses on advantages and disadvantages of different medium forms

C．recommends technological help in learning English

D．a(chǎn)ims at advertising various English courses

小題2: If you want to read an English newspaper and make comments on different topics, you try_____.

A．www.in2english.com.cn.	B．www.21st.com.cn.
C．Modern English	D．Studio Classroom

小題3:One can practise oral English in everyday situations in _____.

A．Studio Classroom	B．From Word to World
C．Study Abroad	D．Modern English

小題4:According to the author, one advantage of TV programs over the Internet is that they ____.

A．offer more English learning resources

B．cost you nothing

C．have better audio and visual effects

D．have English courses available whenever you need them

小題5:The author wants the readers to know that learning English ______.

A．is difficult

B．is easy

C．is neither easy nor difficult

D．can be made much easier with a little help of modern technology

Scientists have created a “ human-like robot” that can dance and do the housework.
“ Mahru” has been developed to imitate humans and can move its lips, eyebrows and pupils(瞳孔). The machine can also move its upper and lower body freely and automatically stop itself when walking.
In addition, it has been programmed to give out two kinds of pleasant smells to match its emotions.
The 1.5 tall robot was produced by researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and is the first South Korean- developed machine of its kind.
“‘Mahru’ will open the way for the commercial use of humanoid robots doing housework,” You Bum-Jae, leader of the development research team ,said. “‘Mahru’ can dance while walking on its legs and is able to work in place of a human.”
Through an advanced motion capture (捕獲) system, “Mahru” can follow a variety of human movements and move its hands freely enough to deal with any obstacles that may get in its way when walking.
State-funded KIST showed the robot during a presentation at its head office in Seoul.
People here were treated to an entertaining demonstration which saw the robot show off the full range of its skills, most notably s series of dance moves.
The research team added that they had designed another “ Mahru”, this time with sensors(傳感器) allowing it to distinguish(分辨) between faces and objects.
The showing of “ Mahru” came a week after researcher in Japan said they had created the “most human-like” robot in the world. A team at robotics department of Osaka University in Japan claimed that “ robogirl”, Repliee R-1, “ looks, moves and interacts (相互作用) like a human, and has silicone(硅膠) skin that feels almost human to the touch.”
小題1: “Mahru” made by KIST can do the following things EXCEPT____________

A．dance with other human –like robots	B．move its body freely
C．stop automatically when walking	D．express certain feelings through smells

小題2: According to what You Bum- Jae said in Paragraph 5, his research team wants to ________.

A．help robots with doing housework	B．show its scientific power
C．make Mahru offer more fun	D．explore Mahru’s commercial use

小題3: When Mahru” meets something in its way, it will be likely to________.

A．go around it	B．turn back quickly
C．deal with it using its hands	D．a(chǎn)sk humans for help

小題4:According to the last paragraph, Repliee R-1 __________.

A．is another Mahru	B．was made by KIST
C．has skin feeling similar to humans’	D．looks like a boy

小題5:The passage is probably a  __________.

A．news report

B．research report

C．healthy report

D．entertainment report

Apple iPod classic 160 GB Black (7^th Generation) NEWEST MODEL



Meet a Musical Genius
Say you’re listening to a song you really like and want to hear other ones that go great with it. With a few clicks, the Genius feature finds the songs in your library that go great together and makes a Genius playlist for you. You can listen to the playlist right away, save it for later, or even refresh it and give it another go.
Hold everything
iPod classic gives you 160GB of storage (容量) capacity, good for up to 40,000 songs, 200 hours of video, or 25,000 photos. And you get up to 36 hours of battery life, so you can keep on rocking for a long long time.
With 160GB of space, iPod classic means you can always have your entire music and movie library with you. Carry it from the living room to a party in the backyard. Or take it on a cross- country road trip and never listen to the same song twice.
Watch movies and TV Shows
The bright 2.5-inch display makes video come alive. Purchase or rent movies, buy TV shows, and download video podcasts from the iTunes Store, then sync (同步) them to your iPod classic to watch anywhere, anytime.
Play iPod Games
Put hours of fun at your fingertips. iPod classic comes with three free games- Vortex, iQuiz, and Klondike, and you can purchase games such as Cake Mania from the iTunes Store. All iPod games are designed specially for the iPod interface.
Share your photos
iPod classic uses iTunes to sync the photos you have in iPhoto on a Mac. You can view photo slideshows complete with music and transitions on iPod classic, or play them on a TV using an AV cable.
小題1:If you order an Apple iPod classic now, you can save        .

A．$218.54

B．$51.45

C．$24.36

D．$31.45

小題2:The advertisement wants to emphasize that       .

A．the Apple iPod classic has a powerful storage capacity

B．the customer can enjoy a good post-sale service

C．the Apple iPod classic has a big display screen

D．you can enjoy photos while listening to music

小題3:The battery can last as long as       .

A．46 hours

B．36 hours

C．30 hours

D．25 hours

小題4:You have to pay extra money of you want to play the game        .

A．Cake Mania

B．Vortex

C．iQuiz

D．Klondike

小題5: The writer wrote the passage mainly to        .

A．introduce the newest model of Apple iPod	B．list the functions of Apple iPod classic
C．a(chǎn)ttract the customers to buy the newest model
D．tell the customers how to operate the new model

Crossroads International
How does Crossroads work?
Crossroads is a resource network. We take goods Hong Kong doesn’t want and give them to people who badly need them. We collect those goods and give them out in the welfare arena(福利院) in Hong Kong, Mainland China, elsewhere in Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa. So Crossroads is just that: a Crossroads between need and resource.
Who do we help?
The welfare agencies we help do not run on large budgets(預(yù)算). They are grass-root groups who have seen a need and tried to meet it. They can’t get the job done without back-up, though, so our task is to help them do their task. Our warehouse is full of goods, from computers to high chairs, clothing to books, stationery(文具) to medical provision, cupboards to dinning sets. They send us a list of their needs and we try to match it with the resource we have in stock.
How do we operate?
Crossroads itself also operates on a low budget. We do not buy the goods we send. They are donated. Similarly, rather than raising funds for freight(貨運(yùn))，we ask transport companies to donate their services. Nobody in our organization receives a salary. Even our full-time staff works on a voluntary basis.
Those that donate goods and services:
·Factories·Manufacturers ·Hospitals ·Hotels ·Householders
·Offices ·Other Charities ·Transport Companies ·Educational Institutions
One resource that we are always in need of is people. While we receive large quantities of goods and there is never a short supply of requests for them, we are always in need of hands to help sort and prepare them for shipping.
What can I do?
We are always in need of people. We have a lot of tasks. If you are volunteering regularly, we can offer work in some of the following categories, some of the time. You are welcome to number your top three choices and we will do our best to accommodate them.
·Clothing categorization ·Sewing ·Toy categorization ·Furniture handling
·Driving ·Book categorization ·Household goods categorization ·Office work
·Electrical goods categorization ·Book keeping ·Fund- raising
·Stationery categorization ·Medical categorization
Where to find us?
All volunteer work is done at out warehouse:
Located in Basement Zone M of the Kai Tak Government Building
Our warehouse hours: Tues.-Sat. 10:00am-5:30pm
Postal address: 16 Man Tong, Silvermine Bay, Lantau Island, HK
Office details: Ph: 2984 9309, 2740 9657
小題1:Crossroads International is            .

A．a(chǎn) welfare agency	B．a(chǎn) place to store goods donated
C．a(chǎn)n organization to collect goods for those who need them
D．a(chǎn)n organization run by the government

小題2: People in poor areas can’t get help from the Crossroads if they need            .

A．toys and books	B．furniture and computers
C．fresh water and food	D．clothes and washing machines

小題3: Which of the following is not the choice if you decide to offer help?

A．Driving

B．Fundraising

C．Furniture handling

D．Teaching

小題4:The purpose of this brochure(小冊子) is mainly to            .

A．look for volunteers to work for Crossroads	B．call on people to donate more goods
C．let people know what Crossroads International is	D．tell people what Crossroads can provide

小題5:From the above brochure, we can conclude that              .

A．people who work at Crossroads get low pay from it

B．Crossroads doesn’t give goods directly to the people who need them

C．You can do whatever you like if you offer help at Crossroads

D．Crossroads has collected more goods than needed

We are all busy talking about and using the Internet, but how many of us know the history of the Internet?
Many people are surprised when they find that the Internet was set up in the 1960s. At that time, computers were large and expensive. Computer networks didn’t work well. If one computer in the network broke down, then the whole network stopped. So a new network system had to be set up. It should be good enough to be used by many different computers. If part of the network was not working, information could be sent through another part. In this way, computer network system would keep on working all the time.
At first the Internet was only used by the government, but in the early 1970s, universities, hospitals and banks were allowed to use it, too. However, computers were still very expensive and the Internet was difficult to use. By the start of the 1990s, computers had become cheaper and easier to use. Scientists had also developed software that made “surfing” the Internet more convenient.
Today it is easy to get on-line and it is said that millions of people use the Internet every day. Sending e-mail is more and more popular among students.
The Internet has now become one of the most important parts of people’s life.
小題1:The Internet has a history of about____________ years.

A．70

B．10

C．50

D．20

小題2: A new network system was set up to_____________.

A．make computers cheaper.

B．make itself keep on working all the time.

C．break down the whole network.

D．make computers large and expensive.

小題3: At first the Internet was only used by_____________.

A．the government.

B．scientists

C．hospitals and banks

D．schools

小題4:Which of the following is TRUE?

A．In the 1960s, computer networks worked well.

B．In the early 1970s, the Internet was easy to use.

C．Sending e-mail is now more popular among students.

D．Today it’s still not easy to get on-line.

根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容，從從短文后的選項(xiàng)中選出能填入空白處的最佳選項(xiàng)。選項(xiàng)中有兩項(xiàng)是多余選項(xiàng)。(共5小題,每小題2分,滿分10分)
We’re raising children!
A famous research scientist was being interviewed why he was so much more creative.
小題1: He had been trying to remove a bottle of milk from the refrigerator when he lost his balance and it fell, spilling its contents all the kitchen floor—a veritable sea of milk!
When his mother came into the kitchen, instead of yelling at him, she said , “Robert, what a great and wonderful mess you have made! I have rarely seen such a huge puddle of milk.小題2:Would you like to get down and play in the milk for a few minutes before we clean it up?”
Indeed, he did. After several minutes, his mother said,“You know, Robert, whenever you make a mess, eventually you have to clean it up and restore everything to its proper order.  小題3: We could use a sponge, a towel or a mop. Which do you prefer?” He chose the sponge and they cleaned up the spilled milk.
His mother then said, “You know, what we have here is a failed experiment in how to effectively carry a big milk bottle. Let’s fill the bottle with water and see if you can discover a way to carry it without dropping it.” The boy learned that if he grasped the bottle at the top near the lip with both hands, he could carry it without dropping it. 小題4: 
This scientist remarked that it was at that moment that he knew he didn’t need to be afraid to make mistakes. 小題5:  
Wouldn’t it be great if all parents would respond the way Robert’s mother responded to him?

A．Instead, he learned that mistakes were just opportunities for learning something new.

B．Well, the damage has already been done.

C．What set him so far apart from others?

D．What a wonderful lesson!

E.    So, how would you like to do that?
F.    Such an opportunity of experiencing was delightful to him.
G.   He responded that it all came from an experience when he was about two years old.

“My kids really understand solar and earth-heat energy,” says a second-grade teacher in Saugus, California. “Some of them are building solar collectors for their energy course.” These young scientists are part of City Building Educational Program (CBEP), a particular program for kindergarten through twelfth grade that uses the stages of city planning to teach basic reading, writing and math skills and more.
The children don’t just plan any city. They map and analyze (分析) the housing, energy, and transportation requirements of their own district and foretell its needs in 100 years. With the aid of an architect (建筑師) who visits the classroom once a week, they invent new ways to meet these needs and build models of their creations. “Designing buildings of the future gives children a lot of freedom,’’ says the teacher who developed this program. “They are able to use their own rich imagination and inventions without fear of blame, because there are no wrong answers in a future context. In fact, as the class enters the final model-building stage of the program, an elected ‘official’ and ‘planning group’ make all the design decisions for the model city and the teacher steps back and becomes an adviser.
CBEP is a set of activities, games and imitations that teach the basic steps necessary for problem-solving: observing, analyzing, working out possible answers, and judging them based on the children’s own standards.
小題1:The program is designed to_________.

A．direct kids to build solar collectors

B．train young scientists for city planning

C．develop children’s problem-solving abilities

D．help young architects know more about designing.

小題2:An architect pays a weekly visit to the classroom to ________.

A．find out kids’ creative ideas	B． help kids with their program
C． discuss with the teacher	D． give children a lecture

小題3:Who is the designer of the program?

A．An official.

B．An architect.

C．A teacher.

D．A scientist

小題4:The children feel free in the program because __________.

A．they can design future buildings themselves

B．they have new ideas and rich imagination

C．they are given enough time to design models

D．they need not worry about making mistakes

Dear iPhone 4 Users,
The iPhone 4 has been the most successful product in Apple’s history. It is the best smartphone ever, and most users have told that they love it. So we were surprised when reading reports of reception (信號接收) problems, and we immediately began researching them.
To start with, holding tightly（緊緊地）almost any mobile phone in certain ways will reduce its reception by 1 or more bars of signal strength. This is true of iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, as well as many other phones. But some users have reported that iPhone 4 can drop 4 or 5 bars when tightly held in a way. This is a far bigger drop than normal, and as a result some have said the iPhone 4 has a faulty antenna(天線) design.
Upon research, we find that the formula（公式） we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong. Our formula usually mistakenly displays 2 more bars than it should for a given signal strength. The big drop in bars is because the high bars were never real in the beginning.
We will give a free software update to correct the formula. This software update （軟件升級）will also be available for iPhone 3GS. If you are not fully satisfied, you can return your undamaged iPhone to any Apple Retail Store or the online Apple Store within 30 days of buying and get all your money back.
Thank you for your patience and support.
Apple
小題1:The iPhone 4 drops more bars than normal when tightly held because of          .

A．a(chǎn) wrong antenna design	B．wrong usage
C．weak signal strength	D．a(chǎn) wrong formula

小題2:How many more bars does the iPhone 4 show than it should for a given signal strength?

A．2

B．3

C．4

D．5

小題3: What can we learn from the text?

A．The software update is fit for all cellphones produced by Apple.

B．The iPhone 4 has been the most successful product in history.

C．If a user is not satisfied with his iPhone 4, he will get ten times his money back.

D．The Apple company didn’t expect the reception problems of iPhone 4.

小題4: The text is a letter          .

A．from Apple about iPhone problems	B．to Apple about iPhone 4 problems
C．to introduce the new iPhone 4	D．on how to pay back buyers for the faults

An Australian company, Smart Car Technologies, has developed a system that lets drivers know when they’re speeding. When the technology becomes commercially available, it could help lead-footed drivers avoid tickets and also save lives. The company that developed the product hopes to convince Australian government agencies to put the technology into use in their automobile fleets.
The product, called Speed Alert, links real-time location data and speed obtained with the help of GPS to a database of posted speed limits stored in a driver’s PDA or programmable mobile phone. The setup of the product does not need to be hooked up to a car’s speedometer. In fact, it is entirely portable. It will also work with newer phones and PDAs that have built-in GPS receivers. If a driver exceeds the speed limit, the speed is shown and an alert sounds.
Michael Paine, an Australian vehicle design engineer and traffic safety consultant, was hired to analyze the product. He told Live Science that his colleagues in the road safety field are “very enthusiastic” about what they’re now calling “intelligent speed alert.” Other research, according to Paine, shows that 40 percent of all traffic deaths involve speeding. There is also a potentially controversial future use: “Since the system is so portable, it would be easy to make it a requirement for teenage drivers to always use a speed alert device when driving,” Paine said. “The system even has the capability to record speeding violations, so parents can monitor their teenage drivers.”
The product will soon go on sale in Sydney.
小題1: What’s the purpose of the new product?

A．To inform us of the new car system.	B．To introduce some improvement in cars.
C．To limit certain drivers to safe driving.	D．To popularize the built-in car system.

小題2:The second paragraph mainly talks about        .

A．the project of the built-in product	B．why the system becomes popular
C．the functions of GPS in cars	D．how the product is programmed

小題3:Which of the following is true of Speed Alert according to Michael Paine?

A．Most of the traffic deaths can be avoided.	B．Speeding violations can be easily found out.
C．The system will excite some teenage drivers.	D．The product will not be available for adults.

小題4:What can be the best title of the passage?

A．Speed Alert and Its Future Use.	B．Progress in Car-making Science.
C．Warning for Adventurous Drivers.	D．New In-Car Device against Speeding.