One evening in February 2007 . a student named Paula Ceely brought her car to a

One evening in February 2007 . a student named Paula Ceely brought her car to a

题型:不详难度:来源:
One evening in February 2007 . a student named Paula Ceely brought her car to a stop on a remote in Wales . She got out to open a metal gate that blocked her path . That"s when she heard the whistle sounded by the driver of a train.Her Renault Clio parked across a railway line. Second later,she watched  the train drag her car almost a kilometre down the railway tracks.
Ceely"s near miss  made the news because she blamed it on her GPS device(导航仪).She had never driven the route before .It was dark and raining heavily . Ceely was relying on her GPS. But it made no mention of the crossing ."I put my complete trust in the device and it led me right into the path of a speeding train ,"she told the BBC.
W ho is to blame here ? Rick Stevenson ,who tells Ceely"s story in his book When Machines Fail US, finger at the limitations of technology. We put our faith in digital devices, he says,
but our digital helpers are too often not up to the job. They are filled with small  problems. And it’s not just GPS devices: Stevenson takes us on a tour of digital disasters involving everything from mobile phones to wireless key boards.
The problem with his argument in the book is that it’s  not clear why he only focuses digital technology,while  there may be a number of other possible  causes. A map-maker might have left the crossing off a paper map. Maybe we should blame Ceely for not paying attention. perhaps the railway authorities are at fault for poor signaling system. Or maybe someone has studied the relative dangers and worked out that there really is something specific wrong with the CPS equipment. But Stevenson doesn’t say.
It’s a problem that runs through the book. In a section on cars, Stevenson gives an accout of the advanced techniques that criminals use to defeat computer-based locking systems for cars. He offers two independent sets of figures on car theft; both show a small rise in some parts of the country. He says that once once again not all new locks have proved reliable. Perhaps, but maybe it’s also due to the shortage of policemen on the streets. Or changing social circumstances. Or some combination of these factors .
The game between humans and their smart devices  is complex. It is shaped by economics and psychology and the cultures we live in. Somewhere in the mix of those forces there may be  way a wiser use of technology.
If there is such a way, it should involve more than just  an awareness of the shortcomings of our machines. After all, we have lived with them for thousands  of years. They have probably been fooling us for just as long .
小题1:What did Paula Ceely think was the cause of her accident?           
A.Shewasnotfamiliarwiththeroad.
B.Itwasdarkandrainingheavilythen.
C.The railway works failed to give the signal.
D.Her GPS device didn’t tell her about the crossing
小题2:The phrase”near miss” (paragraph 2 ) can best be replaced by _______.
A.closebitB.heavylossC.narrow escapeD.bigmistake
小题3:Which of the following would Rick Stevenson most probably agree with?          
A.Moderntechnologyiswhatwe can’tlivewithout.
B.Digitaltechnologyoftenfalls shortofoutexpectation.
C.Digitaldevicesaremore reliablethantheyusedtobe.
D.GPSerrorisnottheonly causeforCelery’saccident.
小题4:
In the writer’s opinion, Stevenson’s argument is________.
A.one-sidedB.reasonableC.puzzlingD.well-based
小题5:
What is the real concern of the writer of this article?
A.The major causes of traffic accidents and car thefts.
B.The relationship between humans and technology
C.Theshortcomingsofdigital devicesweuse.
D.Thehuman unawarenessoftechnicalproblems.

答案

小题1:D
小题2:C
小题3:B
小题4:A
小题5:B
解析


小题3:细节理解题
小题4:推理判断题。由文章The problem with his argument in the book is that it’s  not clear why he only focuses digital technology可知。
小题5:主旨大意题。本文讨论了人与现代科技的关系。
举一反三
It was Saturday . As always, it was a busy one, for “Six days shall you labor and do all your work” was taken seriously back then. Outside,Father and Mr. Patrick next door were busy chopping firewood. Inside their own houses, Mother and Mrs. Patrick  were engaged in spring cleaning.
Somehow the boys had slipped away to the back lot with their kites. Now, even at the risk of having Brother caught to beat carpets , they had sent him to the  kitchen for string(线). It seemed there was no limit to the heights to which kites would  fly today.
My mother looked at the sitting room ,its furniture disorderd for a thorough sweeping, Agun she cast a look toward the window. “Come on, girls ! Let’s take string to the boys and watch them
On the way we met Mrs. Patrick, laughing guiltily as if she were doing something
wrong, together with her girls.
There never was such a day for flying kited! We played all our fresh string into  the boys’ kites and they went up higher and higher .We could hardly distinguish   the orange-colored spots of the kites. Now and then we slowly pulled one kite back, watching it dancing up and down it the wind, and finally bringing it down to earth , just for the joy of sending it up again.
Even our fathers dropped their tools and joined us. Our mothers took their turn, laughing like schoolgirls. I think we were all beside ourselves. Parents forgot their  duty and their dignity; children forgot their everyday fights and little jealousies. “Perhaps it’s like this in the kingdom of heaven,”  I thought confusedly.
It was growing dark before we all walked sleepily back to house. I suppose we   had some sort of supper. I suppose there must have been a surface tidying-up, for the house on Sunday looked clean and orderly enough. The strange thing was , we didn"t mention that day afterward. I flt a little embarrassed .Surely none of the others had been as excited as I. I locked the memory up in that deepest part of me where we  keep“the things that cannot be and yet they are.”
The years went on, then one day I was hurrying about my kitchen in a city  apartment, trying to get some work out of the way while my three-year-old insistently  cried her desire to “go park ,see duck.”
“I can’t go!”  I said. “I have this and this to do, and when I’m through I’ll be too  tired to walk that for.”
My mother , who was visiting us , looked up from the peas she was shelling ,“It’s a wonderful day,”she offered,“Really warm , yet there’s a fine breczc . Do you  remember that day we flew kites?”
I stopped in my dash between stove and sink . The looked door flew open and  with it a rush of memories. “Come on.”I told my little girl. “You’re right , it’s too  good a day to miss.”
Another decade passed. We were in the aftermath (余波)of a great war. All evening we had been asking our returned soldier, the youngest Patrick Boy, about  his experiences as a prisoner of war. He had talked freely , but now for a long time  he had been silent . What was he thinking of – what dark and horrible things?
“Say!” A smile slipped out from his lips . “Do you remember --- no, of course  you wouldn’t . It probably didn’t make the impression on you as it did on me.”
I hardly dared speak.“Remember what ?”
“I used to think of that day a lot in POW camp(战俘营), when things weren’t too  good. Do you remember the day we flew the kites?”
小题1:
Mrs. Patrick was laughing guiltily because she thought       .
A.she was too old to fly kites
B.her husband would make fun of her
C.she should have been doing her housework then
D.her girls weren’t supposed to play the boy’s game
小题2:
By“we were all beside ourselves”, the writer means that they all      .
A.felt confusedB.went wild with joy
C.looked onD.forgot their fights
小题3:
What did the writer think after the kite-flying?
A.The boys must have had more fun than the girls.
B.They should have finished their work before playing.
C.Her parents should spend more time with them.
D.All the others must have forgotten that day.
小题4:
Why did the writer finally agree to take her little girl for an outing?
A.She suddenly remembered her duty as a mother.
B.She was reminded of the day they flew kites.
C.She had finished her work in the kitchen.
D.She thought it was a great day to play outside.
小题5:
The youngest Patrick Boy is mentioned to show that _____ .
A.the writer was not alone in treasuring her fond memories
B.his experience in POW camp threw a shadow over his life
C.childhood friendship means so much to the writer
D.people like him really changed a lot after the war

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This year I decided to do something to regain my good name as a kindly uncle. My  1  Tony,had never forgiven me for the dictionary I had bought him as a birthday present last year. His 2  had no reason to be thankful to me either,because the year before, I had   3  their dear son with a pot of paste(浆糊) and some funny pictures. Instead of   4   them into a book, Tony had naturally covered every wall in the house with them. This year,   5 , I decided to let him  6  for himself.
We went into a big shop,but Tony was very particular about   7  . Although I tried to show him toy after toy,he was not to be   8 . Then I saw he suddenly became  9 ; he had discovered something he really liked: a large tin dram. I was quite happy too   10    I thought what Tony’s mother would say when she saw it. Nobody would get any    11   for weeks! I led Tony away   12 , saying that the dram was too expensive.
Tony asked for permission to go off    13   and I made the most of my chance to sit down end    14   my aching feet. Fifteen minutes passed but there was still no sign of Tony. I began to get   15   and got up to look for him. I asked a young lady if she had seen a little boy in a grey suit. She looked   16   her helplessly and pointed out that there were so many   17
in grey suits. I was just going to call the police for help,when I saw a strange   18  dressed in strange orange clothes. He was wearing a false beard and had a caveman’s axe(斧子)in one hand,and a space gun in the other. It was, of course,Tony, who informed me  19   that he was the first   20  to fly into space.
小题1:
A.cousinB.daughterC.grandsonD.nephew
小题2:
A.friendsB.parentsC.classmatesD.brothers
小题3:
A.presentedB.annoyedC.confusedD.occupied
小题4:
A.enteringB.dividingC.stickingD.drawing
小题5:
A.anyhowB.thoughC.againD.therefore
小题6:
A.guessB.chooseC.payD.see
小题7:
A.sweetsB.toysC.clothesD.books
小题8:
A.pleasedB.disturbedC.acceptedD.disappointed
小题9:
A.surprisedB.hopefulC.patientD.excited
小题10:
A.afterB.untilC.unlessD.since
小题11:
A.shockB.troubleC.peaceD.time
小题12:
A.happilyB.eagerlyC.cautiouslyD.quickly
小题13:
A.on his ownB.in his wayC.now and thenD.more or less
小题14:
A.dragB.rest.C.layD.step
小题15:
A.8shamedB.angryC.worriedD.doubtful
小题16:
A.aboutB.toC.atD.across
小题17:
A.young ladiesB.new customersC.loving parentsD.small boys
小题18:
A.figureB.actorC.manD.doll
小题19:
A.on timeB.at onceC.just nowD.once again
小题20:
A.policemanB.spacemanC.cavemanD.postman

题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
I got my first driver’s license(执照)in 1953 by taking driver education in my first year at Central High School in Charlotte,North Carolina. Four years later when it was time to renew my license I was a married woman. Henry and I were living in Baltimore, Maryland. Two weeks before my 20th birthday, Henry drove me to the motor vehicle office on a hot July afternoon. When I got to the office and showed to the man behind the counter my North Catrolina driver’s license,ready to renew, the man told me that I was under age by Maryland law since I was not yet 21. “Mr. Henry Smith, your husband, will have to sign for you,” he said.
I argued,pointing to a very lage belly(肚子)of mine,”I am married. I am having a baby. Why should I have to have someone sign for me to drive?” He answered coldly, “It’s the law, madam?”
Henry encouraged me to calm down,just go ahead and get the license and be done with it “No.” I said. I refused to have him sign for me. So I left without a Maryland license.
I called the North Carolina Motor Vehicle Office and renewed my NC license by mail-using my name Susan Brown. And thus it was for the next twelve years. Since Henry was in the army I could drive under my home state license. By the time Henry left the army we were once again living in Maryland, and I had to take the Maryland driver’s exam. Since then I just go in and renew every four years-sign the name Susan Brown,have my new picture taken, and walk out with a license to drive.
小题1:
Susan got her first driver"s license           .
A.before she got married to HenryB.when she was twenty years old
C.after she finished high schoolD.when she just moved to Maryland
小题2:
Susan failed to renew her license the first time in Maryland because          .
A.she was forbidden to drive by Maryland law
B.she lacked driving experience in Maryland
C.she was to give birth to a baby soon
D.she insisted on signing for herself
小题3:
We can infer from the text that in the U.S.          .
A.American males should serve in the army
B.different states my have different laws
C.people have to renew their licenses in their home states
D.women should adopt their husbands" family names after marriage

题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
About 21,000 young people in 17 American states do not attend classes in school buildings.
Instead, they receive their elementary(初等)and high school education by working at home on computers.The Center for Education Reform says the United States has 67 public “cyberschools.”and that is about twice as many as two years ago.
The money for students to attend a cyberschool comes from the governments of the states where they live. Some educators say cyberschools receive money that should support traditional public schools. They also say it is difficult to know if students are learning well.
Other educators praise this new form of education for letting students work at their own speed. These people say cyberschools help students who were unhappy or unsuccessful in traditional schools. They say learning at home by computer ends long bus rides for children who live far from school.
Whatever the judgement of cyberschools,they are getting more and more popular. For example, a new cyberschool called Commonwealth Connections Academy will take in students this fall. It will serve children in the state of Pennsylvania from ages five through thirteen.
Children get free equipment for their online education. This includes a computer,a printer,books and technical services. Parents and students talk with teachers by telephone or by sending emails through their computers when necessary.
Students at cyberschools usually do not know one another. But 56 such students who finished studies at Western Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School recently met for the first time. They were guests of honor at their graduation.
小题1:What do we know from the text about students of a cyberschool?
A.They have to take long bus rides to school.
B.They study at home rather than in classrooms.
C.They receive money from traditional public schools.
D.They do well in traditional school programs.
小题2:What is a problem with cyberschools?
A.Their equipment costs a lot of money.
B.They get little support from the state government.
C.It is hard to know students" progress in learning.
D.The students find it hard to make friends.
小题3:Cyberschools are getting popular became    
A.they are less expensive for students
B.their students can work at their own speed
C.their graduates are more successful in society
D.they serve students in a wider age range
小题4:We can infer that the author of the text is     .
A.unprejudiced in his description of cyberschools
B.excited about the future of cyberschools
C.doubtful about the quality of cyberschoois
D.disappointed at the development of cyberschools

题型:不详难度:| 查看答案
The Coalition for the Homeless is an organization that seeks to address the needs of the homeless population in the United States. It is a network of offices, some of which provide food and houses for the homeless population, and some of which fight for the passing of laws that of over two hundred million people living in the United States,up to three million are homeless—and the number is still growing. Since the late 1970s,fast rising house prices,large cuts in government supported housing programs, and economic recession(经济衰退)have made it impossbile for many Americans to meet housing costs. Sadly, this has resulted in a number of persons being forced to leave their homes and/or unable to find new affordable homes. According to another research,families with children appear to be the fastest-growing part of the homeless population, making up 39% of it.The old idea of a homeless person,that of the single man who gets drunk all the time,is no longer true. A much lager part of the population now finds itself homeless. Even worse, once a person becomes homeless, he often finds it impossible to find a job,since most employers require anyone who wants a job from them to provide a home address on a job applicaton.
小题1:
The word “address” in the first line probably means          .
A.talk aboutB.deal withC.fight forD.write to
小题2:
How many people are homeless in the U.S. according to the Coalition studies?
A.39% of the population.B.200 million people.
C.About 3 million people.D.About one-fifth of the population.
小题3:
Homeless people often have difficulty finding a job because________.
A.they have no home addresses
B.they mostly have a drinking problem
C.they aren"t supported by government programs
D.they often don"t have enough work experience
小题4:
What is the main cause of the rising number of the homeless in the U.S.?
A.The passing of new housing laws.
B.The fast growth of family size.
C.The slow construction of houses.
D.The ever-rising price of housing.

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