Sometimes life gets a little dull. What used to be fun and different becomes bor

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Sometimes life gets a little dull. What used to be fun and different becomes boring. That is the time to look for something new. It is the time for a big idea to get your mind off everyday life. So why not search for extraterrestrial (地球外的) intelligence? Or even better, why not get your computer to do it for you?
Over two million people have joined the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence（SETI）project. Based in California, the SETI project analyzes information taken from a giant radio telescope based in South America. Its task is to look for signals from outer space that might prove that life exists on other planets.
Processing this information is far too big a job for one computer. So the SETI project workers divide the work among volunteers who visit their website. Each computer gets some information to work out from the SETI network through the Internet. This process is often known as “meta-computing”.
It is a wonderful thought. You are sleeping, eating a meal or going out with friends. All this time, your computer is searching the stars for signs that might show something is out there trying to get in touch. Volunteers are proud of being involved in the SETI project. It shows that they understand the potential (潜能) of computing. They know that it is more than just a way of working or playing games.
Meta-computing may also be creating intelligence as well as looking for it. This idea is based on the theory that human intelligence is created by the way in which different parts of the brain communicate with each other. As the saying goes, “The whole is more than the sum of its parts.” People who join the SETI project sometimes wonder whether their computer will become part of a huge network that has learned to think for itself.
小题1:According to the writer, meta-computing may be creating intelligence .

A．because human beings are intelligent	B．because a computer works as the brain does
C．because of a network of many computers	D．because of the number of computers

小题2: Which of the following shows the order in which the SETI network works?

A．Radio telescope→SETI website→Volunteers’ computer→SETI base

B．Radio telescope→SETI base→SETI website→Volunteers’ computer

C．SETI base→SETI website→Volunteers’ computers→Radio telescope

D．SETI base→Radio telescope→SETI website→Volunteers’ computers

小题3: The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to _____ .

A．extra-terrestrial intelligence	B．human intelligence
C．the SETI project	D．meta-computing

小题4:The passage mainly tells us about _____.

A．a new way to work on the computer

B．a new way to work and play games

C．a new way to search for life outside the earth

D．a new way to make computers learn to think for itself

答案

小题1:C
小题1:B
小题1:A
小题1:C

解析

略

举一反三

Not only did the students ask for changes in the list of required subjects，but they also demanded the right to choose their courses according to their own taste and future needs．No more fixed programs,no guidance from educators and professors．All they wanted was to get their degree as fast as possible and go to work．
Although the educators didn’t all agree；a majority recognized that time had indeed changed and that education should perhaps adapt itself to the realities of modern society．Colleges and universities revised their programs to include a large number of specialized courses in business，nursing，engineering，and other professional fields．In the 1960s they also added courses requested by the students because they considered them“relevant(相关的)”(Women Studies，Revolution，or Black History)or useful(glass blowing，infant care，slow running，or family life)．The students were granted the right to choose their courses as they wished．Many traditional subjects had to be dropped，including history and foreign languages；the liberal education courses that were still useful were often neglected(忽视)by the students，who didn’t feel like working hard to learn something that was not required for graduation．
Whether the revised programs have helped college graduates to find employment quickly is not clear．But after fifteen or twenty years of experimentation，they have raised a lot of criticism．Some of it comes from the graduates themselves,who discover that their practical knowledge is neither deep nor flexible(灵活的)．As soon as they progress to higher positions，they find that they need management training and more study in their own field．Besides，they feel disabled by their lack of general knowledge,for example，by their ignorance of the language and culture of the foreigners with whom they are doing business. Most of all they suffer from their inability to use English，their own language，easily and properly.
小题1:The students also demanded ，besides a change of program.

A．the right to choose their university

B．the right to choose their professors

C．the right to choose their degree

D．the right to choose their courses

小题2:What was the reaction of the colleges towards the students’demand?

A．All the educators agreed with them.

B．None of the educators agreed with them.

C．A few educators agreed with them.

D．A few educators disagreed with them.

小题3:Who is it that criticized the new system of education?

A．Graduates

B．Parents

C．Employers

D．Educators

小题4:In the opinion of the critics，the main problems are .

A．the general knowledge is too much

B．the practical knowledge is impractical

C．they learned too much useless knowledge

D．they are not able to use their knowledge effectively

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So you have been called for an interview---well done?Your effort has been paid off? You will feeI better at the interview if you show an understanding of the nature of the organization．
Ask someone who already does it，or check it with one of the advisers．
Ask a member of your family or a friend to act as the employer and to give you an unreal interview．Be as realistic as possible，answer the questions seriously．Afterwards discuss how it went．Think about how the employer would prefer to see your look．Remember---the majority of employers are over 30.
It is not wise to rush out and buy new clothes.which will be worn for the first time at the interview．You’ll feel more at ease in a familiar dress．
Carelessness in any of these could cost you the job．Arrive at least 15 minutes before time，this will give you a chance to have a look around，read the notice board and get the feel of the place．Being late at the interview produces a bad impression．The first impression that the interviewer gets of you is formed as you walk through the door，so take a couple of deep breaths．
Be ready to shake hands if the interviewer offers．
Don’t take a seat until asked．Then sit comfortably．
Make eye contact when you are greeted and again if you shake hands．And during questioning,eye contact is a form of non-verbal greeting．
Remember the interviewer’s name and use it from time to time．
Be ready for the question “Is there anything you want to ask?” Before the interview you should get ready for two or three such questions．Look on these not just as a chance to get information but as a means to give your employer a better impression．Asking can show knowledge but avoid asking about holidays，pensions(养老金)and so on．It looks as if you are tired even before you begin．You can check on these later，when the hope for job is offered．
And if you fail, look upon the interview as an experience in itself．Learn from it．We wish you good luck and good job hunting．
小题1:Before you go to see the employer，you’d better .

A．find a dress you have got used to

B．buy some modern shoes，ties，etc．

C．have your hair cut

D．put on your newly-bought clothes

小题2:What does the phrase“eye contact”means?

A．A kind of greeting without words．

B．Shaking hands with the interviewer．

C．Looking at each other for a long time．

D．A way of getting a desirable job．

小题3:People usually do the following things before a job interview．Which is the right order for doing them?
a．Asking a friend to give you an unreal interview．
b．Understanding the nature of the organization．
c．Paying attention to your clothes．
d．Arriving at the place of the interview ahead of time．
e．Getting some information from the advisers．

A．a—e—b—c—d	B．d—c—b—a—e
C．b—e—a—c—d	D．e—d—a—b—c

小题4:Why do you prepare yourself for some Is--there·-anything·-you·-want--to-say questions?

A．To give the employer more information．

B．To get information about holiday and pension．

C．To impress the employer better and get further information from the company as well．

D．To show that you are the most knowledgeable．

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In a natural disaster—a hurricane, flood, volcanic eruption, or other catastrophes—minutes and even seconds of warning can make the difference between life and death．Because of this, scientists are working to use the latest technological advances to predict when and where disasters will happen．They are also studying how best to analyze and communicate this information once it is obtained．
On September 29, 1998, Hurricane Georges made landfall in Biloxi, Mississippi, after damaging Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and several islands of the Caribbean badly with torrential rains and winds up to 160 km per hour．Few people lost their lives along the Gulf Coast of the United States, although hundreds died in the Caribbean．
This was a very different outcome from 1900, when a powerful Gulf Coast hurricane made an unexpected direct hit on Galveston, Texas, killing at least 6,000 people．
Vastly improved hurricane warnings explain the different circumstances at either end of the 20th century——residents of Galveston had no advance warning that a storm was approaching, while residents of Biloxi had been warned days in advance, allowing for extensive safety precautions（预防）．
At the same time that people in Biloxi were thankful for the advance warning, some residents of New Orleans, Louisiana were less satisfied．A day before Georges made landfall, forecasters were predicting that the hurricane had a good chance of striking New Orleans．Because much of New Orleans lies below sea level, the city is at risk for flooding．Emergency management officials must begin evacuations（疏散）well before a storm strikes．But evacuation costs money: businesses close, tourists leave, and citizens take precautionary measures．The mayor of New Orleans estimated that his city" s preparations for Georges cost more than 50 million．After Georges missed New Orleans, some residents questioned the value of the hurricane forecasts in the face of such high costs．
The different views on the early warnings for Hurricane Georges show some of the complexities related to predicting disasters．Disaster prediction is a process of providing scientific information to the government officials and other decision makers who must respond to those predictions．
小题1:What is the purpose of disaster prediction according to the passage?

A．To identify the cause of disasters．

B．To save people" s lives and property．

C．To prevent natural disasters from happening,

D．To apply advanced technology to disaster prediction．

小题2:Which of the following areas suffered the most severe damage?

A．Puerto Rico．	B．New Orleans．
C．Biloxi, Mississippi．	D．Galveston, Texas．

小题3:The city residents of New Orleans were unsatisfied because __ _ .

A．the forecast hurricane did not hit the city

B．the hurricane warning arrived rather late

C．their preparations were made in vain

D．they suffered from a heavy hurricane attack

小题4:What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．The different ways of disaster prediction．

B．Technological advances in disaster prediction．

C．The importance and uncertainty of disaster prediction．

D．The benefits and preparations of disaster prediction．

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Disposing of the garbage we produce every day is a major problem in cities around the world. In the United States, over 160 million tons of garbage is produced every year. Ten percent is recycled, ten percent is burned, and the rest is put in landfills. But finding land for new landfills is becoming more difficult.
A city that has solved this problem in an unusual way is Machida in Tokyo. They have developed a totally new way of dealing with garbage. The key to the operation is that people should work together. Families must divide their garbage into six groups:

1. garbage that can be easily burned, such as kitchen and garden trash
2. garbage that doesn’t burn easily, such as plastic tools and plastic toys
3. products that are poisonous or that cause pollution, such as batteries
4. bottles and glass containers that can be recycled
5. metal containers that can be recycled
6. large items, such as furniture and bicycles

The items in Groups 1 to 5 are collected on different days. Large items are only collected upon request. Then the garbage is taken to a centre that looks like a clean new office building or hospital. Inside the centre, special equipment is used to sort and deal with garbage. Almost everything can be reused: garden or kitchen trash becomes fertilizer; garbage that can burn is burned to produce electricity; metal containers and bottles are recycled; and old furniture, clothing, and other useful items are cleaned, repaired, and resold cheaply or given away. The work provides employment for the disabled and gives them a chance to learn new skills.
Nowadays, officials from cities around the world visit Machida to see whether they can use some of these ideas and techniques to solve their own garbage problems.
小题1: Each year people in the U.S.A. have to find places to put in _______ million tons of garbage.
A.160 B.128 C.16 D.32
小题2:George’s family has the following garbage: wooden chairs, empty tins and branches. Into which group should he put the garbage?

A．Group 6, Group 5, Group 1.	B．Group 1, Group 3, Group 2.
C．Group 6, Group 5, Group 2.	D．Group 6, Group 4, Group 1.

小题3: From the text we know that ________ .

A．those who are working at the garbage disposal centre are disabled persons.

B．without people’s cooperation, the garbage disposal project would be a failure.

C．the items in Group1 and Group6 are not collected on the same day.

D．the garage is taken to a clean new office building for disposal.

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It is time for students to sell such things as chocolate bars and greeting cards to raise money for their school, class or club. It is inevitable that they will knock on your door and you will easily hand over your cash for overpriced items that you really do not want. That is okay, though, because there are many reasons why children should be allowed to raise money for their schools and clubs.
Fundraising（募集资金） is a great way to help children learn social skills. It is not easy to go up to a complete stranger and ask him for his money. They have to nicely ask for help, show the interested buyer what they have to offer and explain how it will help them in school. If someone refuses to buy an item, that child has to take the failure in stride(不特别费力地), and that is a learning lesson as well.
Students can learn how to deal with money by fundraising. Of course, it might seem safer for us to take charge of our children’s earnings from their fundraising before it is turned into the school. However, by making them keep track of it, count it, and make sure everyone pays the right amount, they are learning an important lesson. Dealing with money is important to know about when they are older.
Fundraising helps improve their schools. It is the children’s school. They have to learn there and grow there. Why not let them help in making it a better place?
Fundraising allows for more life experiences for the child. The raised money is used towards things like parties, trips, or for the music club to go to see a Broadway play. The children receive the rewards for their hard work at raising the money. Without fundraising, these field trips and special school memories would be missed.
In a word, fundraising helps children a lot in many ways.
小题1:The underlined word “inevitable” in the first paragraph means “_______”.

A．不可能的

B．不恰当的

C．不可避免的

D．不现实的

小题2:One of the important indications that children are grown up is that __________.

A．children can deal with money

B．children learn to care for others

C．children make a date with friends of the other sex

D．children like to make up

小题3:The author thinks that fundraising _______.

A．adds to the family’s burden	B．wastes the learning time
C．helps to develop the children’s character	D．builds up the children’s bodies

小题4:Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
CP: Central point P: Point Sp: Sub-point（次要点） C: Conclusion

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