Lawmakers in the United States have expanded an investigation into the use of lo

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Lawmakers in the United States have expanded an investigation into the use of location-tracking systems on mobile devices． The action follows recent reports about the storing of information on the Apple iPhone． Some people consider location tracking to be a threat to personal privacy and security．
Allan Friedman, the research director, says, “All wireless companies do some location tracking as part of their networks． This information is usually stored by the companies, not the devices, and there are laws to protect it． Law enforcement（执法） agencies, for example, have to have a fairly high standard before it can access that data． And the phone company is also prohibited from selling that information．
Now, two researchers report that location tracking information is being stored directly on Apple devices． They said Apple’s newest operating systems gather global positioning system and timestamp information． The information is stored on the device in a file that is also uploaded （上传） to any computer that the device is connected to． The researchers say the information is available to anyone who has access to the device or computer．
Allan Friedman says, “This raises additional concerns． There’s the idea tha

t because it’s on my phone and on my computer, rogue applications（恶意程序） that I pay for or that I’m tricked into downloading may be able to access this data and somehow misuse it．”
Apple says it is “not tracking the location of your iPhone”． It is simply keeping a database of Wi-Fi hotspots and cellphone towers near the user’s location． This information is meant to help the iPhone quickly find its location when needed．
Letters have been sent to some of the leading mobile device developers, including Apple and Google． The letters asked for more information about their location tracking systems． Allan Friedman calls this an important start to strengthening privacy laws． He says, “There aren’t strong controls over things like location information, what they are doing with it, how long they are keeping it． And perhaps the most important question is, is my location data with other facts about me?”
小题1:Why did American lawmakers investigate the use of location-tracking systems on cell-phones?

A．Because the systems can store users’ information

B．Because many users have suffered loss after using them．

C．Because it is thought to threaten users’ privacy．

D．Because many reporters have shown the problem of the systems．

小题2: Allan Friedman believes that ________．

A．wireless compa

nies focus on personal privacy．

B．people are forbidden to get access to private data at will

C．phone companies may sell private information secretly

D．customers may ask wireless companies to locate their tracking

小题3: What do we know from Paragraph 3?

A． Location tracking information is stored online．

B．Apple’s newest operating systems collect all kinds of information．

C．Location tracking information may be uploaded to any iPhone．

D．Apple’s newest operating systems may reveal the private information of users．

小题4:Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Apple denies that it tracks the location of users．

B．The researchers may misunderstand the Apple’s systems．

C．The global positioning system is to blame for rogue applications．

D．The iPhone can quickly find its location by using its user’s information．

答案

小题1:C
小题1:B
小题1:D
小题1:A

解析

略

举一反三

At night, bats fly through the air, catching hundreds of insects and other small animals. But during the day, they hardly move at all. Instead, bats pass the time hanging upside down from a secret spot.
There are a couple of reasons why bats rest this way. First of all, it puts them in a position for takeoff. Unlike birds, bats can’t fly into the air from the ground. Their wings don’t produce enough lift to take off from a dead stop, and their hind legs are so small and underdeveloped that they can’t run to build up the necessary takeoff speed. Instead, they use their front claws to climb to a high spot, and then fall into flight.
During the hours when most enemies are active, bats gather where few animals would think to look and most can’t reach. This allows

them to disappear from the world until night comes again. There’s also little competition for these resting spots, as other flying animals don’t have the ability to hang upside down.
Bats have a unique physiological adaptation that lets them hang around this way without using a

ny energy. For you to hold your fist around an object tight, you contract（紧缩）several muscles in your arm, which are connected to your fingers by ten

dons（腱）；as one muscle contracts, it pulls a tendon, which pulls one of your fingers closed. A bat’s talons（爪）close in the same way, except that their tendons are connected only to the upper body, not to a muscle. To hang upside down, a bat pulls its claws open with other muscles. To get the talons to take hold of the surface, the bat simply lets its body relax. The weight of the upper body pulls down on the tendons connected to the talons, causing them to hold tight. Therefore, the bat doesn’t have to do anything to hang upside down.
小题1:Bats hang upside down because________．

A．they haven’t developed a pair of strong claws	B．they can’t start to fly from the ground directly
C．they have no hind legs to support their body	D．they can’t find quiet places to stay during the day

小题2:The third paragraph tells us that bats’ hanging upside down_______.

A．is to save their energy for night movement	B．is a way to fight against flying animals
C．is a great way to hide from danger	D．is a skill to compete for the flying places

小题3:Why can bats hang upside down easily?

A．Because their upper body is light.

B．Because they have strong muscles.

C．Because their talons are linked to muscles tightly.

D．Because their tendons are linked to their upper body.

小题4: What is the passage mainly about?

A．The living habits of bats.	B．How and why bats hang upside down.
C．The importance of bats’ hanging upside down.	D．How bats use their energy at night.

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Recently there was a major discovery in the scientific research—the mapping of all DNA in a human gene（基因）is complete. Couple of years ago, this seems an impossible task for scientist to accomplish. All this progress in science leads us to believe that the day, when the human being will be cloned, is not far away. Human cloning has always been a topic of argument，in terms of morality or religion.
Taking a look at why cloning might be beneficial, among many cases, it is arguable that parents who are known to be at risk of passing a genetic limitation to a child could make use of cloning. If the clone was free of genetic limitations. Then the other clone would be as well. The latter could foe inserted in the woman and allowed to ripen to term. Moreover，cloning would enable women, who can’t get pregnant, to have children of their own.
Cloning humans would also mean that organs could be cloned, so it would be a source of perfect transfer organs. This, surely would be greatly beneficial to millions of unfortunate people around the world that are expected to lose their lives due to failure of single(or more) organ(s）.It is also arguable that a ban on cloning may be unlawful and would rob people of the right to reproduce and limit the freedom of scientists.
Arguments against cloning are also on a perfectly practical side. Primarily, I believe that cloning would step in the normal “cycle”of life. There would be a large number of same genes., which reduce the chances of improvement，and, in turn, development-the fundamental reason how living things naturally adapt to the ever-changing environment. Life processes failing to do so might result in untimely disappearance. Furthermore, cloning would make the uniqueness that each one of us possesses disappea. Thus, leading to creation of genetically engineered groups of people for specific purposes and, chances are, that those individuals would be regarded as “objects” rather than people in the society.
Scientists haven’t 100 percent. guaranteed that the first cloned will be normal. Thus this could result in introduction of additional limitations in the human “gene-pool”.
Regarding such arguable topics in “black or white” approach seems very innocent to me personally. We should rather try to look at all “shades: of it. I believe that cloning is only legal if its purpose is for cloning organs, not humans. Then we could regard this as for “saving life” instead of “creating life”. I believe cloning humans is morally and socially unacceptable.
小题1:Which of the following is true according to the passage？

A．Genetic limitation will be beneficial for some women

B．A large number of genes will prevent us from developing

C．Prohibition of cloning might limit the freedom of scientists

D．First cloned humans might be normal according to scientists

小题2:What’s the author’s opinion on cloning?

A．Cloning should be entirely banned

B．Cloning should be used in creating life

C．Cloning will take away the right to reproduce

D．Cloning is acceptable if it is used for cloning organs

小题3:Where can you read this article?

A．In a story book.

B．In a magazine.

C．In a science fiction

D．In a brochure

小题4: Which of the following shows the structure of the passage

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The Internet will open up new vistas (前景), create the global village——you can make new friends all around the world. That, at least, is what it promised us. The difficulty is that it did not take the human mind into account. The reality is that we cannot keep relationsh

ips with more than a limited number of people. No matter how hard the Internet tries to put you in communication, its best efforts will be defeated by your mind.
The problem is twofold（双重的）. First, there is a limit on the number of people we can hold in mind and have a meaningful relationship with. That number is about 150 and is set by the size of our brain. Second, the quality of your relationships depends on the amount of time you invest in then. We invest a lot in a small number of people and then distribute what’s left among as many others as we can. The problem is that if we invest little time in a person, our engagement with that person will decline until eventually it dies into “someone I once knew”.
This is not, of course, to say that the Internet doesn’t serve a socially valuable function. Of course it does. But the question is not that it allows you to increase the size of your social circle to include the rest of the world, but that you can keep your relationships with your existing friends going even though you have to move to the other side of the world.
In one sense, that’s a good thing. But it also has a disadvantage. If you continue to invest in your old friends even though you can no longer see them, then certainly you aren’t using your time to make new friends where you now live. And I suspect that probably isn’t the best use of your time. Meaningful relationships are about being able to communicate with each other, face to face. The Internet will slow down the rate with which relationships end, but it won’t stop that happening eventually.
小题1:The number of friends we can keep relationships with is decided by__________.

A．the Internet

B．the time we have

C．the place we live

D．the mind

小题2:The underlined word “engagement” in the seco

nd paragraph probably means “__________”.

A．appointment

B．connection

C．interview

D．agreement

小题3:The author holds the view that___________.

A．the Internet helps to keep in touch with friends far away

B．the Internet determines the quality of social relationships

C．the Internet greatly increases the size of social

circles

D．the Internet is of no value in social communication

小题4:What will the author encourage us to do?

A．To keep in touch with old friends when we have moved away.

B．To chat with friends often on the Internet.

C．To make more new friends face to face.

D．To stop using the Internet to make new friends.

小题5:What is the author’s attitude towards the use of the Internet to strengthen relationships?

A．He thinks it useless	B．He is hopeful of it.
C．He approves of it.	D．He doubts it.

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Phys ed (physical education) is making a comeback as a part of the school core curriculum(核心课程)，but with a difference. While group sports are still part of the curriculum, the new way is to teach skills that are useful beyond gym class. Instead of learning how to climb a rope, children are taught to lift weights, balance their diets and build physical endurance(忍耐力). In this way，kids are given the tools and skills and experiences so they can lead a physically active life for the rest of their life.
Considering that 15 percent of American children aged 6 to 18 are overweight, supporters say more money and thought must be put into phys ed curriculum. In many cases, that may mean not just replacing the old gym-class model with fitness programs but also starting up phys ed programs because school boards often "put P.E. on the chopping block (砧板), cutting it entirely or decreasing its teachers or the days it is offered," says Alicia Moag-Stahlberg, the executive director of Action for Health Kids. The difference in phys ed programs is partly due to the lack of a national standard. "Physical education needs to be part of the core curriculum," she added.
The wisdom of the new approach has some scientific support. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have showed how effective the fit-for-life model of gym class can be. They observed how 50 overweight children lost more weight when they cycled and skied cross-country (越野)than when they played sports. The researchers also found that teaching sports like football resulted in less overall movement, partly because some reluctant（不情愿的）students were able to sit on the bench.
Another problem with simply teaching group sports in gym class is that only a small percentage of students continue playing them after graduating from high school. The new method teaches skills that translate to adulthood.
小题1:According to the passage, what is usually taught in the old gym class?

A．Lift weights

B．Climb a rope

C．Cycle

D．Have a balanced diet

小题2:What does Alicia Moag-Stahlberg mean by saying “some school boards put P. E. on the chopping block”?

A．Schools do not pay enough attention to P. E..

B．Schools welcome P. E. but do not have time for it.

C．Schools put P.E. in the first place.

D．Schools cut down other subjects’ time for P. E..

小题3:Which is NOT the reason to carry out phys ed programs according to the passage?

A．More teenagers are overweight.

B．Traditional group sports teaching is not effective.

C．Students need to learn some skills to help them lead a physically active life.

D．Phys ed programs need less money to support.

小题4:How many problems are mentioned in the passage with simply teaching group sports?

A．Two

B．Three

C．Four

D．One

小题5:What’s the difference between the come-back phys ed and the ordinary gym-class model?

A．The Phys ed teaches group sports.

B．The Phys ed provides more fitness programs.

C．The Phys ed teaches tools and skills which could be used in the future life.

D．The Phys ed has more support from the government.

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In today"s world of cell phones, mini laptops and MP3 players, most people have at least one time-telling tool with them. Since these devices are so common, is time running out for the 500-year-old watch? According to some consumers, yes. New Jersey teenager Charlie Wollman says a watch is "an extra piece of equipment with no necessary function." Many young adults agree ─ and use their cell phones to tell time. Louis Galie, a senior vice president at Timex, said that fewer young people wear watches today than five years ago. As a result, some people claim that the watch industry is at a crossroads.
However, watchmakers optimistically say that watches regain popularity when consumers reach their 20s and 30s. By then, they are willing to spend money on a quality timepiece that doesn"t just keep good time. Fifty years ago, watchmakers boasted(自夸) about their products" accuracy. But in recent years, the watch industry has transformed itself into an accessory(附件，配件) business. And for many today, the image(外形) a watch communicates has become more important than the time it tells.
"Complications" ─ features that go beyond simple timekeeping ─ are an important part of a watch"s image. Today"s watches offer a host of features that suit almost any personality. These features include altitude trackers(追踪器), compasses(指南针), lunar calendars, USB drives, and even devices that measure the effectiveness of golf swings!
Creativity is also a key element in today"s watches. For example, Japanese watchmaker Tokyoflash makes watches that don"t even look like watches. The company"s popular Shinshoku model uses different color lights to tell the time. It looks more like a futuristic bracelet(手镯) than a watch. Another Japanese watchmaker, EleeNo, makes a "handless" watch. Using a ring of circles to keep time, this watch makes an excellent conversation piece.
Whether a watch communicates fashion sense, creative flair or a love of sports, consumers want their timepieces to stand out. Nowadays, everyone has the same kind of gadget in their bags, so people want to make a statement with what"s on their wrists(手腕). Will this interest in wrist fashion last? Only time will tell!
小题1:Why aren’t watches popular with young people as before?

A．Because watches cannot keep good time as cell phones, mini laptops and MP3 players.

B．Because watches are featured by the disadvantages of simple function

C．Because watches are too expensive to afford.

D．Because watches don’t have beautiful appearance as other modern time telling tools.

小题2: What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．Watching-making is facing a survival crisis challenge.

B．Watching-making is faced with the developing opportunity.

C．Watching-making becomes the sun rising industry.

D．Watching-making has a specific development target.

小题3: It can be implied that ____________________.

A．people will gradually lose interest in watches as they grow older

B．watchmakers hardly change the development strategy for watches

C．today’s watches are better than those in the past in quality

D．customers used t

o be more concerned with the quality of a watch than with its image.

小题4:The following qualities can make a watch popular EXCEPT _________.

A．multifunction

B．accuracy

C．nice design

D．low price

小题5:What’s the best title of the passage?

A．Watches and Teenagers	B．The History of Watches
C．The Accuracy of Watches	D．Watches Tell More Than Time

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