Picture a library without books? Well, I can’t. Ever since I was little I would

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Picture a library without books? Well, I can’t. Ever since I was little I would go to the library and take out numerous books. From picture books to beginning chapter books to YA books, books have always been a part of my life. Unlike many people today, I don"t own a Kindle or a Nook or any type of e-reader. I prefer the old-fashioned book. There is something about holding a book and being able to turn the pages that I find comforting. In today"s 21st century, books may become obsolete. For me that"s something I find scary.
I am a fan of the old TV science-fiction series Twilight Zone. One episode（一段情节）is about a librarian who has become obsolete. Though this episode aired in 1961, the writer of the series, Rod Serling was exactly on point when it came to predicting the future.
In fact, in San Antonio, Texas the first-ever bookless library in the country opened. The library is full of iMacs, tablets and iPads which cost a huge $2. 3 million. The library offers around 10,000 e-books. So the question is, is this what the future will soon be? Mary Graham, vice president of South Carolina"s Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce states, "This is the future…If you"re going to be building new library facilities, this is what you need to be doing."
It is our generation that will be the guinea pigs（试验品）of increasing technology like this. Is this a good or bad thing? Well, digital libraries may help the environment by not using paper; however, I feel like something will always be lacking with a digital book. A digital library is just the beginning.
With all of this new technology, people seem to be more absorbed in their own world. One of my biggest complaints is when I am with my friends and they can"t seem to get off their smart phone and talk to me. To make plans with a friend and then have them stuck on their phone the whole time is extremely rude. Not only is it disrespectful, but it reflects the direction of where human interactions are heading. Though social media is great, it also is addicting and has negative effects.
Often when I go on Facebook it just makes me feel worse about myself. I"ll see many of my 800 Facebook friends showing off their newest accomplishment or acceptance to college. Additionally, our society is becoming increasingly lazy. For instance, instead of doing mental math, people use their phone to solve 89 + 74. It is simple tasks like these that are allowing people to lack important educational and social skills.
It is up to us to find a balance between technology and human values and interactions. With new technology being created every day, we need to learn how to use it alongside our great minds. After all, inventions are supposed to benefit society not harm it. In the day of technology, who knows what"s next?
小题1:The underlined word "obsolete" （Paragraph l）is closest in meaning to .

A．outdated

B．complex

C．expensive

D．meaningless

小题2:What can we infer from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2_______?

A．The episode still enjoys great popularity nowadays.

B．Rod Serling liked making predictions about the future.

C．The situation of books today is similar to what Rod Serling predicted in the episode.

D．The episode airing in 1961 was the most entertaining of the TV science-fiction series.

小题3:What can we learn about the library in San Antonio, Texas?

A．It is the first-ever library in America.

B．It is of no practical use although it costs so much.

C．It holds an exhibition of much electronic equipment.

D．People can read e-books there with the help of the new facilities.

小题4:Which of the following will the writer probably disagree with_______?

A．Great as social media is, it does have some negative effects.

B．With the increasing use of social media, something will actually be lost.

C．Through social media, people can develop educational and social skills around.

D．As a result of social media, people may communicate less with the people around.

小题5:The tone of the passage is best described as .

A．Optimistic

B．Skeptical

C．Supportive

D．Objective

答案

小题1:A
小题2:C
小题3:D
小题4:C
小题5:B

解析

试题分析：设想一个没有书籍的图书馆，这是让作者不能接受的。作者更喜欢纸质的书籍带来的舒适感。科技给我们的生活带来了巨大的变化，但科技并非是完美的，也会带来一些负面的影响。
小题1:根据“I prefer the old-fashioned book. There is something about holding a book and being able to turn the pages that I find comforting.”可知，在21世纪，纸质书籍显得有点过时，但作者却更喜欢纸质的书籍，划线词与old-fashioned同义，故选A。
小题2:根据“One episode（一段情节）is about a librarian who has become obsolete.”可知，电视剧里的一个情节--一家图书馆变得过时，由此可知，电视剧的作者预见到了当今书籍面临过时的现状，故选C。
小题3:根据“in San Antonio, Texas the first-ever bookless library in the country opened ...The library offers around 10,000 e-books.”可知，San Antonio,和Texas的市民可以借助新的科技阅读电子书，故选D。
小题4:根据“I feel like something will always be lacking with a digital book ...people seem to be more absorbed in their own world ...With new technology being created every day, we need to learn how to use it alongside our great minds.”可知，作者认为，科技并非完美，人们更多地沉浸在自己的世界里，我们应该学会使用科技，而不应该被科技改变自己的态度、价值观等，故选C。
小题5:根据第四段“Well, digital libraries may help the environment by not using paper; however, I feel like something will always be lacking with a digital book. A digital library is just the beginning.”和最后一段“After all, inventions are supposed to benefit society not harm it.”可知，作者不赞同用电子图书馆取代纸质书籍。作者认为，科技应该给社会带来益处而不是伤害。由此可见，就科技能否带来便利来说，作者是持怀疑态度的，故选B。

举一反三

It was time to break free.
I needed to run away and the Bloomsburg Fair was the best place to go.
I don’t know if you can call it running away wince it was only and hour away from my home. But once I entered the fair grounds, I crossed over into another world. The loudspeaker offered background music over the sounds of people of people talking, bargaining and food sellers yelling for your attention.
I belonged here. I didn’t know if I had it in my blood or not, but I always wanted to have a small food stand and travel in my off season from fair to fair selling goodies. Perhaps one day. It certainly wasn’t a priority(优先考虑的事)in my life , Perhaps it should be.
After I was there a while, I needed to get away to a quiet spot. Most of the time, I could find that anywhere the farm animals were kept. They needed the quiet. So I went there to find peace with the cows, goats, horses, pigs and yes, the turkeys. You"d think being this close to "Thanksgiving", they"d be a little scared, but they were not.
It was in the dairy barn（仓库）where I found peace this time. I so admired the young folks who tended to farm animals. I thought they had a greater appreciation for life. They participated in it firsthand. I once watched a young fanner help bring a baby cow into the world.
My favorite scene was to come across a young cowboy lying in the hay asleep among the cows that had settled down for a rest. There, with his heads in a small soft spot alongside his favorite cow, I had seen him in a much deserved sleep. Perhaps better at rest there than in his own bed.
I had the pleasure of speaking with a young teenage farm girl that day.
"You look so comfortable," I said to her.
"Oh I am," she said. "Life makes it comfortable for me."
"You mean being a farm girl?"
"No, Life! That"s the name of my cow," she said, smiling as she gently patted the cow"s side.
"I thought they called cows Betsy and Elsie. Why did you call her Life?"
“I discovered life again here. It was the only meaningful name that came to mind. I had been raised in the big city and really hated it. Then we moved to the country, running away from Lt all. I think my parents called it a mid-life crisis," she said, laughing.
"Oh, I can understand that. I"ve been in one since birth," I said.
"It was on the farm that I learned to love life again. I was there when Life was born. It was so exciting. My whole outlook on the world changed. So I named her Life. Now, I can say I really love "Life"," she said.
"How amazing! I write stories and I am always trying to get people to enjoy life, to wake up each day expecting the best from it. But they all too often go to bed with so much bad stuff in their soul, and on their mind, that they wake up feeling bad and expect it to only get worse from there. All too often it does, just because that"s all they choose to see in that otherwise perfectly beautiful day," I told her.
"That"s too bad. They need to see a cow born, a chicken hatch. I guess they need to wake up early and hug Life!" she said, laughing.
"When was the last time you hugged Life?" she asked me.
"I am sorry to say even I have had trouble doing that lately," I said.
"Come here!" she said.
Then standing up and stepping aside, she said, "Go ahead…hug Life!"
I paused for a moment and dropping all thoughts of looking silly, I did. I hugged a cow.
小题1:The writer went to the Bloomsburg Fair probably in order to .

A．have fun	B．get ideas for writing
C．do shopping	D．escape something he disliked

小题2:The following things happened in the Bloomsbury Fair except .

A．food sellers" shouting

B．the writer"s selling goodies

C．people"s bargaining and talking

D．the loudspeaker"s broadcasting music

小题3:What can we learn from Paragraphs 5, 6 and 7_______?

A．The writer tended to farm animals firsthand.

B．The cowboy was lazy and fell asleep among the cows.

C．The writer found peace where farm animals were kept.

D．The turkeys got into panic with "Thanksgiving" approaching

小题4:The underlined word "it"（Paragraph 14）refers to .

A．the city

B．the country

C．the barn

D．the fair

小题5:The writer was surprised at the farm girl"s words and he thought people often________.

A．expected to get the best things

B．enjoyed perfectly beautiful days

C．ignored the bright side of each day

D．felt really bad due to poor sleep at night

小题6:What can be the best title for the passage?

A．Farm Life and Happiness	B．Hugging Life
C．A Farm Girl and Her Cow	D．Enjoying Freedom

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案

When I was in high school, my father retired and set up a food booth on the street near my school. He was particularly good at making       . Every day after I finished school, my classmates and I would      his food booth. But I really      talking to him before his food booth, because I didn’t want my classmates to know my father was selling noodles on the street!
One night, I couldn’t      it any more and shouted, “Dad, could you      selling your annoying noodles? I don’t need a father who sells noodles on the street!” At that moment, my father was     . He tried to say something but didn’t. When he turned      , something happened that I would never      . His eyes were filled with tears. I saw him     for the first time. My mother later told me my father was selling noodles to      money for my college education. Even today I still feel      for what I did that night.
Time really flies. I finished      and then left my home to work. During the past years, whenever I       home, he was always there meeting me      at the railway station. Whenever he saw me off, he never tried to hug me, although I always      his hug. When I was away from home, he never wrote or telephoned me,      he always pushed my mother to telephone me. Whenever my mother was telephoning me, he’d sit beside her with a list of questions. He’d      my mother to talk to me for him. That’s the way he is, and that’s how he shows his      to me.
My father is quiet, but I feel a      , which is deep and powerful. It lives in a place far beyond     , and it is something special－“a silent father’s love”.

小题1:

A．chicken

B．noodles

C．bread

D．dessert

小题2:

A．pass

B．watch

C．visit

D．advertise

小题3:

A．enjoyed

B．hated

C．considered

D．continued

小题4:

A．stand

B．deserve

C．forgive

D．digest

小题5:

A．start

B．stop

C．forget

D．remember

小题6:

A．tired

B．confused

C．interested

D．shocked

小题7:

A．around

B．back

C．up

D．down

小题8:

A．describe

B．forget

C．prove

D．face

小题9:

A．arguing

B．weeping

C．laughing

D．smiling

小题10:

A．save

B．take

C．spend

D．count

小题11:

A．happy

B．empty

C．lonely

D．guilty

小题12:

A．meeting

B．reading

C．homework

D．college

小题13:

A．returned

B．missed

C．left

D．stayed

小题14:

A．shyly

B．regularly

C．quietly

D．responsibly

小题15:

A．saw

B．refused

C．expected

D．rewarded

小题16:

A．and

B．but

C．or

D．if

小题17:

A．force

B．challenge

C．tell

D．inspire

小题18:

A．love

B．hate

C．anger

D．respect

小题19:

A．connection

B．competition

C．condition

D．combination

小题20:

A．greetings

B．injuries

C．links

D．words

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案

Many facts suggest that children are overweight and the situation is getting worse, according to the doctors. I feel there are a number of reasons for this.
Some people blame(责备) the fact that we are surrounded by shops selling unhealthy, fatty foods, such as fried chicken and ice cream, at low prices. This has turned out a whole generation（一代人）） of grown-ups who don’t often cook a meal for themselves. If there were fewer of these restaurants, then probably children would buy less take-away food.
There is another argument that blames parents for allowing their children to become overweight. I agree with this, because good eating habits begin early in life, long before children start to visit fast food shops. If children are given fried chicken and chocolate rather than healthy food, or are always allowed to choose what they eat, they will probably choose sweet and salty foods every time, and this will carry on throughout their lives. There is a third reason for this situation. Children these days take very little exercise. They do not walk to school. When they get home, they sit in front of the television or their computers and play computer games. Not only is this an unhealthy pastime(消遣), it also gives them time to eat more unhealthy food. What they need is to go outside and play active games or sports. The above are the main reasons for this problem, and therefore we have to encourage young people to be more active, as well as steering them away from fast food shops and bad eating habits.
小题1:According to the text, what kind of children may eat more unhealthy food?

A．Those who often take exercise.

B．Those who often watch television

C．Those who often have meals at home.

D．Those who often walk to school.

小题2:The author thinks that children are becoming overweight because _______.

A．their parents often cook meals for them.

B．they are too busy to go out and play.

C．they can"t choose what to eat.

D．there are too many fast food shops around.

小题3:The underlined word "steering" in the last sentence most probably means ____.

A．forcing

B．guiding

C．driving

D．moving

小题4:According to the author, which of the following is WRONG?

A．We should encourage children to be more active.

B．Children ought to keep away from fast food shops.

C．Parents needn"t cook meals for their children.

D．Parents should help their children form a good eating habit.

小题5:The main purpose of the text is to _______.

A．tell a story

B．provide facts

C．give advice

D．compare opinions

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案

When my family moved to America from a small village in Guangdong, China, we brought not only our luggage, but also our village rules, customs and culture. One of the rules is that young people should always respect elders. Unluckily, this rule led to my very first embarrassment in the United States.
I had a part-time job as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant. One time, when I was serving food to a middle-aged couple, the wife asked me how the food could be served so quickly. I told her that I had made sure they got their food quickly because I always respect the elderly. As soon as I said that, her face showed great displeasure. My manager, who happened to hear what I said, took me aside and gave me a long lecture about how sensitive(敏感) Americans are and how they dislike the description “old”. I then walked back to the table and apologized to the wife. After the couple heard my reason, they understood that the problem was caused by cultural differences, so they laughed and were no longer angry.
In my village in China, people are proud of being old. Not so many people live to be seventy or eighty, and people who reach such an age have the most knowledge and experience. Young people always respect older people because they know they can learn from their rich experience.
However, in the United States, people think “growing old” is a problem since “old” shows that a person is going to retire or that the body is not working well. Here many people try to keep themselves away from growing old by doing exercises or jogging, and women put on makeup, hoping to look young. When I told the couple in the restaurant that I respect the elderly, they got angry because this caused them to feel they had failed to stay young. I had told them something they didn’t want to hear.
After that, I changed the way I had been with older people. It is not that I don’t respect them any more; I still respect them, but now I don’t show my feelings through words.
小题1:Jack brought the couple their food very fast because[_______________.

A．the manager asked him to do so	B．he respected the elderly
C．the couple wanted him to do so	D．he wanted more pay

小题2:When Jack called the couple “elderly”, they became[____________.

A．nervous	B．satisfied
C．unhappy	D．excited

小题3:In Jack’s hometown,______________.

A．people dislike being called “old”

B．people are proud of being old

C．many people reach the age of seventy or eighty

D．the elderly are the first to get food in restaurants

小题4:After this experience, Jack___________.

A．lost his job in the restaurant

B．made friends with the couple

C．no longer respected the elderly

D．changed his way with older people

小题5:Which of the following is TRUE?

A．The more Jack explained, the angrier the couple got.

B．Jack wanted to show his feelings through words after his experience.

C．The manager went back to the table and apologized to the couple.

D．From this experience, Jack learned more about American culture.

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案

Robots industry is developing so rapidly that there is no denying that we may one day find ourselves surrounded by robots.
The humanoid (human like) robots with two legs such as Honda Motor Co. Ltd’s ASIMO would likely have an easier time climbing up stairs inside homes than a robot that moves on wheels, developers say.
But it will be some time before such devices make their way into people’s homes.
“They may look smart, but they are still quite stupid,” Shimoyama said. “I don’t think they will ever be as smart as humans.”
While safety is an obvious concern, robots also need to be sensitive to people’s needs.
Researchers at Fujitsu Frontech Ltd and Fujitsu Laboratories responsible for developing “Enon”, a guide and patrol (巡逻) robot designed for use in shopping malls and corporate facilities (公共场所), are working on this.
Enon, which has a humanoid upper body but no legs, is equipped with a touch screen on its chest and space in its stomach to carry loads weighting up to 10 kg.
In guide mode, it will check a newcomer and approach the person with a nod and a greeting: “Are you a visitor? Hello.”
Visitors requiring directions can point to icons (图标) displayed on Enon’s chest screen. If the restroom icon is pressed, the screen will display a map that shows the way.
The robot will then face and point in the direction of the restroom, although it won’t actually walk the visitor there.
Enon is now in use at four locations in Japan, including a shopping mall near Tokyo. The main goal is to make it more helpful for the elderly.
“People who work in the transportation sector often ask whether we can build a robot that will find elderly people who look lost in train stations, and ask them if they are all right,” said Toshihido Marita, director of Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd’s autonomous system laboratory. “Actually that is hard to do, very hard,” he said.
小题1:The advantage of Honda Motor Co. Ltd’s ASIMO is that _________.

A．it can do any housework for us

B．it can talk with patients or old people

C．it can climb up stairs as humans

D．it can walk smoothly with its wheels

小题2: According to Shimoyama, robots _________.

A．can be made to do everything humans do

B．will be made as smart as humans in the future

C．will remain as stupid as before

D．can never compete with humans in intelligence

小题3:Most important of all, a robot should be made _________ at present.

A．safe and elegant	B．safe and functional
C．elegant and cheap	D．sensitive and cheap

小题4:Which of the following statements about “Enon” is NOT true?

A．It can be used as a guide in hospitals.

B．It can help shoppers carry goods selected.

C．It can be used to welcome guests in restaurants.

D．It can be used to stop thieves in malls.

小题5:Enon is mainly designed to help _________.

A．old people

B．mall owners

C．tourists or newcomers

D．shoppers

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案