Science Fiction The science fiction type of entertainment is considered by most to be fathered by Jules Verne (A Journey to the Center of the Earth and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea) and H.G.Wells (The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds).Sci-Fi, as it is commonly shortened, is a fictional story in which science and technology have a significant influence on the characters and plot.Many such works are guesswork about what the future holds and how scientific findings and technological advances will shape humankind.

Writing in the late 1800s, Jules Verne was remarkably successful in his 10 guesses about future technologies of air conditioning, automobiles, the Internet, television, and underwater, air, and space travel.Unbelievably, of all places from which to choose, Jules Verne guessed Tampa, Florida, USA as the launching site of the first project to the Moon, which was only 200 kilometers away from the actual 1969 location at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

One of the best-known science fiction books is Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell.Published in 1949, it was not meant as a prediction, but as a warning: Orwell was describing what he saw as the outcome of the ideas, trends, and emerging technologies of his time.Many invented terms from this novel have become common in everyday use, such as “big brother” and “doublethink”.Even the author’s name has been made into an adjective—Orwellian—and has become a warning descriptor for situations where privacy is lost and the individual becomes sacrifice under a totalitarian(極權(quán)主義)government.Nineteen Eighty-Four was translated into sixty-five languages within five years of its publication, setting a record that still stands.

What helps bring science fiction into being is usually a new discovery or innovation.The author creates an analysis of the potential influence and consequences and then wraps it in a pleasant story.For example, the beginning of space exploration was followed a few years later by the Star Trek television program and movie series.Advances in genetics(遺傳學(xué))cause fantasies of the end of disease, horrors of eugenics(優(yōu)生學(xué)), and thrillers where creatures disappearing long ago are brought back to life.The science fiction author’s self-determined role is that of field glasses for humanity—searching the world of future possibilities upon the road which we are traveling.

1.What can science fiction offer to people?

A.A forecast of how a new discovery could influence mankind.

B.A thoughtful look at the present drawbacks of technology.

C.An analysis of why a new technology could be used to harm human.

D.A thoughtful look at the past and what brought us to this point in history.

2.Which of the following best summarizes the description of Nineteen Eighty-Four?

A. A prediction of future technologies

B. A warning of cruel and unfair ruling

C. The consequence of scientific findings

D. An imaginary perfect world of freedom.

3.From the passage we can learn that _____.

A. Nineteen Eighty-Four adopted some popular terms

B. H.G.Wells predicted the Internet in the late 1800s

C. Cape Canaveral was mentioned in Jules Verne’s fiction

D. Star Trek movie series were based on space exploration

4.According to the author, what is the role of science fiction in society?

A.A moral compass

B.A reference of technology

C.A record of science development

D.A consideration of possibilities

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In early autumn I applied for admission to college. I wanted to go nowhere but to Cornell University, but my mother fought strongly against it. When she saw me studying a photograph of my father on the sports ground of Cornell, she tore it up.

“You can’t say it’s not a great university, just because Papa went there.”

“That’s not it at all. And it is a top university.” She was still holding the pieces in her hand. “But we can’t afford to send you to college.”

“I wouldn’t dream of asking you for money. Do you want me to get a job to help support you and Papa? Things aren’t that bad, are they?”

“No,” she said. “I don’t expect you to help support us.”

Father borrowed money form his rich cousins to start a small jewellery shop, His chief customers were his old college friends. To get new customers, my mother had to help. She picked up a long-forgotten membership in the local league of women, so that she could get to know more people. Whether those people would turn into customers was another question. I knew that my Parents had to wait for quite a long time before their small investment could show returns. What’s more , they had not wanted enough to be rich and successful ;otherwise they could not possibly have managed their lives so badly.

I was torn between the desire to help them and change their lives, and the determination not to repeat their mistakes. I had a strong belief in my power to get what I wanted. After months of hard study I won a full college scholarship. My father could hardly contain his pride in me, and my mother eventually gave in before my success.

1.The author was not allowed to go to Cornell University mainly because

A. his father graduated from the university

B. his mother did not thinks it is a great university

C. his parents needed him to help support the family

D. his parents did not have enough money for him

2.The father started his small shop with the money from

A. a local league B. his university

C. his relatives D. his college friends

3.Why did the mother renew her membership in the league?

A. To help with her husband’s business

B. To raise money for her son

C. To meet her long-forgotten friends

D. To better manage her life

4.According to the text, what was the author determined to do in that autumn?

A. To get a well-paid job for himself

B. To improve relations with his mother

C. To go to his dream university

D. To carry on with his father’s business

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Drinking alcohol is a socially acceptable behavior in many parts of the world.Some medical experts say light drinking may even be good for your health, especially for the heart.But they say such health benefits should be compared to the many health risks connected with alcohol use.

Some research suggests that having one to two drinks of alcohol a day may offer some health benefits.Several large studies have shown that this type of moderate(適量的) drinking may lower the risk of heart disease and other diseases.

A study last year suggested that drinking small amounts of red wine may help lower the risk of breast cancer in women.Researchers at Medical Center in California studied 36 women.Each woman drank a glass of red or white wine every day for almost a month.Researchers collected blood samples from the women two times a month to measure their hormone(激素) levels.The next month the women who drank red wine were told to drink white wine instead.The white wine drinkers were told to drink red wine.The researchers found that the women who drank red wine had lower levels of the female hormone than the white wine drinkers.They said red grapes have chemicals that may help to lower the risk of breast cancer.

However, recent studies suggested that even small amounts of alcohol may generally increase the risk of breast cancer in women.They found that women who drink four small glasses of wine a week increase their risk of breast cancer by 15 percent.

Many studies have examined the harmful effects of alcohol use on the body.Alicia Ann Kowalchuk serves as medical director, saying “Healthy use for adults --- that's men under age 65 --- is no more than 4 drinks in a day and no more than 14 drinks in a week.And for women of all ages, it's no more than 7 drinks in a week and no more than 2 drinks in a day.” She says too much alcohol use has been linked to liver diseases, and many other cancers.

1.How did the researchers carry out their study?

A. By following an example.

B. By listing facts.

C. By collecting information worldwide.

D. By comparing tested objects.

2.Which of the following is the most beneficial to women with breast cancer?

A. A glass of white wine per day.

B. A glass of red wine per day.

C. Small amounts of alcohol per day.

D. Four small glasses of wine per day.

3.Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?

4.What is the best title of this passage?

A. Drinking alcohol is popular in many parts of the world

B. Alcohol drinking can be both good and bad for you

C. Drinking alcohol a day may give your health some benefits.

D. Alcohol drinking may do harm to your health

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We believe the time and hard work _______ in completing such an important project are worthwhile.

A. involved B. involving

C. to involve D. to be involved

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A new genera tion addiction is quickly spreading all over the world. Weboholism(網(wǎng)癮), a twentieth century disease, affects people from different ages. They surf the net, use e-mail and speak in chat rooms. They spend many hours on the computer, and it becomes a compulsive habit. They cannot stop, and it affects their lives.

Ten years ago, no one thought that using computers could become compulsive behavior that could affect the social and physical life of computer users. Such behavior has seriously affected teenagers and college students. They are likely to log(寫(xiě)日志) on computers and spend long hours at different websites.

They become hooked(著迷) on computers and gradually their social and school life is affected by this situation. They spend all free time surfing and don’t concentrate on homework, so this addiction influences their grades and success at school. Because they can find everything on the websites, they hang out there. Moreover, this addiction to websites influences their social life.

They spend more time in front of computers than with their friends. The relation with their friends changes. The virtual life becomes more important than their real life. They have a new language that they speak in the chat rooms and it causes cultural changes in society.

Because of the change in their behavior, they begin to isolate themselves from society and live with their virtual friends. They share their emotions and feelings with friends who they have never met in their life. Although they feel confident on the computer, they are not confident with real live friends they have known all their life. It is a problem for the future. This addictive behavior is beginning to affect all the world.

1.The main idea of the passage is about__________.

A. the cause of weboholism

B. the advantage of weboholism

C. the popularity of weboholism

D. the effect of weboholism

2.We can infer from the passage that_______.

A. weboholism has the greatest effect on teenagers

B. students can hardly balance real and virtual life

C. people are addicted to games on the Internet

D. virtual life is more vivid and attractive than real life.

3.Which of the following is NOT true of weboholism?

A. It contributes to the development of the web.

B. The chat room language may change social culture.

C. The problem will be getting more and more serious later.

D. People addicted to the web often become inactive in real life.

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Children have their own rules in playing games.They seldom need a referee (裁判) and rarely take trouble to keep scores.They don’t care much about who wins or loses,and it doesn’t seem to worry them if the game is not finished.Yet,they like games that depend a lot on luck,so that their personal abilities cannot be directly compared.They also enjoy games that move in stages,in which each stage,the choosing of leaders,the picking-up of sides,or the determining of which side shall start,is almost a game in itself.

Grown-ups can hardly find children’s game exciting,and they often feel puzzled at why their kids play such simple game again and again.However,it is found that a child plays games for very important reasons.He can be a good player without having to think whether he is a popular person,and he can find himself being a useful partner to someone of whom he is ordinary afraid.He becomes a leader when it comes to his turn.He can be confident,too,in particular games,that it is his place to give orders,to pretend to be dead,to throw a ball actually at someone,or to kiss someone he has caught.

It appears to us that when children play a game they imagine a situation under their control.Everyone knows the rules,and more importantly,everyone plays according to the rules.Those rules may be childish,but they make sure that every child has a chance to win.

1.What is true about children when they play games?

A. They can stop playing any time they like.

B. They can test their personal abilities.

C. They want to pick a better team.

D. They don’t need rules.

2.To become a leader in a game,the child has to _________.

A. be a useful partner

B. wait for his turn

C. be confident in himself

D. be popular among his playmates

3.Why does a child like playing games?

A. Because he can be someone other than himself.

B. Because he can become popular among friends.

C. Because he finds he is always lucky in games.

D. Because he likes the place where he plays a game.

4.Which is the best title for this passage?

A. Rules in Children’s Games

B. Advantages of Playing Games for Children

C. Reasons for Children’s Games

D. How to Be a Popular Game Player

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Many people admit that they aren't prepared financially for life's unexpected challenges and emergencies. If your New Year's decision is to become more financially prepared for a“rainy day” the following tips are helpful for you to save,

Start saving now.

Set specific savings goals and break them down to a set dollar amount to save each paycheck. 1. Save at least a small portion of each paycheck and remain committed to saving, and then look for ways each month to increase the amount.

2.

One of the simplest ways to find money to put toward your rainy day fund is to keep a close eye on where your money is being spent. For two or three months, try keeping track of every expense, including small ones. Once you have a better idea of where your money is going, make a budget that includes a spending and savings plan. 3.

Make saving automatic.

4. If your goal is to save $5,000 this year, calculate the amount you'll need to save from each paycheck, then arrange to have it automatically saved into your savings account each time you get paid. Visit your bank branch and ask a banker if you can set up automatic transfers into your savings account.

Go on a spending diet.

Avoid spending any money on non-essentials for 30 days and challenge yourself to save as much as you can to put toward your rainy clay fund. 5. Then make a list and determine not to spend on these items for one month,

A. Track your spending.

B. Put your savings to work.

C. Do remember: Actions always speak louder than words.

D. The important thing is to start saving now, no matter how little.

E. Treat your rainy day account like you'd treat any other financial obligation(債務(wù) ).

F. Review your budget at the end of every month and determine if your spending is in line with your p1an.

G. Review your budget and identify extra or non-essential expenses, such as eating out, shopping. entertainment, etc.

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Lily: It is the first time that I ___1.__(come) to the field at this time of year. How promising the ___2.__ (crop) are!

David: You mean that you have never been in the countryside before?

Lily: Yes. In fact both my parents were __3._ (bear) in the countryside.

David: __4._ so, you may know something about planting.

Lily: Yes, because I saw my grandparents plant cabbages __5._ other day. It is really a difficult job.

David: There are several things _6.__(do), such as turning over soil, watering the field, and ___7.__(put) some powder in and so on. ___8.___, the most important thing is choosing the best seeds.

Lily: Do you make the seeds by yourself or bring them from other places?

David: Usually we make them by ourselves because the soil on our farm is quite different from __9.__ of the other lands.

Lily: Do you have any program to run your farm _10.__ your own way?

David: Yes, we plan to make our farm into a lab to make the best cabbage seeds.

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You_______ so badly now if you had taken the medicine yesterday.

A. wouldn’t cough B. didn’t cough

C. won’t cough D. don’t cough

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