Breaking the Code One school night this month I walked quietly up to Alexander,my 15-year-old son,and touched his cheek gently in a manner I hoped would seem casual. A year ago he would have ignored this disturbance but now he reacted impatiently and leaned back to his computer screen.

  I made a mistake：breaking into my teenager's personal space. "The average teenager has pretty strong feelings about his privacy," Lara Fox and her friend Hilary Frankel told me. Ms. Frankel and Ms. Fox,both17,are the authors of Breaking the Code,a new book that seeks to bridge the generational divide between parents and adolescents. It is being promoted by its publisher as the first selfhelp guide by teenagers for their parents,a kind of "Kids Are from Mars,Parents Are from Venus'¹ that explains the language and actions of teenagers. The girls dealt with issues including hanging out late,money,school pressures,smoking etc.

  Personally,I welcome their opinions. The most common missteps (失策) in interacting with teenagers arise from the war between parents exercising their rights to know what goes on under their roof and teenagers firmly guarding their privacy. Teenagers can be quick to interpret their parents' remarks and respond with anger that masks their vulnerability (脆弱) . Ms. Fox said," What we want above all is your approval. Don't forget,no matter how much we act as if we don't care what you say,we believe the things you say about us."

  Nancy,a New York childraising expert said she didn't agree with everything the authors suggested but found their arguments reasonable. "When your kids are saying, ' You don't get it,and you never will , ，there are lots of ways to respond so that they will listen and that is what the writers point out."

  "My parents helped me see that,”Ms. Fox told me,"even though they used to stay out late and ride their bicycles to school,times have changed and the way parents educate children is different. These days there is a major fear factor in bringing up kids. Parents worry about their child crossing the street."The writers said they hoped simply to throw light on teenage thinking.

(   ) 1. Why does the author mention the book"Kids Are from Mars,Parents Are from 'Venus¹⁷？

   A. It is one of the bestsellers.

   B. It is also written by the two girls.

   C. The two books have the similar theme.

   D. The two books have different opinions.

(   ) 2. The underlined sentence" You don't get it,and you never will" in the 4th paragraph implies that         .

   A. the teenagers don't want to admit their weakness

   B. the teenagers think that their parents will never understand them

   C. the parents do not necessarily force into the world of their children

   D. the generation gap cannot be shortened despite their parents' efforts

(   ) 3. It can be inferred from the last paragraphs that         .

   A. teenagers should guard their privacy

   B. Nancy totally agrees with the two girls' opinions

   C. parents are more concerned about children's safety

   D. the two girls have obtained numerous support from the public

(   ) 4. According to the two girls,teenagers nowadays are         .

   A. independent   B. intelligent   C. sensitive   D. inconsiderate

 One day,Rudolf was sailing when the sky turned black and threatening. Rudolf was sailing near a dangerous rocky place and the 1       port was four hours away. The wind began to blow stronger. Rudolf was beginning to feel 2       . Then,he saw a lighthouse less than a kilometer,away. The lighthouse was on a small 3        island surrounded by deep water. At the bottom of the lighthouse were big heavy rocks. In one place the rocks 4       . There,the water was calm,protected by the rocks. Rudolf tried to sail his boat into the 5        place. At last he did. At the top of the rocks was a man." You are welcome！" The lighthouse man led Rudolf up to the living room.

  They shared a supper. Then Rudolf 6        more about the old man. He was born in this 7        lighthouse 83 years ago. His father had been the lighthouse man before him. His mother,the only woman he had ever known,taught him to read the Bible and he read it every day,he had no other books. As a violin player,Rudolf had 8        time to read much either,but then he lived in the cities. He reached down and took out his 9      ,which he loved so much.

  "What do you 10        with that,Sir?" The old man asked. For a moment Rudolf thought the man was 11      ,but his face showed he was not. Rudolf found it 12        to believe that there was someone in the world who did not know what a violin was. Yet he could not laugh. "I make music with it," he spoke in a voice not sure of what he said.

  "Music?" the old man said,not completely understanding."I have heard of it,but I have never 13        music." "One does not see music,one hears it.""Ah,yes," the old man said,and he looked at him and gave him all the 14        of a great man.

  Then something in the storm and the lighthouse and the old man lifted Rudolf away from his 15        everyday feelings. He wanted to play music just for the old man,and with the storm and the winds to 16        him,he stood and played. The moments passed,moments that were days in the birth of fire and stars,moments of the 17        of all men and finally moments that showed the greatness of all human spirit. Never before had Rudolf played with such 18       .

  Rudolf dropped his head to his chest,19       hard. The old man sat without moving,his wide old hands resting on his 20       . He thought about the storm outside,music made by God;he thought of Rudolf and his music,both were part of the works of nature,both were works of wonder.

(   ) 1. A. closest   B. biggest   C. farthest   D. safest

(   ) 2. A. eager   B. amazed   C. troubled   D. difficult

(   ) 3. A. green   B. rocky   C. hilly   D. plain

(   ) 4. A. broke   B. connected   C. separated   D. stood out

(   ) 5. A. rough   B. calm   C. quiet   D. small

(   ) 6. A. thought   B. talked   C. argued   D. learned

(   ) 7. A. right   B. very   C. beautiful   D. big

(   ) 8. A. no   B. more   C. much   D. plenty of

(   ) 9. A. flute   B. violin   C. guitar   D. accordion

(   ) 10. A. play   B. have   C. make   D. use

(   ) 11. A. curious   B. joking   C. angry   D. worried

(   ) 12. A. hard   B. easy   C. natural   D. common

(   ) 13. A. made   B. understood   C. heard   D. seen

(   ) 14. A. pride   B. thanks   C. appreciation   D. respect

(   ) 15. A. common   B. usual   C. normal   D. ordinary

(   ) 16. A. approach   B. attend   C. join   D. encourage

(   ) 17. A. struggle   B. progress   C. fairness   D. equality

(   ) 18. A. energy   B. force   C. power   D. strength

(   ) 19. A. playing   B. crying   C. beating   D. breathing

(   ) 20. A. shoulders   B. knees   C. back   D. feet

  Hoffman,40, a former senior vice president of a financial company,had what she describes as "one of those extreme jobs". "I loved working," she says. But her career path reached a crossroad when her second child was born,and she left her job in February2007. Hoffman is one of many people who have left the work force to take a break,but she has a position as a consultant. She has described this type of career detour (繞路) 一which is more common for women than for men―as"offramping".   Typically it occurs when the balancing act of parenting and work becomes too tough.

A study by the center found that more than90 percent of women who offramp want to onramp back into the work force eventually. But making the transition back to work is rarely easy,and it is even harder in this economic climate of layoffs and hiring freezes.

  Considering some of the obstacles faced by onrampers,a threeday program called "Greater Returns：Restarting Your Career”was held at Columbia University. The goal of the three days was to have them walk away with a big shot of confidence.

According to one school of thought,women looking to make a comeback might even have an advantage in the current economy,especially if they are looking for parttime or consultant positions that do not offer benefits. And a majority of onrampers are women with extensive working experiences that could give them a slight advantage over lessexperienced competition.

  "You absolutely cannot be defensive about why you offramped," Ms. Hoffman says, "defensive" would have put her into a hard situation if the Greater Returns program had not taught her how to describe the years she spent at home. "I now feel confident talking to an employer and saying , ' Yes,I have been out of the work force,but here is where I can make significant contributions.'”

(   ) 5. What is the best title for the passage?

   A. Off-Ramp：It Is Common.

   B. On-Ramp：It Is Easy.

   C. Off-Ramp to On-Ramp：It Can Be a Hard journey.

   D. Off-Ramp or On-Ramp：It Depends on Confidence.

(   ) 6. According to the passage,Greater Returns         .

   A. is intended to relieve the pressure of the jobless women

   B. has all the jobless women restart their career

   C. is to last all the year around for the jobless women

   D. will build up the confidence of those in search of jobs

(   ) 7. The main reason for the women's offramping is that         .

   A. they have to suffer the sexual discrimination

   B. they reach a crossroad of career

   C. they have to parent their children

   D. they have great work pressure

(   ) 8. Which job is easier to get for a woman offramper?

   A. Regular workers. B. Casual workers.

   C. Company managers. D. Bank clerks.

(   ) 9. From what Ms. Hoffman says in the last paragraph,we can conclude         .

   A. she didn't get advice from the Greater Returns program

   B. she was defensive about her offramping

   C. she didn't get the job because she lied about her experience

   D. she is onramp partly due to her straightforward manner

 Shopping for clothes is not the same experience for a man as it is for a woman. A man goes shopping because he needs something. His purpose is settled and decided in advance. He knows what he wants,and his objective is to find it and buy it; the price is a secondary consideration. All men simply walk into a shop and ask the assistant for what they want. If the shop has it in stock,the salesman promptly produces it,and the business of trying it on follows at once. All being well,the deal can be and often is completed in less than five minutes,with hardly any chat and to everyone's satisfaction.

  For a man,slight problems may begin when the shop does not have what he wants,or does not have exactly what he wants. In that case the salesman,as the name implies,tries to sell the customer something else,he offers the nearest he can to the article required. No good salesman brings out such a substitute impolitely;he does so with skill:"I know this jacket is not the style you want,sir,but would you like to try it for size? It happens to be the color you mentioned." Few men have patience with this treatment,and the usual response is：" This is the right color and may be the right size,but I should be wasting my time and yours by trying it on."

  Now how does a woman go about buying clothes? In almost every respect she does so in the opposite way. Her shopping is not often based on need. She has never fully made up her mind what she wants,and she is only" having a look round". She is always open to persuasion;indeed she sets great store by what the saleswoman tells her,even by what companions tell her. She will try on any thinks suits her. Contrary to a lot of jokes,most women have an excellent sense of value when they buy clothes. They are always on the lockout for the unexpected bargain. Faced with a roomful of dresses,a woman may easily spend an hour going from one rail to another,to and from often retracing her steps,before selecting the dresses she wants to try on. It is a laborious process,but apparently an enjoyable one. Most dress shops provide chairs for the waiting husbands.

(   ) 1. The passage mainly talks about         .

   A. how women go about buying clothes

   B. women are better at shopping than men

   C. differences between men and women shoppers

   D. a man goes shopping because he needs something

(   ) 2. The underlined sentence "the price is a secondary consideration" in the first paragraph means when a man is shopping         .

   A. he buys good quality things,so long as they are not too dear

   B. he does not mind how much he has to pay for the right things

   C. he often buy things without giving the matter proper thought

   D. he buys whatever he likes without considering its value (       ) 3. ¹ What does a man do when he cannot get exactly what he wants?

   A. He usually does not buy anything.

   B. So long as the style is right,he buys the thing.

   C. He buys a similar thing because of the color he wants.

   D. At least two of his requirements must be met before he buys.

(   ) 4. What is the most obvious difference between men and women shoppers?

   A. Men go shopping based on need,but women never.

   B. Men do not try clothes on in a shop while women do.

   C. Women bargain for their clothes,but men do not.

   D. The time they take over buying clothes.

 A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. He had wanted a beautiful 1        in a dealer's showroom,and knowing his father could well 2        it,he told him that was all he wanted.

  As Graduation Day came near,the young man expected 3        that his father had bought the gift. 4       on the morning of his graduation,his father called him into his own 5       . His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son,and told him how much he loved him. He 6       his son a beautifully wrapped gift box.

  Curious,and somewhat 7      ,the young man opened the box and found a lovely leather bound Bible,with the young man's name written in gold. Angrily,he 8       his voice to his father,and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" and 9        out of the house.

  Many years passed and the young man was very 10        in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family,but 11       his father was very old,and thought perhaps he should go to see him. 12       he could make arrangements,he received a telegram 13        him his father had passed away and willed all of his 14        to his son. When he arrived at his father's house,sudden sadness and regret 15        his heart. He began to 16        his father's important papers and saw the still new gift―wrapped Bible,just as he had 17        it years ago. With tears,he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully 18 a verse (詩(shī)) ，Matthew7―11 ，"And if you,being evil,know how to give good gifts to your children,how much more shall your Heavenly Father which is in Heaven,give to those who ask Him?"

  As he read those words,a car key 19        from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name,the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the 20        of his graduation,and the words：PAID IN FULL.

(   ) 1. A. computer   B. bike   C. car   D. recorder

(   ) 2. A. pay   B. buy   C. support   D. afford

(   ) 3. A. signs   B. facts   C. marks   D. results

(   ) 4. A. However   B. Finally   C. Quietly   D. Actually

(   ) 5. A. house   B. room   C. study   D. office

(   ) 6. A. provided   B. handed   C. showed   D. supplied

(   ) 7. A. excited   B. nervous   C. interested   D. disappointed

(   ) 8. A. raised   B. changed   C. improved   D. increased

(   ) 9. A. passed   B. went   C. walked   D. stormed

(   ) 10. A. busy   B. successful   C. comfortable   D. happy

(   ) 11. A. remembered   B. realized   C. knew   D. considered

(   ) 12. A. When   B. As   C. After   D. Before

(   ) 13. A. offering   B. announcing   C. telling   D. reporting

(   ) 14. A. treasures   B. possessions   C. clothing   D. houses

(   ) 15. A. filled   B. caught   C. attacked   D. beat

(   ) 16. A. pick up   B. remind of   C. search through   D. refer to

(   ) 17. A. seen   B. got   C. left   D. made

(   ) 18. A. made   B. written   C. underlined   D. designed

(   ) 19. A. dropped   B. appeared   C. rolled   D. showed

(   ) 20. A. year   B. date   C. moment   D. week

  My good friend Will recently asked for some advice dealing with what he calls" The Rush Hour"：... now between4:00 and5:00 has become the Rush Hour for me: how many proposals,quotes,emails,phone calls can you get out before most people head home? That hour never has enough minutes anymore.

  For many the term" Rush Hour" refers to the mad rush to get home from work and relax,but many people deal with Will's version every day. It's the mad rush to finish everything you need to get done so that you can get into your car and battle the other rush hour.

  Doesn't sound like a very productive way to work or loads of fun now,does it? For me,having anything wait until the last minute can be a major stress and I avoid it whenever possible. So,having trouble with "rush hour" yourself? I've got a few tips that might help.

  A threestep approach can keep tasks from stacking (堆積) up in the last hour of the day.

1. Plan your day.

2. Do easy tasks first.

3. Don't procrastinate. Proper Planning Is Key.

  Planning out your day(and your week and your month) can be a real help. If you take a few minutes early in the day to get a handle on what you need to do you can better manage your time and keep tasks from stacking up. Tackle Easy Stuff First.

  Once you've done your planning,do yourself a favor and set aside some time to clear any small stuff off your plate. The things that tend to pile up at the end of days are usually smaller tasks,and there are usually quite a few of them. Knocking things out early on will help you build a productive momentum (推動(dòng)力) for your whole day. The Early Bird Gets The Worm.

  The best way to avoid" rush hour" is to be sure you've finished everything early. Make sure you're getting an early start on all your tasks. I'm a huge fan of the quick start; it really does work.

  You don't even have to make significant progress on your tasks. Sometimes even the smallest effort at the beginning can make a ton of difference in the long run. Just remember,every little bit you can get done early is a bit you won't have to deal with during your"rush hour".

(   ) 5. A good suggestion to dealing with "rush hour" is that         .

   A. you'd better finish all the tasks as early as you can

   B. you'd better get a handle on what you need to do after the task

   C. you'd better get home from work earlier than usual

   D. you'd better come to the difficult jobs first

(   ) 6. Which of the following words has the same meaning as the underlined word "procrastinate"?

   A. Delay. B. Produce. C. Obtain. D. Hurry.

(   ) 7. In which of the following situations the" Rush hour" will come to you more often?

   A. When you make some arrangement before the tasks begin.

   B. When you finish your jobs step by step.

   C. When you manage to solve your problem before the deadline.

   D. When you keep the easier thing halfdone for a long time.

(   ) 8. According to the passage,what does the author probably prefer to do?

   A. To leave everything undone until the last moment.

   B. To battle one rush hour after another.

   C. To finish his task whenever possible.

   D. To have an extra work more frequently.

  A 9-year-old girl fell through the ice of a small pond while ice skating,and her father plunged in trying to save her.

  A few miles away,a12-year-old boy on an allterrain vehicle broke through another frozen pond. "Cody Lechler was pulled from the water and died at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in suburban Milwaukee," officials said.

  "The bodies of the father and daughter,Brian Obbink,44, and Megan were recovered later Friday by a law enforcement dive team,Sheboygan County Sheriffs Sgt."，Doug Tuttle said.

  Megan had been skating on the footballfield size pond in Cedar Grove with her6-year-old sister Friday morning when the ice broke and Megan fell through. When their father tried to save her,he also fell in,Tuttle said. The younger sister ran to a nearby home for help,and someone called911,but it was too late.

  "Rescuers chopped through the ice to search the pond by boat Friday afternoon”，Tuttle said. Snow was falling in the area and the temperature was 22 degrees.

The ice on the pond,about40 miles north of Milwaukee,was less than 3 inches thick.

Neighbor Bill Schreiber said he saw two people running to the pond,one of them in shorts. "I've never seen people on the pond,only guys training their hunting dogs out there," he said.

  "About10 miles northwest of Cedar Grove,in the Town of Lyndon,rescuers pulled a 12-year-old boy from a small pond after he drove a fourwheeler into the pond," Cascade Police Chief Cory Roeseler said.

  The boy had been hunting with an adult neighbor and drove out of the woods ahead of him. The neighbor spot the fourwheeler in the pond,about25 feet from shore and called for help.

  Sheriff s Deputy Jim Opgenorth said the deaths were a reminder that people need to be careful around ice.

  "There is no such thing as safe ice ," he said.

(   ) 1. We can infer from the passage that         .

   A. parents prefer to go skating with their children in winter

   B. it was very cold when the tragedy occured

   C. nobody would offer help when the younger sister ran for help

   D. people often goes hunting together with dogs and bicycles

(   ) 2. According to the passage,which of the following statements is true?

   A. Two sisters and their father died on Friday after falling through the ice in Wisconsin.

   B. It was too late to save the12-year-old boy in hospital after he was pulled from the icy pond.

   C. The father and daughter came into themselves very soon after the falling.

   D. The younger sister called911 for help when she found her father fell in the ice. (   ) 3: While the12-year-old boy was hunting,          .

   A. he was on a fourwheeler driven by a dog

   B. snow might be falling in the area

   C. his partner went ahead of him out of the woods

   D. he heard someone calling for help

(   ) 4. What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?

   A. The thicker ice is,the safer it will be.

   B. Ice is more dangerous than anything else.

   C. It is usually not safe to travel on the ice.

   D. Ice is not the safest thing in the world.

 Bob had been on the road visiting clients for more than three weeks. He couldn't wait to 1        to his wife and kids. Mother's Day is coming,and he 2        tried to make it back home,but this year he was too 3        He had a good idea when he drove by a 4       shop. "I will sepd mom some roses."

He went into the small shop and saw a boy talking to the clerk. "How many 5        can I get for six dollars,madam?" The clerk was trying to 6        that roses were expensive. 7       the young man would be happy with carnations.

  "No，" he said, "my mom was 8        so much last year and I didn't spend much time with her. I want to get something 9      . It has to be red roses,because that's her favorite."

  The clerk just 10        her head. Something inside of Bob was 11        by the boy's voice. He walked up to the clerk and 12        that he would pay for the boy's roses. The clerk told the boy he could give him a dozen red roses for six dollars. With great 13      ,the boy took the flowers and ran away.

  Bob 14       his own flowers and had the clerk be 15        that delivery would include a note telling his mother how much he love her. 16       he drove away from the shop,he saw the boy 17       a cemetery (墓地) and stopped by a small monument. He 18       laid the roses on the grave and began to sob, "Oh Mommy,why didn't I tell you how much I love you? Jesus,please,19       my Mommy. Tell her I love her."

 John turned,tears in his eyes,and walked back to his car. He drove quickly to the flower shop and told her he would take the flowers 20       .

(   ) 1. A. get on   B. get over   C. get back   D. get through

(   ) 2. A. never   B. seldom   C. accidentally   D. always

(   ) 3. A. bored   B. nervous   C. tired   D. disappointed

(   ) 4. A. clothes   B. flower   C. shoe   D. book

(   ) 5. A. presents   B. flowers   C. roses   D. lilies

(   ) 6. A. advise   B. declare   C. insist   D. explain

(   ) 7. A. Maybe   B. Though   C. However   D. Therefore

(   ) 8. A. old   B. unhappy   C. sick   D. tired

(   ) 9. A. expensive   B. valuable   C. rare   D. special

(   ) 10. A. nodded   B. shook   C. moved   D. raised

(   ) 11. A. brought   B. stuck   C. touched   D. met

(   ) 12. A. suggested   B. claimed   C. shouted   D. whispered

(   ) 13. A. worry   B. sadness   C. delight   D. sorrow

(   ) 14. A. took   B. ordered   C. wrapped   D. examined

(   ) 15. A. clear   B. sure   C. possible   D. aware

(   ) 16. A. As   B. Before   C. Once   D. Since

(   ) 17. A. passing   B. leaving   C. entering   D. circling

(   ) 18. A. eagerly   B. surprisingly   C. quickly   D. sadly

(   ) 19. A. show   B. find   C. ask   D. visit

(   ) 20. A. practically   B. quickly   C. secretly   D. personally

  Pope died at her home here at age 61 on Aug. 29,2003. A towel had been placed around her neck to keep her cool on that 87-degree summer day. She wore a white dress while sitting in a chair in an upstairs room,in front of a television that played as family members went about their lives downstairs.

  She remained there,according to her wishes,for almost 2 years. "Don't show my body when Fm dead," Dr. O'dell Owens,said Monday when explaining Pope's wishes. "Don't bury me. I'm coming back."Owens called a news conference Monday to explain Pope's death,the unusual state of her body and how family members controlled heating and air conditioning as they attempted to preserve her remains.

  Cincinnati police found the mummified (木乃伊似的) grandmother Wednesday in her two? story,peachcolored home in the 5,500 block of Davies Place.

  "Living in the 75-year-old house with the body were her daughter,Lisa Pope,a grand?daughter who was born three months after her death,and Pope's caretaker,Kathy Painter," investigators say.

  Family members are not being charged with a crime at this point.

  Efforts to reach them Monday were unsuccessful. No one came to the door at the house or answered repeated telephone calls.

  "Only a handful of loved ones knew Pope had died and that her body remained upstairs ," Owens said.

  "Family members kept a window air conditioner running to keep Pope's body cool―until about a month ago,when it broke," Owens said. Heating vents (通風(fēng)口) were covered during winter. Life continued as Pope had wanted.

  "Friends and relatives who visited were told Pope was upstairs,ill," Owens said. Some yelled "hello" up the stairs. The deception (欺瞞) lasted 2 years.

  "Pope's sister,Deborah Gaston,hadn't seen her sister in years," Owens said. Gaston called Cincinnati police Wednesday and reported a dead body at the home.

  Pope's sister wasn't the first person to call police. A woman from Pope's church called police on Halloween,after hearing thirdhand that Pope was dead inside the home.

  "Police investigated,but they didn't have enough information to go into the house”， Owens said. "The call from Pope's sister was enough,and police found Pope's body dressed in the white gown,seated in the chair and in front of the television,which was turned on ," Owens said.

(   ) 6. We can learn from the passage that         .

   A. the police were sent to the 75-year-old house the time Pope passed away

   B. it was Pope's daughter,Lisa,who killed her in her bedroom

   C. according to Pope's will,her body remained in the house still for a long time

   D. Pope sat in the chair,watching TV for two and half years

(   ) 7. Which of the following description about Owens is right?

   A. Owens explained Pope's death and her wishes as well.

   B. Owens knew Pope had died and that her body remained upstairs two years ago.

   C. Owens helped the family members keep the body cool in the room.

   D. Owens called police and reported a dead body at the home.

(   ) 8. Which word will you use to describe the old woman Pope?

   A. Strange. B. Rich. C. Cruel. D. Successful.

(   ) 9. According to the passage,which of the following is NOT true?

   A. Pope's daughter live in the same building with Pope.

   B. Police reached Pope's families on Monday to find the cause of her death.

   C. Some friends and relatives thought Pope was still alive for a period of time.

   D. Family members tried their best to preserve Pope's remains.

 What sort of life will you be living 39 years from now? Scientists have looked into the future and they can tell you. It looks as if everything will be so easy that people will probably die from boredom. You will be going around in some vehicles at 200 miles an hour and you will think nothing of taking a fortnight's holiday in outer space.

  Your house will probably have air walls,and a floating roof,adjustable to the angle of the sun. Doors will open automatically,and clothing will be put away by remote control. The heating and cooling systems will be built into the furniture. You'll have a home control room― an electronics centre,where messages will be recorded when you're away from home. This will play back when you return,and also give you up-to-the-minute world news,and write down your latest mail. You'll have wail-to-wall global TV,an indoor swimming pool,TV-telephones and room-to-room TV.

  The status symbol of the year 2000 will be the home computer help,which will help mother tend the children,cook the meals and issue reminders of appointments.

Cooking will be in solar ovens with microwave controls. Food won't be very different from 1961,but there will be a few new dishes―instant bread,foodless foods ( minus nutritional properties) ，juice powders and so on.

  At work,dad will operate on a 24-hour week. The office will be airconditioned with pleasant smell and extra oxygen to give a physical and psychological lift. Mail and newspapers will be reproduced instantly anywhere in the world by facsimile (傳真) .There will be machines doing the work of clerks,shorthand writers and translators. Machines will "talk" to each other.

  It will be the age of pressbutton transportation. Rocket belts will increase a man's step to 30 feet,and bustype helicopters will travel along crowded air ways. There will be moving plasticcovered pavements,200 mph. monorail trains operating in all large cities. The family car will be soundless and the engine will be smaller than a typewriter. Cars will travel overland on an 18 inch air cushion. Railways will have one central operator,who will control a whole nation's traffic. Jet trains will be guided by electronic brains.

  By the year 2020,five percent of the world's population will have emigrated into space. Many will have visited the moon and beyond.

Our children will learn from TV,recorders and teaching machines. They will get pills to make them learn faster.

  We shall be healthier,too. There will be no common colds,cancer,tooth decay or mental illness. Rejuvenation (年輕化) will be in the middle stages of research,and people will live healthily,to 85 or 100.

  It's the way they think the world will live in the next century―if there's any world left!

(   ) 1. The passage above is probably written         .

   A. in 2000   B. in the 21st century

   C. in the 1960s   D. a few hundred years ago

(   ) 2. Which of the following does the passage NOT mention?

   A. The computer will be quite widely used.

   B. It is unnecessary for human being to have any food.

   C. People will have a longer life span.

   D. The transportation will make people's life faster.

(   ) 3. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 1 imply?

   A. People will have no interest in traveling in the future.

   B. People may prefer to stay in outer space for a long time in the future.

   C. People will have no idea of something about space.

   D. People can spend their holiday in outer space easily.

(   ) 4. What will the transportation be like?

   A. The air way will be very busy in the future.

   B. The pavements will be decorated by many plastic flowers.

   C. Young soldiers will guide jet trains and helicopters.

   D. There will be no railway in the future at all.

(   ) 5. What can we infer from the passage above?

   A. Not only the people today but also those in the past usually prefer to imagine the people's life in the future.

   B. Only by imagining something in the future,can we make them into reality.

   C. The life in the future will be full of trouble.

   D. It is only the computer that can be a symbol of the future.