“Iris scan （虹膜掃描）, please,” the bank’s computer voice tells you. You step up and the computer reads your eye, comparing it to the stored file it has of your iris. The images had better match---otherwise, you won’t be able to get your money.

Iris scanning and other technologies, such as fingerprint and voice scanning, have appeared in many science fiction movies in the past. Today, these advanced technologies are part of the real world. They are common at work, the bank, the airport, and your local prison. The iris scan, fingerprint scan, and voice scan are all examples of biometrics(生物測(cè)定學(xué)), a fast developing area of automatic personal identification technology. Basically, biometrics uses various ways to verify a person’s identity, based on the individual’s unique characteristics, including fingerprints, signature, and so on.

Biometrics identification systems have a number of advantages over password systems. The primary advantage is that an individual has to be physically present in order to be identified. Another important advantage is that there are no passwords to remember, forget, lose, or steal.

The voice scan is the simplest and most affordable form of biometrics. It only requires a computer, a microphone, and the correct software. The software records a subject’s voice and then compares it to a stored voice sample for identification purpose.

For additional safety, fingerprint and handprint scans can also be employed. Fingerprint scans take the image of a fingerprint and compare it to a stored file of prints. Handprint scans identify the unique features of a hand.

1.The first paragraph serves as a(n) ________.

A. example B. explanation

C. comment D. conclusion

2.The underline word “verify” in Paragraph 2 probably means “________”.

A. protect B. confirm

C. develop D. change

3.Which is the most accurate form of biometrics?

A. The voice scan

B. The fingerprint scan

C. The iris scan

D. The facial scan

4.What is the author’s attitude towards the future of biometrics?

A. He is uncertain about it.

B. He feels doubtful about it.

C. He is worried about it.

D. He feels hopeful about it.

5.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A. To explain the importance of identification technology.

B. To discuss the potential of biometrics systems.

C. To introduce the technology of biometrics.

D. To show the advantages of iris scanning.

Directions: Read the following passage, and answer the questions according to the information given in the passage.

Elephants and people are in competition for space. In much of Africa, elephants are now put in national parks. Elephants suffered a serious and steady decrease in number in the 1970s.This was the same time when scientists were beginning to learn a great deal about elephants and their behavior. Studies through the 1980s and into the 1990s showed a lot about their sounds and methods of communication.

In Kenya alone, in the 1970s and 1980s, the elephant population decreased from 170,000 t0 25,000. The sharp drop in number was the result of poachers (偷獵者) illegally killing elephants for their ivory. The price of ivory went up from $ 3 a pound to $ 50 to $ 100 a pound. Africa became very attractive to poachers. Bull elephants carried larger tusks (象牙) , so they were more often killed. With males gone and older females killed by poachers as well, there were many young elephants unable to benefit from the wisdom of the older females and matriarchs, who lead the herds.

Kenya took a stand that international trade in ivory was officially forbidden, and $ 3, 000,000 worth of confiscated (沒(méi)收的) ivory was burned in Kenya. The following year, only 50 elephants were lost to poachers in Kenya instead of 3,000. But Kenya has the fastest growing human population in the world. People throughout Africa won’t tolerate elephants eating their crops and destroying their livelihoods. In South Africa, elephants live behind the fences of national parks. In some parts of Africa, big-game hunters pay a lot of money to hunt elephants. This keeps their numbers down, and the money goes toward conservation. In Kenya, there are some attempts at birth control to keep the elephant population in manageable numbers to reduce conflicts with people.

Faced with a growing human population, elephants are losing the battle for space. It’s unlikely, though, that they will become extinct(絕種的). They will live in natural parks that bring tourists to Africa as well as India and other parts of Asia. The money from tourism will help elephants to survive.

1.What’s the reason for elephant population decrease? ( No more than 8 words)

2.Why were bull elephants at higher risk of being killed? (No more than 6 words)

3.How can we reduce conflicts with elephants? (No more than 9 words)

4.Why is it not likely that elephants will become extinct? (no more than 15 words)

In a TV ad, a happy housewife is polishing her table so shiny that her smiling reflection _____ on it.

A. has seen B. was seen

C. is seen D. has been seeing

Content _____ with the salary offered by the foreign bank, he preferred the chances he could have at the state-owned company.

A. he was though

B. was he though

C. though he was

D. though was he

--- Have they made the final decision?

--- Yes, but it’s _____ likely that they will change their mind again tomorrow.

A. rather than B. less than

C. other than D. more than

Trish Keenan, for ____ life was a discovery, was a great British singer.

A. whose B. whom

C. which D. that

SECTION C （共8小題；每小題 1.5分，滿分12分）

Directions: Complete the following passage by filling in each blank with one word that best fits the context.

In most colleges and universities the examination is used as a chief means of deciding whether a student succeeds or fails in mastering a particular subject. Although it does the job quite efficiently,1.side effects are also enormous.

To begin 2., examinations lower the standards of teaching. Since teachers are often judged 3.examination results, they are reduced to training their students in exam techniques. No subjects can be taught successfully merely through being approached with intent to take examinations. In addition, the most undesirable effect is4. examinations encourage bad study habits. As5. examination score is the only criterion for his academic performance, a student is driven to memorize mechanically rather6. to think creatively.

In fact, few7.us admit that examinations can contribute anything really important to the students’ academic development. If that is the case,8.cannot we make a change and devise something more efficient and reliable than examinations?

SECTION A（共10小題；每小題 1分，滿分10分）

Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in the numbered blanks by using the information from the passage. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

Ready to give up long showers, water parks, and unlimited water gushing（噴涌） out of your taps? A new study says more than three-hundred-thirty-five-million people are faced with water shortage now. The oceans are full, of course. But the liquid—fresh, clean water for drinking and watering crops is in short supply in many parts of the world. Rivers are running low, lakes are shrinking, streams have stopped flowing, and groundwater is being pumped dry. However, the demand for water keeps increasing. So there comes inevitably the water crisis!

What is causing the crisis? Experts say it is a complex combination of climate change and rapid population growth. On the one hand, global climate change threatens to reduce water supplies due to decreased rainfall. On the other hand, population growth is driving explosive demand for water, prompting rivers in thirsty countries to be tapped for nearly every drop and driving governments to pump out so-called fossil water.

Lack of water may result in several problems. It may increase health problems. Lack of water often means drinking waters are not safe. Lack of water may also result in more international conflict. Countries may have to compete for water in the future. Some countries now get sixty percent of their fresh water from other countries. And lack of water would affect the ability of developing to improve their economies. This is because new industries often need a large amount of water when they are beginning.

One partial answer to the world water shortage, at least for countries near the sea, is to build more desalination plants that change seawater into fresh water. Another suggested solution is for water-rich countries, such as Canada, to sell water to countries which are poor in water. A third suggestion is for countries to adopt ways of increasing the freshwater supply, such as teaching farmers in Africa methods to get clean rainwater. And nearly everyone agreed that the amount of water on our planet can’t be changed, but the way we use it can be if more people realized the problem. Last and the most important, public should be aware of saving water to defeat the water crisis.

Title: 1.

I. Present situation:

★ Rivers are 2. .

★ Lakes are shrinking.

★ Streams have stopped flowing.

★ 3. is drying up.

II. 4. :

★ climate change →decreased rainfall → 5. water supplies

★ population growth →rivers 6. and fossil water to be pumped out

III. Consequences:

★ health problems

★7..

★ the affected ability of developing to improve economies

IV. 8. :

★ turning seawater into freshwater

★ water-rich countries selling water to 79. countries

★ exploring methods of getting clean rainwater

★ changing the way people use water

★ arousing 10. of saving water

B

2014 TFK Poetry Contest

Calling all poets! TIME For Kids has a challenge for you：Write a funny, rhyming poem. It must be an original poem that does not copy another poet’s work. Enter it in the TIME For Kids Poetry Contest. As fewer and fewer children are interested in writing poetry of their own, TIME For Kids decides to organize and sponsor such a contest to change the situation.

Contest Rules

1. How to enter: This contest begins 12:01 am on March 6, 2014 and ends 11:59 pm on July 24, 2014. To enter, mail the following information to 1271 Avenue of the Americas, 32nd Floor, New York, New York 10020: (a) an original and previously unpublished poem that is humorous and has a rhyme scheme(韻律); (b) Entrant’s first name only and a parent’s mail address. Limit one entry per person. By entering, Entrant promises that the entry (1) is original, (2) has not been published in any medium and (3) has not won an award.

2. Judging: All entries will be judged by poet Kenn Nesbitt, based on the following criteria: creativity and originality (50％), use of language and rhyme (25％) and appropriateness to the theme of the contest (25％). The length of the entry will not be taken into consideration.

3. Prizes: Our judge will select four semifinalists(半決賽選手)from which one grand-prize winner and three finalists will be chosen. The one grand-prize winner will receive an online class visit from Children’s Poet Kenn Nesbitt and a signed copy of his newest book of poetry, The Armpit of Doom：Funny Poems for Kids, approximately value: $275. The three finalists will each get a signed copy of Nesbitt’s newest book of poetry，The Armpit of Doom: Funny Poems for Kids，and both their poems and that of the grand-prize winner will be published at timeforkids.com.

4. Eligibility(參賽資格)：Open to legal citizens of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are primary school students and are 8 to 13 years old at time of entry．

5. Winner’s list：For names of the winner and finalists，visit timeforkids.com(after August 1, 2014, available for a period of 10 days)．

1.The purpose of the contest is to__________.

A. encourage children to learn from other poets

B. help children realize the dream of poetry writing

C. encourage children’s interest in poetry writing

D. encourage children to read more original poems

2.Which of the following characteristics of a poem is valued most in judging?

A. Being creative and original．

B. Using a proper number of words．

C. Using proper language and rhyme．

D. Being appropriate to the contest theme．

3.What can be known about the finalists of the contest?

A. They will get a great deal of money.

B. Their poems can be read at timeforkids.com.

C. They will receive an online class visit from Nesbitt．

D. Their poems will appear in Nesbitt’s newest book of poetry.

4.According to the contest rules,____________.

A. poems can be sent to the organizers by e-mail

B. all children have the right to take part in the contest

C. the number of poems to enter the contest is not limited

D. the result of the contest will be unknown before August, 2014

第一節(jié) 完形填空（共20小題；每小題1.5分，滿分30分）

閱讀下面短文,從短文后各題所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)(A、 B、C 和 D)中,選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項(xiàng),并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑。

I loved working with my dad, but I hated a summer job he gave me. He owned a small in Bank Street. In his shop, the most recently person got the worst job, and the boss’ son was also .

I didn’t want to spend hours the frost on the ceiling of the walk-in freezer, and it was the Saturday afternoon’s job that I hated most. We received fresh every day. Chicken sat in wooden boxes and was with crushed ice. During the week, the ice and the blood of the chicken slowly leaked into the container the chicken, creating its bloody smell.

There was only one to get rid of the blood and wash the container: hold my and carefully slide the container from under the chicken, as I tried not to the contents over my clothes, and then into the drain(下水道).

Soon, students who have cut lawns, painted houses, worked in offices, maybe even worked in the butcher’s will to school. Some will have great memories others will come back with ones.

Looking back, I think my father could have me from my weekly hell. However, my dad, who’d dropped out of school to help support his family after his father died, was a teacher for me . He knew treating me from his other employees would be an unfair thing. Most importantly, he taught me to those who do the hard and tasks in life.

For the next six summers, I returned not as the boss’ son, but as one of other guys, and I cleaned the dirty container every Saturday afternoon.

1.A . grocery B. butcher’s C. chain D. book

2.A. hired B. invited C. received D. trained

3.A. interested B. included C. affected D. offered

4.A. looking into B. tearing up C. cleaning up D. carrying on

5.A. fruit B. vegetable C. chicken D. grain

6.A. surrounded B. impressed C. accompanied D. cooked

7.A. above B. beside C. below D. under

8.A. chance B. way C. place D. reason

9.A. arm B. nose C. breath D. head

10.A. touch B. notice C. find D. splash

11.A. break B. divide C. empty D. allow

12.A. and B. so C. but D. or

13.A. adapt B. go C. return D. apply

14.A. while B. when C. since D. because

15.A. exciting B. good C. amazing D. unpleasant

16.A. forced B. spared C. treated D. pushed

17.A. at heart B. in fact C. in case D. at home

18.A. kindly B. carefully C. differently D. warmly

19.A. witness B. appreciate C. hurt D. influence

20.A. vital B. dirty C. easy D. funny