Reading practice （1）Passage AImagine a classroom missing the one thing that's long been considered a necessary part to reading and writing ? Paper. No notebooks, no textbooks, no test paper. Nor are there any pencils or pens, which always seem to run out of ink at the critical moment.A "paperless classroom" is what more and more schools are trying to achieve.Students don't do any handwriting in this class. Instead, they use palm (⼿掌) size, or specially-designed computers. The teacher downloads texts from Internet libraries and sends them to every student's personal computer.Having computers also means that students can use the Web. They can look up information on any subject they're studying from maths to social science.High school teacher Judy Herrell in Florida, US, described how her class used the Web to learn about the war in Afganistan (阿富汗) over one year ago."We could touch every side of the country through different sites from the forest to refugee camps (难民营)," she said. "Using a book that's three or four years old is impossible."And exams can go online too. At a high school in Tennessee, US, students take tests on their own computers. The teacher records the grades on the network for everyone to see and then copies them to his own electronic grade book.A paperless classroom is a big step towards reducing the waste of paper. High school teacher Stephanie Sorrell in Kentucky, US, said she used to give about 900 pieces of paper each week to each student."Think about the money and trees we could save with the computers," she said.But, with all this technology, there's always the risk that the machines will break down. So, in case of a power failure or technical problems, paper textbooks are still widely available for these hi-tech students.56. What does the part of the last sentence in the first paragraph, “run out of ink at the criticalmoment”, mean?A. Pens may not write well at the critical moment.B. Pens get lost easily, so you may not find them at the critical moment.C. Pens may have little or no ink at the critical moment.D. Pens use ink, while pencils don't.57. In a paperless classroom, what is a must?A. Pens.B. Computers.C. Information.D. Texts.58. The high school teacher, Judy Herrell, used the example of her class to show that _______.A.the Web could take them everywhereB.the Web taught them a lotC. the Web is a good tool for informationD. the Web, better than the textbooks, can give the latest and comprehensive (全⾯的)information59. The paperless classrooms will benefit ________ the most.A. studentsB. teachersC. treesD. computers60. What does the phrase in the last paragraph, “break down”, mean?A.Break into pieces.B. Stop working.C. Fall down.D. Lose control.Passage BPsychologists take opposing views of how external rewards, from warm praise to cold cash, affect motivation and creativity.Behaviorists, who study the relation between actions and their consequences argue that rewards can improve performance at work and school. Cognitive researchers, who study various aspects of mental life, maintain that rewards often destroy creativity by encouraging dependence on approval and gifts from others.The latter view has gained many supporters, especially among educators. But the careful use of small monetary rewards sparks creativity in grade-school children, suggesting that properly presented inducements indeed aid inventiveness, according to a study in the June Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.“If kids know they’re working for a reward and can focus on a relatively challenging task, they show the most creativity,” says Robert Eisenberger of the University of Delaware in Newark, “But it’s easy to kill creativity by giving rewards for poor performance or creating too much anticipation for rewards.”A teacher who continually draws attention to rewards or who hands out high grades for ordinary achievement ends up with uninspired students, Eisenberger holds. As an example of thelatter point, he notes growing efforts at major universities to tighten grading standards and restore failing grades.In earlier grades, the use of so-called token economies, in which students handle challenging problems and receive performance-based points toward valued reward, shows promise in raising effort and creativity, the Delaware psychologist claims.61.According to the passage, which is true?A. All the researchers think that rewards can improve performance at work and school.B. All the researchers think that rewards often destroy creativity.C. Among the educators they think rewards can destroy creativity.D. Even the careful use of a small money is harmful to the creativity.62.What’s the meaning of “approval”? ________A. Praise.B. Happy.C. Blame.D. Feeling63.According to the passage, which is true?A. It doesn’t matter we give reward to the children according to their performances.B. A reward will help a child increase his creativity.C. In early grades, we can’t give children any rewards.D. It doesn’t matter whether we tighten grading standards at university.Passage CLondon has more than nine million visitors every year. They come and visit some of the most famous places in England: Big Ben, the Tower of London and the River Thames.You can see some of the most interesting places in the city by getting on one of London's tour buses. It has an open roof and let you off at the places you want to visit.Or you can take a ride on the London Eye. This large wheel slowly takes you 135m above the River Thames. From the top you have wonderful views of the whole city.The River Thames is London's main waterway. It has shaped the capital's landscape, history and geography. So one of the best ways of making sense of the city is to take a trip along the river. Much of the riverbank can now be walked along, particularly the south bank.The clock tower of the Houses of Parliament(议会⼤厦), Big Ben, has become one of the main symbols of London. It rises up nearly 100m to a golden point above the clock and a 13-ton bell. The sound of the bell, which you can hear at the beginning of many television and radio programmes, has become well-known throughout the nation.No visit to London is complete without a look at the Tower of London, in the eastern part of the city. After Big Ben, the Tower may be London's most visited tourist spot. It is Europe's oldest palace and prison.Directly south is Tower Bridge, which is more than 100 years old.Among all the palaces in London, Buckingham Palace (⽩⾦汉宫) is the most famous. It has been the main London home of the royal family since Queen Victoria moved there in 1837. You can visit some of the rooms in August and September. And most mornings of the year you can watch the soldiers outside changing the guard.About one hour by train out of London is the town of Windsor. Here you can visit another of the Queen's homes — Windsor Castle(温莎城堡). This wonderful building is Europe's biggest castle. There was a fire in 1992 and many of the rooms were badly burned. But now they are full of beautiful pictures, tables and chairs again.Sight-seeing in London is great, but it can get very tiring. So, the best way to start the day is to fill up on an English breakfast.For starters, have an egg, bacon, sausages(⾹肠), tomatoes, mushrooms, black pudding and fried bread. Then finish off with toast and jam, and a large pot of tea. You can buy an English breakfast in nearly every hotel, and at many restaurants and cafes.An English pub is a good place to stop for lunch and a drink. You can get hot or cold food and try one of England's many ales (淡⾊啤酒).The English also like to have afternoon tea. This is toast and jam, or cake and another pot of tea.Fish and chips are also a traditional English meal. So look out for fish and chip shops in cities as well as by the sea.Or you can sit outside one of the many roadside pubs and cafes in London, and simply watch the busy world go by.64.Which of the following is not suggested as one of the best ways to make sense of London?A. Taking a trip along the Thames.B. Subway.C. Tour buses.D. London Eye.65.According to the story, which place may be London's most visited tourist spot?A. Buckingham Palace.B. The Tower of London.C. Big Ben.D. The River Thames.66．If you go to London in December, you will not be able to __________.A. tour the city along the River Thames.B. visit Windsor CastleC. watch the soldiers outside the Buckingham Palace changing guardsD. tour the Buckingham Palace67．The word "starters" in the last paragraph but four means ________.A. the first course of the mealB. beginnerC. the first timeD. those who haven't had an English breakfastPassage DWith the advent of fast food chains from the West such as McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut, the Chinese are being introduced to a diet that markedly increases the death rate from certain diseases in any population.The main killers in North America, the degenerative diseases such as heart attack and stroke as well as colon cancer, will become a way of death, not death, not life, in this country if the Chinese do not act quickly and compete with these health destroying food chains.Scientific studies from all over the world show that a diet high in animal foods such as pork, beef, including sugar, white flour, white noodles and even white rice, undermines one’s health. Deposits of animal fat cling to the walls of arteries, blocking the blood supply to various organs.This causes diseases in almost every organ, but in particular it damages two of the most vital ones, the heart and brain.Compare these problems with the excellent health one may enjoy if one consumes good Chinese food. The cook goes out every day, procures great-tasting, fresh vegetables, then cooks them for just a few minutes so that their nutritional value is preserved and afterwards serves them in a most artistic and elegant fashion. Please cling to your traditional ways of eating. They are far superior to those of the West.Certainly the fast food chains make lots of money, but who wants to fill the pockets of a foreign food chain that proceeds to ruin the health of the Chinese people?Another reason Western fast food restaurants make money is that the food they serve, which comes from assembly lines, will not attract bugs or spoil easily.How the Chinese could patronize these fast food places when Chinese cook such delectable food, not just in this country but over the entire world, is beyond my comprehension.Western restaurants are clean and tastefully decorated. Moreover, these restaurants also do indeed have “good service and an inviting dining atmosphere”. However, Chinese food chains could do likewise if they would organize themselves as the Western chains do.These lessons in management and décor are the only ones worth learning from the invasion of this country by the Western fast food chains. In other words only imitate the style of the restaurants, not the content of the food or the menus in any way, shape or form.Do not let the desire for money destroy the wonderful tradition that China has established in producing absolutely fantastically tasty as well as healthful food.68. A diet high in animal foods and refined foods will cause diseases, in particular it damages_________.A．the heart and brain B．the walls of arteries C．all organs D．the blood69. The reasons Western fast food restaurants make money are __________.A．assembly lines that will not attract bugs or spoil easilyB．clean and tastefully decoratedC．good service and an inviting dining atmosphereD．above of all70. What will be worth learning from the Western fast food chains? _______A．The content of the food. B．The menus.C．The lessons in management and decoration. D．Shape or form of the food.71. In the passage, the author thinks _________A．Chinese should learn everything from Western fast food restaurants.B．Chinese should say no to Western fast food.C．Western fast food are good.D．Chinese food are bad.Passage ESpecial trees that grow faster, fight pollution, produce better wood, and even sense chemical attacks are being planted by scientists in the US.When 40 per cent of Hawaii's US$14 million-a-year papaya (⽊⽠)industry was destroyed by avirus five years ago, work began on creating genetically engineered trees.Researchers successfully introduced seeds that were designed to resist the virus. Since then, more and more people have been testing genetically engineered trees.Some researchers put special bacteria into trees to help them grow faster and produce better wood. Others are trying to create trees that can clean polluted soil.Meanwhile fruit farmers are looking for trees that are strong enough to resist worms, and paper companies want trees that produce more wood and therefore more paper.The Pentagon(五⾓⼤楼，美国国防部所在地) even gave the researchers US$500,000 this year after they developed a pine tree that changes its colours if it senses a chemical attack.So far, the poplar, eucalyptus(杨树与桉树), apple and coffee trees are among those being engineered. All this is can be done today because we have a better understanding of tree genomes (基因组).However, some people fear that the genetically engineered trees will cause dangerous results. They are worried that the new trees will breed with natural species and change the balance of the forest environment."It could be destructive," said Jim Diamond, an environmentalist. "Trees are what is left of our natural environment and home to many endangered species."But researchers insist that science could give nature a fighting chance against both natural and man-made dangers.They hope to answer the critics by stopping the new trees from breeding, so their effect on the environment can be controlled.72．Which kind of tree is not the ones that scientists are planting in the US?A. Trees that worms can't hurt.B. Trees that can protect themselves at a chemical attack.C. Trees that can resist wind better.D. Genetically engineered trees.73．What caused the American scientists to work on special trees?A. They think science could give nature a fighting chance against both natural and man-made dangers.B. Great numbers of trees have been lost due to attacks by viruses.C. Researchers successfully introduced seeds designed to resist the virus.D. Tree genomes are mapped out so scientists know how to improve trees. 74．Which of the following was probably the first kind of trees being engineered?A. Papaya.B. Pine.C. Apple.D. Poplar.75．Why did critics think engineered trees dangerous? Because _______.A. these trees can destroy the balance of natureB. everything except trees has been genetically engineeredC. trees are home to many endangered speciesD. these trees may affect normal trees【KEY】56-60 CBDCB 61-65 CABBC66-70 DAADC 71-75 BCBAD。
