短信预约提醒成功
No one knows how man learned to make words. Perhaps he began by making sounds like
those made by animals. Perhaps he granted like a pig when he lifted something heavy. Perhaps he made sounds like those he heard all round him water splashing, bees humming, a stone falling to the ground. Somehow he learned to make words. As the centuries went by, he made more and more new words. This is what we mean by language.
People living in different countries made different kinds of words. Today there are about fif-teen hundred different languages in the world. Each contains many thousands of words. A very large English dictionary, for example, contains four or five hundred thousand words. But we do not need all these. Only a few thousand words are used in everyday life.
The words you know are called your vocabulary. You should try to make your vocabulary big-ger. Read as many books as you can. There are plenty of books written in easy English for you toread. You will enjoy them. When you meet a new word, find it in your dictionary. Your dictiona-ry is your most useful book.
11. From this passage, we know that__________.
A. man never made sounds
B. man made animal sounds
C. man used to be like animals to make sounds
D. man learned from the animals to make sounds
答案：C
12. The number of different languages spoken is about__________.
A. 150
B. 1,500
C. 5,000
D. 4.,000
答案：B
13. People from different countries__________.
A. made same words
B. made different kinds of words
C. had a same language
D. used some sounds
答案：B
14. Man __________ to make sounds.
A. used words
B. followed many things in nature
C. lifted heavy things
D. grunted like a pig
答案：B
15. You can enlarge your vocabulary by
A. reading more books
B. finding new words in dictionaries
C. writing more
D. using the words in everyday life
答案：A
"High tech" and "state of the art" are two expressions that describe the modem technology.
High tech is just a shorter way of saying high technology. And high technology describes any in-vention, system of device that uses the newest ideas or discoveries of science and engineering.
What is high tech? A computer is high tech. So is a communications satellite. A modem manufac-turing (生产) system is surely high tech. High tech became a popular expression in the United States during the early 1955' s. Because of improvements in technology, people could buy many new kinds of products in American stores, such as home computers, microwave ovens, etc.
"State of the art" is something that is as modem as possible. It is a product that is based on the very latest methods and technology. Something that is "state of the art" is the newest possible design or product of a business or industry. A state of the art television set, for example, uses the most modem electronic design and parts. It is the best that one can buy.
"Stare- of the art" is not a new expression. Engineers have used it for years, to describe the best and most modem way of doing something. Millions of Americans began to use the expression in the late 1970' s. The reason was the computer revolution. Every computer company claimed that its computers were "state of the art".
Computer technology changed so fast that a state of the art computer today might be old to-morrow. The expression "state of the art" became as common and popular as computers them-selves. Now all kinds of products are said to be "state of the art".
16. What is the purpose of the passage?
A. To tell how "high tech" and "state of the art" have developed.
B. To give examples of "high tech".
C. To tell what "high tech" and "state of the art " are.
D. To describe very modem technology.
答案：C
17. What can we infer from the passage?
A. American stores could provide new kinds of products to people.
B. High tech describes a technology that is not traditional.
C. "State of the art" is not as popular as "high tech".
D. A modern plough pulled by oxen is "state of the art".
答案：A
18. All the following examples are high tech except__________.
A. a microwave oven
B. a home computer
C. a hand pump
D. a satellite
答案：C
19. Which of the following statements is not tree?
A. Since the computer revolution, the expression "state of the art" has become popular.
B. "State of the art" means something that is the best one can buy.
C. With the rapid development of computer, "state of the art" computer may easily become out of date.
D. All kinds of products are "state of the art" nowadays.
答案：D
20. The best title for the passage is__________.
A. Computer Technology
B. High Tech and State of the Art
C. Most Advanced Technology
D. Two New Expressions
答案：B
As any middle-class parent knows, unpaid work experience can give youngsters a valuable in-troduction to a secure job. The government has recognized it too, abandoning rules in 2011 that had formerly stopped 16 to 24-year-olds from doing unpaid work while claiming unemployment benefit. But moving from that to forcing them to work without pay in order to collect these benefits has proved a big step.
More than one million young people in Britain are unemployed, the highest number since the mid-1955s. Keen both to cut the welfare bill and to avoid the depressed future wages that may re-sult from early unemployment, the government has introduced an ambitious program of reform to get youngsters off welfare and into work. A key part of it is ensuring that no one gets benefit from the government for long; ministers are keen to avoid what happened after the early-1955s recession( 衰退), when unemployment continued in some parts of the country for a long time after the econ-omy began to improve.
To help young people into work, ministers had persuaded lots of employers, including bakery chains, bookshops and supermarkets, to take on unemployed youths, who receive work experience but no pay, with the prospect of a proper job for those who shine. Some 35,000 youngsters par-ticipated last year; half found paid work soon after finishing the scheme.
The idea of getting young adults used to showing up for work is popular with voters: accord-ing to a survey published in February, about 60% of people support the program. Equally attrac-tive was the option of compelling them to work: Under the existing arrangements youngsters could choose whether or not to accept a place, but if they dropped out after the end of the first week,they stood to lose up to two weeks' benefits.
Yet the scheme has also polarized(两极分化的) opinion: a third of people are consistently opposed. Following a noisy "Right to Work" campaign that accused employers of co-operating se-cretly with the government in "forced labor", several firms dropped out of the program. To pre-vent this from getting worse, Chris Grayling, an employment minister, admitted that young people could leave their work experience at any time without being punished for doing so. This not only halted the flight of employers ( for now, at least) but also enabled him to announce that new firms have agreed to take part in the program.
21. According to the passage, young people in Britain__________.
A. are used to showing up for work
B. value unpaid work very much
C. are always opposed to unpaid work
D. could learn something about job security through unpaid work
答案：D
22. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT TRUE?
A. Most voters support the government' s effort to help young people to work.
B. Some people protest against the government' s attempt to force young people to work.
C. There are more than one million young people who took part in the program.
D. There are more than one million young people who are jobless.
答案：C
23. According to the author, the British government is trying to__________.
A. punish young people if they are not cooperating with it
B. reform the unemployed youngsters
C. avoid the economic slowdown
D. reduce welfare spending
答案：D
24. The word "shine" in Paragraph 3 means__________.
A. do well
B. reflect light
C. look happy
D. produce light
答案：A
25. Which of the following is an appropriate title for this passage?
A. Enjoy Work Without Pay
B. Can Work, Won' t Work
C. Should Work, Shouldn' t Play
D. Hate Work or Love Work
答案：A
A lawyer friend of mine has devoted herself to the service of humanity. Her special area is called "public interest law".
Many other lawyers represent only clients who can pay high fees. All lawyers have had expen-sive and highly specialized training, and they work long, difficult hours for the money they earn.
But what happens to people who need legal help and cannot afford to pay these lawyers' fees?
Public interest lawyers fall this need. Lisa, like other public interest lawyers, earns a salary much below what some lawyers can earn. Because she is willing to take less money, her clients need the help, even if they can pay nothing at all.
Some clients need legal help because stores have cheated them with faulty merchandise.
Others are in unsafe apartments, or are threatened with eviction (驱逐，赶出 ) and have no place to go to. Their cases are called "civil" cases. Still others are accused of criminal acts, and seeking those public interest lawyers who handle "criminal" cases. These are just a few of the many situations in which men and women who are public interest lawyers serve to extend justice throughout our society.
26. A person who needs and uses legal help is called a__________.
A. lawyer
B. client
C. tenant
D. case worker
答案：B
27. Public interest lawyers serve__________.
A. only stores and landlords
B. criminals only
C. people who can pay high fees
D. people who can pay little or nothing
答案：D
28. If only the rich could be helped by lawyers, the justice system would be__________.
A. undemocratic
B. fair and reasonable
C. modem
D. in need of no changes
答案：A
29. Public interest law includes__________.
A. civil cases only
B. criminal cases only
C. criminal and civil cases
D. wealthy clients' cases
答案：C
30. Which of the following is not a matter for civil case?
A. A tenant is faced with eviction.
B. A landlord refuses to fix a dangerous staircase.
C. A burglar is arrested.
D. A store sells a faulty radio.
答案：C