17．What is the new meaning of “So simple a child can do it” for the author ?

　　　 A．Computers are so easy to operate that even a child can play them well .

　　　 B．A child can always do more complex things than an adult .

　　　 C．It is easier for a child to accept new things than for an adult

　　　 D．A child has greater ability than an adult in operating computers .

16．The best title for the passage would be 　　　　.

　　　 A．Unleashing (释放) the Power of Creativity

　　　 B．The Richest Man Alive

　　　 C．Computer Giant-A Lifelong Goal

　　　 D．Microsoft : Even More Exciting

E

The old advertising slogan “So simple a child can do it” has taken on a new meaning for me . A few weeks ago I got a computer , but I am mechanically illiterate . I knew that children had no fear of the future , so that seemed a good place to seek help . I asked my nephew , twelve years old , at an elementary school , to help me .

My nephew took the machine for granted and has simply accepted the fact that computers are now a way of life . He plays with them and does his homework on them and even creates programs for them . I , on the other hand , am terrified by what this equipment can do . It can interchange paragraphs , switch words around and even correct my spelling . It informs me of its limitations , takes commands and asks questions . It even seems to have a sense of communication . Rather than accusing me of making an error , it prints “One of us has made a mistake !” It never gets tired and is always patient and ready to go when I am .

I think it was somewhat normal for me to be suspicious of computers . They represent a break with some very familiar habits and traditions . It is only human to instinctively avoid anything that shifts thoroughly from the acceptable , comfortable past . But the world is governed by ceaseless change and we must therefore establish links with the present and future as well as the past . Computer technology is an excellent case in point , as the newest systems grow out of date in only a few years , or even months .

This ability to see , experience and accept the new is one of our saving characteristics . To be fearful of tomorrow , to close ourselves to possibilities , to resist the inevitable and to advocate standing still when all else is moving forward , is to lose touch . If we accept the new with joy and wonder , we can move gracefully into each tomorrow . More often than not , the children shall lead us .

15．Which of the following is not mentioned when Bill Gates talks about what it takes to solve the problems worldwide ?

　　　 A．Inventiveness B．Creativity 　　　 C．Willingness 　　 D．Devotion

14．It can be learned from the passage that 　　　　.

　　　 A．Bill Gates set up Microsoft , one of the most famous companies , all by himself .

　　　 B．Bill Gates has already lost his interest in the job he is doing in Microsoft .

　　　 C．Bill Gates foresaw that PCs would change the world , and it turns out that he is right .

　　　 D．Bill Gated doesn’t see much responsibility he has for the world .

13．The underlined word “hooked” can be best replaced by 　　　　.

　　　 A．caught 　　　　　　 B．surprised 　　　　 C．addicted 　　　　 D．frightened

12．It could be inferred from the passage that 　　　　　.

　　　 A．the pill has been developed and will be more and more common

　　　 B．the pill has helped soldiers forget bad experiences during the war .

　　　 C．The pill is being tested on some people by some researchers .

　　　 D．The pill will be forbidden because people have different opinions of it .

D

I’ve always been an optimist and I suppose that is rooted in my belief that the power of creativity and intelligence can make the world a better place .

For as long as I can remember , I’ve loved learning new things and solving problems . So when I sat down at a computer for the first time in seventh grade , I was hooked. It was a clunky old Teletype machine and it could barely do anything compared to the computers we have today . But it changed my life .

When my friend Paul Allen and I started Microsoft 30 years ago , we had a vision of “a computer on every desk and in every home,” which probably sounded a little too optimistic at a time when most computers were the size of refrigerators . But we believed that personal computers would change the world . And they have .

And after 30 years , I’m still as inspired by computers as I was back in seventh grade . I believe that computers are the most incredible tool we can use to feed our curiosity and inventiveness-to help us solve problems that event he smartest people couldn’t solve on their own .

Computers have transformed how we learn , giving kids everywhere a window into all of the world’s knowledge . They’re helping us build communities around the things we care about and to stay close to the people who are important to us , no matter where they are .

Like my friend Warren Buffett , I feel particularly lucky to do something every day that I love to do . He calls it “tap-dancing to work.” My job at Microsoft is as challenging as ever , but what makes me “tap-dance to work’ is when we show people something new , like a computer that can recognize your handwriting or your speech , or one that can store a lifetime’s worth of photos , and they say , “I didn’t know you could do that with a PC!”

But for all the cool things that a person can do with a PC, there are lots of other ways we can put our creativity and intelligence to work to improve our world . There are still far too many people in the world whose most basic needs go unmet . Every years , for example , millions of people die from diseases that are easy to prevent or treat in the developed world .

I believe that my own good fortune brings with it a responsibility to give back to the world . My wife , Melinda , and I have committed to improving health and education in a way that can help as many people as possible .

As a father , I believe that the death of a child in Africa is no less poignant or tragic than the death of a child anywhere else , and that it doesn’t take much to make an immense difference in　 these children’s lives.

I’m still very much an optimist , and I believe that progress on even the world’s toughest problems is possible-and it’s happening every day . We’re seeing new drugs for deadly diseases , new diagnostic tools , and new attention paid to the health problems in the developing world .

I’m excited by the possibilities I see for medicine , for education and , of course , for technology . And　 believe that through our natural inventiveness , creativity and willingness to solve tough problems , we’re going to make some amazing achievements in all these areas in my lifetime .

11．Which of the following is not the opinion of the opponents (反对者)?

　　　 A．Our memories give us our identity .

　　　 B．The memories help humanity avoid mistake of the past .

　　　 C．The drug should be used in only very serious cases .

　　　 D．People may not be sure whether they want to wipe the memories out .

10．Which of the following is not the opinion of the supporters ?

　　　 A．The pill can erase all the memories in the past

　　　 B．Some memories can ruin people’s lives. The pill can relieve emotional suffering .

　　　 C．The pill can also help many other types of people who suffer from terrible memories .

　　　 D．The pill can also prevent or treat troubling memories in soldiers after war

9．The underlined word “it” in paragraph 4 refers to “　　　 　”.

　　　 A．the new drug 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B．the research into the drug

　　　 C．the memory 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．the chemical in the drug 　

8．What’s the main idea of the text ?

　　　 A．People often suffer from bad memories .

　　　 B．American researchers are trying to develop a pill .

　　　 C．Forget bad memories , and be happy .

　　　 D．The research has cause a heated argument .