Life in the twenty-first century
The World Future Society is a group of people from more than 80 countries who are interested in how modern technology is making our world better, and who write reports about how it will change our lives.                                                                                                                                            The things that we will be able to do in the twenty-first century (since the year 2000) should help us live better lives in many ways, at home and at work, in our own country and around the world. Here are just some of them, put into five groups.
People
People may live for up to 120 years and use new technology to help when people go blind, deaf and have other problems. The number of people over a hundred years old could go from 135,000 today to 2.2 million people by 2050. By 2015 people think that 100 million workers will be able to work from home for a company in a different country by using the Internet.
Money
Worldwide e-business will become even more successful with online shops that sell special products for each person, which will be brought to their house the next day.
Environment
The technology for making energy from wind and the Sun is growing very quickly. In the future wind and Sun energy could become much cheaper and many more countries could use it. This would be very useful in poor countries. The air in big cities would also become much cleaner and healthier as a result.
Society and culture
The Internet will help to create more worldwide friendships. Families may spend more time together as people will be able to do 24-hour online banking and shopping.
Technology      
The new science of “nanotechnology” (very small robots or machines) will make all sorts of products smaller and lighter. Very, very small machines could take away rubbish, make things in factories, and help inside the human body by taking away fat. By 2012 people will be able to wear these small machines that look like watches, which will give them lots of information about their body and keep them healthy.
小题1:What does the World Future Society do?

A．Look at how technology will make people happy.

B．Look at how technology will change the world.

C．Make technology work better for themselves.

D．Make small machines to make us healthier.

小题2: How will technology help people?

A．Help all people live for over 120 years.

B．Help disabled people to get jobs.

C．Make people healthier and live longer.

D．Help workers to use the Internet.

小题3:How will people go shopping?

A．In special shops.

B．Using the Internet at certain times.

C．Using the Internet any time of the day.

D．Using nanotechnology.

小题4: How will technology help the environment?

A．Poor countries will have enough energy.

B．Wind energy will be cheaper than Sun energy.

C．We will not need wind and Sun energy.

D．Wind and Sun energy will be cheaper.

小题5:The new science of “nanotechnology” will _______.

A．drive small machines to work for people

B．make good-quality watches

C．allow people to eat more

D．make very small products

Cats are the most popular pets among Americans. So it is not surprising that there are a lot of expressions about cats. Some cats like to catch small birds, like canaries (金丝雀). If someone looks very proud and satisfied with himself, we say “he looks like the cat that ate the canary.”
Sometimes, a cat likes to play with a small animal it catches. So if you “play cat and mouse” with someone, it means that you change between different kinds of behavior when dealing with another person. For example, a girl might offer something sweet to her little brother and then take it away when he reaches for it.
Americans might say that something is “the cat’s miaow” or “the cat’s pajamas(睡衣)” to describe something that is the best or finest. “A copycat” is someone who acts just like someone else or copies another person’s work. “A fat cat” is a person with a lot of money.
If you tell about something that is supposed to be a secret, we say you “let the cat out of the bag”. If you are not able to speak or answer a question, someone might ask you if “the cat has got your tongue(舌头)”
Have you ever watched children in a classroom when their teacher leaves for a few minutes? “When the cat’s away, the mice will play” means people sometimes act badly when there is no supervision (监管).
You may have heard the expression “curiosity killed the cat”. This means caring too much about things that are not your business might cause problems.
If you have ever had cats as pets, you know it is difficult to train them or to get them to do something. Cats are not like Sheep or cows that can be moved in a group. So we say a difficult or impossible job is like “herding (放牧) cats “
小题1:What can we learn from the passage?

A．The expression “a fat cat” is used to describe someone who is very fat.

B．The expression “play cat and mouse” usually means “play tricks on others”.

C．It is more difficult to keep sheep or cows than cats.

D．There are more expressions about cats than those about dogs.

小题2: In which of the following situations do we most probably use the expression “curiosity killed the cat”?

A．Someone always asked a lady her age or weight and it made her angry.

B．Someone promised to keep a secret but he failed to do so.

C．Someone won the first prize in an English singing competition and he felt very excited.

D．Someone tried to swim across the Yangtze River with his newly broken legs.

小题3:Where can you most probably find the passage?

A．In a scientific research paper about cats.

B．On a website telling people how to keep cats.

C．In a magazine telling various jokes and funny stories.

D．In a language book that teaches students how to use American slang.

These days，cars are designed using computers．Let’s look at how a new car is created．
First，several   16  talk about the new car and any good ideas that they have．Then they sit down at their computers and   17  many sketches．The best two or three drawings are chosen and then more detailed drawings of   18  are developed on the computer．You can change the size，shape or color of any part on the computer to see   19  the car would look and then you can choose the best design．
Both the inside and the outside of the car have to be designed．Part of the inside of the car is    20 so that the designers can sit in it．They can feel if there is enough  21 inside and if they can reach  22 ．Then some cars are built-there are more than 15，000 parts of a car to 23 ．
When everything is known to be   24  ，the cars are made in the factory．Again，computers are used to make sure that all the parts are   25  as they are needed．The factory
usually stays open all through the night so that the car production never stops．

小题1:	A．drivers B．designers C．workers D．salesmen

小题2:	A．draw B．order C．type D．enjoy

小题3:	A．bicycles B．trains C．cars D．buses

小题4:	A．how B．if C．what D．that

小题5:	A．covered B．painted C．locked D．built

小题6:	A．metal B．glass C．leather D．room

小题7:	A．nothing B．somebody C．everything D．nobody

小题8:	A．choose B．test C．show D．repair

小题9:	A．safe B．easy C．cheap D．fast

小题10:

A．rare B．electronic C．comfortable D．ready

    What is your favourite colour? Ask famous persons like Cate Blanchett，Searlett Johansson and Bono，and maybe they will say“green．”That’s not because these artists particularly like the colour green．Instead，they are interested in green fashion．
Green fashion is about making(and wearing)clothes that are good for humans，animals，and the Earth．In the past，green fashion made people think of hippies(嬉皮士)and ugly clothes．But today，green fashion is different．It is about looking good and caring about the Earth and other people．You can have interesting clothes and be green．
Around the world，green fashion is becoming popular．For example，the U．K．company
People Tree sells men’s and women’s clothing and accessories(饰品)．They are made from
natural fabrics(织物)like cotton and wool．Workers who make the clothes are from countries like Nepal，Kenya，and Bangladesh．People Tree pays the men and women good money for the clothes they create．
Singer Bono and his wife also started a clothing company called EDUN．When the clothes sell，EDUN uses most of the money to help people around the world．
小题1:According to the passage，what is“green fashion”?

A．Wearing the colour green all the time．

B．Making clothes from green trees．

C．Putting green make-up on your face．

D．Wearing clothes that are good for the Earth．

小题2:In the past，what did people often think of when they heard“green fashion”

A．Dangerous animals．

B．Beautiful women．

C．Colourful accessories．

D．Ugly clothes，

小题3:Which sentence about green clothing companies is true?

A．Most use natural fabrics to make clothes．

B．Many do not pay their workers well．

C．They make clothes mostly for women．

D．Most of the companies are in Africa．

小题4:According to the passage，what does EDUN do?

A．It teaches children to make clothes．

B．It sells clothes and uses the money to help people．

C．It gives clothes to poor people．

D．It makes expensive clothes for teenagers．

A new TV series in England，Away from it all，has surprised everyone by becoming a huge success with young people across the country．Its success is surprising because the series is about the relaxing lifestyles of people who live in the country．There is none of the action that we usually see on TV today．There are also no stressful moments，busy offices or crowded cities．Away from it all is set in the peaceful English countryside and tells simple stories about people’s kindness．  
The director of the TV series says that its success is a sign of teenagers suffering from stress．They say that watching Away from it all helps teenagers forget about the pressures(压力)of exams and homework，and the troubles that fill the world today．They also say that it’s a good sign of today’s young people switching to(转到)happier TV series as it shows they would like a happier and healthier world．
Although the series’success might have a good side，many teachers and parents are worried，however．They say that some of their students and children are becoming couch potatoes(终日泡在电视机前的人)and are using Away from it all as an excuse for not completing homework．Some children have even refused to learn for exams because they say that they can only achieve personal happiness by avoiding(避免)stressful situations completely．
And what do the experts(专家)say? Paula Ray，a doctor of education，says that TV can influence children’s lifestyles．But she says that if a child reacts strongly，it’s likely that there are other reasons for his change in behaviour．She says that there is nothing wrong with watching Away from it all but suggests that parents should make sure their children know TV is not the same as real life，
小题1:The success of the new TV series is surprising because________．

A．it is different from other successful TV series

B．it is the same as other successful TV series

C．it is about the English countryside

D．it is about life in busy offices

小题2:The director of Away from it all believes that the series helps young people deal with______．

A．simple stories

B．stress

C．couch potatoes

D．exams

小题3:The success of the series shows that young people would like________．

A．a world with no homework

B．English TV series

C．relaxing jobs

D．a happier and healthier world

小题4:Who are worried about the effects of the series?

A．Experts and teenagers．

B．Teachers and experts．

C．Teachers and parents．

D．Young people and parents．

When people find something valuable and return it to its owner, they are often given a reward. This is because the person not only found what was lost but also spent time   46  its owner or taking it to the police station.
There was once a young boy   47  found a woman’s purse in a shopping centre. Inside the purse there   48  some money and the woman’s driving license. Her name and   49  were printed on the license, so the boy knew where she lived. That evening he went to her house and   50  her door. When she opened it, he said, “ I found your purse,” and handed it to her.
“Thank you very much,” she said. She opened her purse and took out all the money. She wanted to give the boy a small reward,   51  there were only bills of ＄20 in the purse and she thought that $ 20 was too   52  to give the boy. “ I’m sorry,” she said, “ but I don’t have any small    53  to give you.”
The boy said, “That’s all right,” and he went away.
A few days later he found   54  woman’s purse. It also had her driving license in it, so he knew where she lived. He went to her house and said “ I found your purse,” and handed it to her.
“Thank you very much, “ she said. She opened her purse and took out all her money.
“That’s   55   ” , she said, “ Before I lost my purse I had a $100 bill and a $20 bill in it. Now I have a $100 bill, a $10 bill and two $5 bills.”
“Yes,” the boy said, and smiled.
小题1:A. to find                                    B. finding                       C. find
小题2: A. who                                         B. whose                               C. which
小题3:A. is                                               B. were                                    C. was
小题4:A. e-mail                                       B. address                            C.age
小题5:A.cut down                                        B. knocked on                         C. broke into
小题6:A. so                                             B. but                                         C. or
小题7:A. little                                          B. few                                       C. much
小题8:A. change                                         B. menu                                        C. purse
小题9:A .another                                         B. the other                                 C. other
小题10:A interesting                                    B. exciting                               C. strange

Computer technology has become an important part of people’s life. This technology has its own special words. One well-known computer word is Google. It’s the name of a popular “search engineer(引擎)” for the Internet. People use the search engineer to find information about almost any subject on the Internet. The people who started the company named it Google because in math Google is a very large number----One hundred zeros follow the number one. When you “ Google” a subject, you can get a lot of information about it.
If you Google someone, you might find that person’s name on a blog(博客). A blog is short for a Web log. It’s a personal Web page. Some people write blogs to express their opinions and ideas over the Internet. Some use them to share their lives with faraway friends or family. Others write blogs to help them deal with sickness, money problems or to choose movies to see or books to read. Some people add information to their blogs every day. People who have blogs are called bloggers.
根据短文内容，判断下列句子是否正确
小题1:Google and Blog are two kinds of popular search engineer.
小题2:One can use Google to search the Internet for all information he wants.
小题3:People may use Google to share their opinions or ask others for help.
小题4:Bloggers must add information to their blogs every day.
小题5: From the passage we can infer ( 推断) that computer technology is changing people’s life.

One night, Mary heard some big  36_  noise.  “Doh, Doh, …” It  37  for a few minutes.  Mary went out of her bedroom to search everywhere.  Her parents were sleeping and there were no  38  people in the house.  Mary   39 _ to her bedroom.
Mary heard the noise again.  She thought, “Is it a cat?  Mike has a cat.  But cats miaow.  They don’t make such noise.”
“Maybe it’s a bird   40  around and looking for a place to rest.  No!  That doesn’t make any noise.”
Maybe it’s the whisper of my parents.  They _41  be   42  in their room.  But that noise wasn’t a whisper at all.”
Mary went to bed again but she heard the noise again. She was   43_   and fell  44_   her bed. Her legs were   45_   and she could not climb up any more.

小题1:	A．strongly B．strange C．frightened D．loud

小题2:	A．sounded B．went about C．went on D．went away

小题3:	A．any B．other C．the other D．others

小题4:	A．went B．ran C．returned D．walked

小题5:	A．going B．flying C．jumping D．running

小题6:	A．should B．may not C．must D．mustn’t

小题7:	A．sleep B．talking C．talk D．sleeping

小题8:	A．frightening B．frightened C．amazed D．amazing

小题9:	A．down B．from C．off D．in

小题10:

A．weak B．strong C．sick D．ill

根据短文内容，从各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。
It was two days before Christmas, when my ten-year-old Almie Rose told her father and me that she wanted a new bike.  Her bike was too   16  , and it needed repairing as well.
As Christmas   17  ,  her dream for a bike seemed to disappear, we thought, for she didn’t say it again. We were busy   18  some beautiful story books, a doll house, a holiday dress and toys. Then to our surprise, on December 24, she said she really wanted a bike more than   19  .
Now we didn’t know   20  to do. It was just too late. We were busy with Christmas dinner and packing   21  presents, parents’ presents, a brother’s present and friends’ presents till midnight. So there was   22  time to take to buy the "right hike" for our little girl. Thinking we were parents who would make their child unhappy, we felt sorry and   23  .
Suddenly my husband had an idea. "What about making a little bike with clay (mi) and writing a note that she could trade in (交换) the model bike for a real one?" So he spent the next five hours carefully   24  with clay to make a small bike.
25  Christmas morning, we were so excited for Almie Rose to open the little box with the beautiful red and white clay bike and the note. She opened and read the   26  loudly. She looked at me and said, "So, does this mean I can trade in this bike for a real   27   ?" Smiling, I said, "Yes!" Almie Rose had tears in her eyes when she replied, "I would   28  trade in this beautiful bike   29  Daddy made me. I   30  keep it than get a real bike. This is the best Christmas present I have ever got in my life!"

小题1:	A．new B．old C．beautiful D．modern

小题2:	A．came nearer B．was over C．went by D．passed

小题3:	A．buy B．bought C．to buy D．buying

小题4:	A．something else B．anything else C．else something D．else anything

小题5:	A．what B．how C．why D．where

小题6:	A．children B．children’s C．boy D．girls

小题7:	A．enough B．no C．much D．still a little

小题8:	A．happy B．excited C．sad D．angry

小题9:	A．works B．worked C．working D．to work

小题10:

A．In B．On C．At D．For

小题11:

A．book B．story C．note D．newspaper

小题12:

A．one B．ones C．some D．any

小题13:

A．usually B．certainly C．never D．of course

小题14:

A．who B．those C．what D．that

小题15:

A．am going to B．would like to C．had better D．would rather

Mr. and Mrs. Harris had always spent their summer holidays in a small hotel at the seaside near their hometown. One year, however, Mr.  Harris made a lot of money in his factory, so they decided to go to a foreign country and stay at a really good hotel.
They flew to Paris, and arrived at a 5-star hotel late in the evening. They thought they would have to go to bed hungry, because in that small hotel where they used to stay in the past, no meals were served after seven in the evening. They were surprised to be told that the hotel served dinner until ten.
"Then what are the times of meals?" asked Mrs. Harris.
"Well, Madam, we serve breakfast from seven to eleven, lunch from twelve to three, tea from four to five, and dinner from six to ten."
"But that hardly leaves any time for us to see the city!" said Mrs. Harris.
小题1:Why did Mr. and Mrs. Harris think they would have to go to bed hungry when they arrived at the hotel?

A．Because it’s a 5-star hotel.

B．Because they thought no meals would be served late in the evening.

C．Because they were very tired after the trip.

D．Because they didn’t want to eat anything.

小题2: How long did the service time for lunch last in the hotel?

A．2 hours.

B．4 hours.

C．3 hours .

D．1 hour.

小题3: What did Mrs. Harris think of the times of the meals in the hotel?

A．She thought they would have enough time to see the city.

B．She thought they would have to spend too much time on meals instead of travelling.

C．She thought they would have enough time to have meals.

D．She thought the times were suitable and felt very satisfied.