Research has shown that two-thirds of human conversation is taken up not with discussion of the cultural or political problems of the day, not heated debates about films we've just watched or books we've just finished reading, but plain and simple ____.
Language is our greatest treasure as a species, and what do we ____ do with it? We gossip. About others' behaviour and private lives, such as who's doing what with whom, who's in and who's out-and why; how to deal with difficult ____ situations involving children, lovers, and colleagues.
So why are we keen on gossiping? Are we just natural ____, of both time and words? Or do we talk a lot about nothing in particular simply to avoid facing up to the really important issues of life? It's not the case according to Professor Robin Dunbar. In fact, in his latest book, Grooming, Gossip and the Evolution of Language, the psychologist says gossip is one of these really____issues.
Dunbar ____ the traditional view that language was developed by the men at the early stage of social development in order to organize their manly hunting activities more effectively, or even to promote the exchange of poetic stories about their origins and the supernatural. Instead he suggests that language evolved among women. We don't spend two-thirds of our time gossiping just because we can talk, argues Dunbar—____, he goes on to say, language evolved specifically to allow us to gossip.
Dunbar arrived at his cheery theory by studying the ____ of the higher primates（靈長(zhǎng)類動(dòng)物）like monkeys. By means of grooming--cleaning the fur by brushing it, monkeys form groups with other individuals on whom they can rely for support in the event of some kind of conflict within the group or____ from outside it.
As we human beings evolve from a particular branch of the primate family, Dunbar ____ that at one time in our history we did much the same. Grouping together made sense because the bigger the group, the greater the ____ it provided; on the other hand, the bigger the group, the greater the stresses of living close to others. Grooming helped to ____ the pressure and calm everybody down.
But as the groups got bigger and bigger, the amount of time spent in grooming activities also had to be ____ to maintain its effectiveness. Clearly, a more ____ kind of grooming was needed, and thus language evolved as a kind of vocal（有聲的）grooming which allowed humans to develop relationship with ever-larger groups by exchanging information over a wider network of individuals than would be possible by one-to-one ____ contact.

小題1:	A．claim B．description C．gossip D．language

小題2:	A．occasionally B．habitually C．independently D．originally

小題3:	A．social B．political C．historical D．cultural

小題4:	A．a(chǎn)dmirers B．masters C．users D．wasters

小題5:	A．vital B．sensitive C．ideal D．difficult

小題6:	A．confirms B．rejects C．outlines D．broadens

小題7:	A．for instance B．in addition C．on the contrary D．a(chǎn)s a result

小題8:	A．motivation B．a(chǎn)ppearance C．emotion D．behaviour

小題9:	A．a(chǎn)ttack B．contact C．inspection D．a(chǎn)ssistance

小題10:

A．recalls B．denies C．concludes D．confesses

小題11:

A．prospect B．responsibility C．leadership D．protection

小題12:

A．measure B．show C．maintain D．ease

小題13:

A．saved B．extended C．consumed D．gained

小題14:

A．common B．efficient C．scientific D．Thoughtful

小題15:

A．indirect B．daily C．physical D．secret

If you could be anybody in the world, who would it be? Your neighbour or a super star? A few people have experienced what it might be like to step into the skin of another person, thanks to an unusual virtual reality（虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)）device. Rikke Wahl, an actress, model and artist, was one of the participants in a body swapping experiment at the Be Another lab, a project developed by a group of artists based in Barcelona. She swapped with her partner, an actor, using a machine called The Machine to Be Another and temporarily became a man. "As I looked down, I saw my whole body as a man, dressed in my partner's pants," she said. "That's the picture I remember best."
The set-up is relatively simple. Both users wear a virtual reality headset with a camera on the top. The video from each camera is sent to the other person, so what you see is the exact view of your partner. If she moves her arm, you see it. If you move your arm, she sees it.
To get used to seeing another person's body without actually having control of it, participants start by raising their arms and legs very slowly, so that the other can follow along. Eventually, this kind of slow synchronised（同步的）movement becomes comfortable, and participants really start to feel as though they are living in another person's body.
Using such technology promises to alter people's behaviour afterwards-potentially for the better. Studies have shown that virtual reality can be effective in fighting racism-the bias（偏見(jiàn)）that humans have against those who don't look or sound like them. Researchers at the University of Barcelona gave people a questionnaire called the Implicit Association Test, which measures the strength of people's associations between, for instance, black people and adjectives such as good, bad, athletic or awkward. Then they asked them to control the body of a dark skinned digital character using virtual reality glasses, before taking the test again. This time, the participants' bias scores were lower. The idea is that once you've "put yourself in another's shoes" you're less likely to think ill of them, because your brain has internalised the feeling of being that person.
The creators of The Machine to Be Another hope to achieve a similar result. "At the end of body swapping, people feel like holding each other in their arms," says Arthur Pointeau, a programmer with the project. "It's a really nice way to have this kind of experience. I would really, really recommend it to everyone."
小題1:The word "swapping" (paragraph 1) is closest in meaning to______.

A．building

B．exchanging

C．controlling

D．transplanting

小題2:We can infer from the experiment at the Be Another lab that______.

A．our feelings are related to our bodily experience

B．we can learn to take control of other people's bodies

C．participants will live more passionately after the experiment

D．The Machine to Be Another can help people change their sexes

小題3:In the Implicit Association Test, before the participants used virtual reality glasses to control a dark skinned digital character, ______.

A．they fought strongly against racism

B．they scored lower on the test for racism

C．they changed their behaviour dramatically

D．they were more biased against those unlike them

小題4:It can be concluded from the passage that______.

A．technology helps people realize their dreams

B．our biases could be eliminated through experiments

C．virtual reality helps promote understanding among people

D．our points of view about others need changing constantly

A world-famous Canadian author, Margaret Atwood, has created the world’s first long-distance signing device(裝置), the LongPen.
After many tiring……from city to city, Atwood thought there must be a better way to do them . She hired some technical experts and started her own company in 2004. Together they designed the LongPen. Here’s how it works: The author writes a personal message and signature on a computer tablet(手寫(xiě)板) using a special pen. On the receiving end, in another city, a robotic arm fitted with a regular pen signs the book. The author and fan can talk with each other via webcams(網(wǎng)絡(luò)攝像機(jī)) and computer screens。
Work on the LongPen began in Atwood’s basement(地下室). At first, they had no idea it would be as hard as it turned out to be. The device went through several versions, including one that actually had smoke coming out of it. The investing finally completed, teat runs w ere made in Ottawa, and the LongPen was officially launched at the 2006 London Book Fair. From here , Atwood conducted two transatlantic book signings of her latest book for fans in Toronto and New York City.
The LongPen produces a unique signature each time because it copies the movement of the author in real time. It has several other potential applications. It could increase credit card security and allow people to sign contracts from another province. The video exchange between signer and receiver can be recorded on DVD for proof when legal documents are used.
“It’s really fun”, said the owner of a bookstore, who was present for one of the test runs. “Obviously you can’t shake hands with the author but there are chances for a connection that you don’t get from a regular book signing..
The response to the invention has not been all favorable. Atwood has received criticism from authors who think she is trying to end book tours. But she said, “It will be possible to go to places that you never got sent to before because the publishers couldn’t  afford it.”
小題1:Why did Atwood decide to invent the LongPen?
A. To set up her own company
B. To win herself greater popularity
C. To write her books in a new way
C. To make book signings less tiring
小題2:How does the LongPen work?

A．I copies the author’s signature and prints it on a book.

B．It signs a book while receiving the author’s signature.

C．The webcam sends the author’s signature to another city.

D．The fan uses it to copy the author’s signature himself.

小題3:What do we know about the invention of the LongPen?

A．It has been completed but not put into use.

B．The basement caught fire by accident.

C．Some versions failed before its test run.

D．The designers were well-prepared for the difficulty.

小題4:How could the LongPen be used in the future?

A．To draft legal documents.

B．To improve credit card security

C．To keep a record of the author’s ideas.

D．To allow author and fan to exchange videos

小題5:What could be inferred from Paragraphs 5 and 6?

A．Atwood doesn’t mean to end book tours.

B．Critics think the LongPen is of little use

C．Bookstore owners do not support the LongPen

D．Publishers dislike the LongPen for its high cost

Passenger pigeons（旅鴿）once flew over much of the United States in unbelievable numbers. Written accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries described flocks（群）so large that they darkened the sky for hours.
It was calculated that when its population reach its highest point, there were more than 3 billion passenger pigeons – a number equal to 24 to 40 percent of the total bird population in the United States, making it perhaps the most abundant birds in the world. Even as late as 1870 when their numbers had already become smaller, a flock believed to be 1 mile wide and 320 miles (about 515 kilometers) long was seen near Cincinnati.
Sadly, the abundance of passenger pigeons may have been their undoing. Where the birds were abundant, people believed there was an ever-lasting supply and killed them by the thousands. Commercial hunters attracted them to small clearings with grain, waited until pigeons had settled to feed, then threw large nets over them, taking hundreds at a time. The birds were shipped to large cities and sold in restaurants.
By the closing decades of the 19^th century, the hardwood forests where passenger pigeons nested had been damaged by Americans’ need for wood, which scattered（驅(qū)散）the flocks and forced the birds to go farther north, where cold temperatures and spring storms contributed to their decline. Soon the great flocks were gone, never to be seen again.
In 1897, the state of Michigan passed a law prohibiting the killing of passenger pigeons, but by then, no sizable flocks had been seen in the state for 10 years. The last confirmed wild pigeon in the United States was shot by a boy in Pike County, Ohio, in 1900. For a time, a few birds survived under human care. The last of them, known affectionately as Martha, died at the Cincinnati Zoological Garden in September 1, 1914.
小題1:In the 18^th and early 19^th centuries, passenger pigeons _______.

A．were the biggest bird in the world

B．lived mainly in the south of America

C．did great harm to the natural environment

D．Were the largest population in the US

小題2:The underlined word “undoing” probably refers to the pigeons’ _______.

A．escape

B．ruin

C．liberation

D．evolution

小題3:What was the main reason for people to kill passenger pigeons?

A．To seek pleasure.	B．To save other birds.
C．To make money.	D．To protect crops.

小題4:What can we infer about the law passed in Michigan?

A．It was ignored by the public.	B．It was declared too late.
C．It was unfair.	D．It was strict.

Last summer, two nineteenth-century cottages were rescued from remote farm fields in Montana, to be moved to an Art Deco building in San Francisco. The houses were made of wood. These cottages once housed early settlers as they worked the dry Montana soil; now they hold Twitter engineers.
The cottages could be an example of the industry’ s odd love affair with “l(fā)ow technology,” a concept associated with the natural world, and with old-school craftsmanship (手藝) that exists long before the Internet era. Low technology is not virtual (虛擬的) —so, to take advantage of it, Internet companies have had to get creative. The rescued wood cottages, fitted by hand in the late eighteen-hundreds, are an obvious example, but Twitter’s designs lie on the extreme end. Other companies are using a broader interpretation (闡釋) of low technology that focuses on nature.
Amazon is building three glass spheres filled with trees, so that employees can “work and socialize in a more natural, park-like setting.” At Google’s office, an entire floor is carpeted in glass. Facebook’s second Menlo Park campus will have a rooftop park with a walking trail.
Olle Lundberg, the founder of Lundberg Design, has worked with many tech companies over the years. “We have lost the connection to the maker in our lives, and our tech engineers are the ones who feel impoverished (貧乏的) , because they’re surrounded by the digital world,” he says. “They’re looking for a way to regain their individual identity, and we’ve found that introducing real crafts is one way to do that.”
This craft based theory is rooted in history, William Morris, the English artist and writer, turned back to pre-industrial arts in the eighteen-sixties, just after the Industrial Revolution. The Arts and Crafts movement defined itself against machines. “Without creative human occupation, people became disconnected from life,” Morris said.
Research has shown that natural environments can restore(恢復(fù)) our mental capacities. In Japan, patients are encouraged to “forest-bathe,” taking walks through woods to lower their blood pressure.
These health benefits apply to the workplace as well. Rachel Kaplvin, a professor of environmental psychology, has spent years researching the restorative effects of natural environment. Her research found that workers with access to nature at the office—even simple views of trees and flowers—felt their jobs were less stressful and more satisfying. If low-tech offices can potentially nourish the brains and improve the mental health of employees then, fine, bring on the cottages.
小題1:The writer mentions the two nineteenth-century cottages to show that ________.

A．Twitter is having a hard time

B．old cottages are in need of protection

C．early settlers once suffered from a dry climate in Montana

D．Internet companies have rediscovered the benefits of low technology

小題2:Low technology is regarded as something that _______.

A．is related to nature	B．is out of date today
C．consumes too much energy	D．exists in the virtual world

小題3:The main idea of Paragraph 5 is that human beings ________.

A．have destroyed many pre-industrial arts

B．have a tradition of valuing arts and crafts

C．can become intelligent by learning history

D．can regain their individual identity by using machines

小題4:The writer’s attitude to “l(fā)ow technology” can best be described as ________.

A．positive

B．defensive

C．cautious

D．doubtful

小題5:What might be the best title for the passage?

A．Past Glories, Future Dreams

B．The Virtual World, the Real Challenge

C．High-tech Companies, Low-tech Offices

D．The More Craftsmanship, the Less Creativity

The idea of being able to walk on water has long interested humans greatly. Sadly, biological facts prevent us ever accomplishing such a thing without artificial aid --- we simply weigh too much, and all our mass pushes down through our relatively small feet, resulting in a lot of pressure that makes us sink.
However, several types of animals can walk on water. One of the most interesting is the common basilisk Basilicus basilicus, a lizard（蜥蜴）native to Central and South America. It can run across water for a distance of several meters, avoiding getting wet by rapidly hitting the water’s surface with its feet. The lizard will take as many as 20 steps per second to keep moving forward. For humans to do this, we’ll need huge feet that we could bring up to our ears in order to create adequate “hitting.”
But fortunately there is an alternative: cornflour. By adding enough of this common thickening agent to water (and it does take a lot), you can create a “non-Newtonian” liquid that doesn’t behave like normal water. Now if the surface of the water is hit hard enough, particles（粒子）in the water group together for a moment to make the surface hard. Move quickly enough and put enough force into each step, and you really can walk across the surface of an adequately thick liquid of cornflour.
Fun though all this may sound, it’s still rather messy and better read about in theory than carried out in practice. If you must do it, then keep the water wings handy in case you start to sink --- and take a shower afterward!
小題1:Walking on water hasn’t become a reality mainly because humans _______.

A．a(chǎn)re not interested in it

B．have biological limitations

C．have not invented proper tools

D．a(chǎn)re afraid to make an attempt

小題2:What do we know about Basilicus basilicas from the passage?

A．It is light enough to walk on water.

B．Its huge feet enable it to stay above water.

C．It can run across water at a certain speed

D．Its unique skin keeps it from getting wet in water

小題3:What is the function of the cornflour according to the passage?

A．To create a thick liquid.

B．To turn the water into solid.

C．To help the liquid behave normally.

D．To enable the water to move rapidly.

小題4:What is the author’s attitude toward the idea of human’s walking on water?

A．It is risky but beneficial.

B．It is interesting and worth trying

C．It is crazy and cannot become a reality

D．It is impractical; though theoretically possible

It’s generally believed that people act the way they do because of their personalities and attitudes. They recycle their garbage because they care about the environment. They pay $5 for a caramel brulee latte because they like expensive coffee drinks.
It’s undeniable that behavior comes from our inner dispositions（性情）, but in many instances we also draw inferences about who we are, as suggested by the social psychologist Daryl Bern, by observing our own behavior. We can be strangers to ourselves. If we knew our own minds, why should we need to guess what our preferences are from our behavior? If our minds were an open book, we would know exactly how much we care about the environment or like lattes. Actually, we often need to look to our behavior to figure out who we are.
Moreover, we don’t just use our behavior to learn about our particular types of character --- we infer characters that weren’t there before. Our behavior is often shaped by little pressures around us, which we fail to recognize. Maybe we recycle because our wives and neighbors would disapprove if we didn’t. Maybe we buy lattes in order to impress the people around us. We should not mistakenly believe that we always behave as a result of some inner disposition.
Whatever pressures there can be or inferences one can make, people become what they do, though it may not be in compliance（符合）with their true desires. Therefore, we should all bear in mind Kurt Vonnegut’s advice: “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.”
小題1:According to the passage, personalities and attitudes are commonly believed to _______.

A．determine one’s behavior	B．reflect one’s taste
C．influence one’s surroundings	D．result from one’s habits

小題2:Which of the following would Daryl Bern most probably agree with?

A．The return of a wallet can indicate one’s honesty.

B．A kind person will offer his seat to the old.

C．One recycles plastics to protect the environment.

D．One buys latte out of love of coffee.

小題3:What can be inferred from the underlined sentence in the passage?

A．We fail to realize our inner dispositions.

B．We can be influenced by outside pressures.

C．Our behavior is the result of our true desires.

D．Our characters can shape our social relationships.

小題4:What does the author mainly discusses in the passage?

A．Personalities and attitudes.	B．Preferences and habits.
C．Behavior and personalities.	D．Attitudes and preferences.

What do you use to get around town? A car? A bike? Your feet ? perhaps you should try a segway!
The Segway is perfect for short journeys. It’s an electric vehicle that consists of a platform between two wheels, with a pole that connects the platform to the handlebars. To ride it , you step up onto the platform, and control the Segway by moving your body. Lean forwards to go faster, and back-wards to slow down.
On older models, direction was controlled by a twist grip（扭轉(zhuǎn)把手）on the left handlebar. This varies the speeds between the two motors, and a decrease in the speed of the left wheel would turn the Segway to the left . With newer models you simply lean to the left or right. Meanwhile, a gyroscope （陀螺儀）detects your movements and prevents the machine from falling over. The Segway has a maximum speed of 19 km per hour and a range of about 38 km. after that, you need to plug it and recharge the battery.
Segways are used for a variety of purposes. People with mobility problems can now enjoy walks in the country with their friends and family. Some golfers see them as an alternative to the golf cart . And dog owners now have an easier way to take the dog to the park. A few police forces use Segways, too. They allow officers to move quickly while maintaining contact with the public. They’re also becoming a common sight on airport . However, the most popular use is in tourism , particularly for city tours . Visit any major tourist city in summer, sit outside a cafe for a while and there’s a good chance you’ll see a group of tourists passing on Segways.
小題1:How do you turn to the left on a Segway of the new model?

A．Lean to the left	B．Adjust the twist grip
C．Press the left bar	D．Control the gyroscope

小題2:How far can you travel on a Segway at most?

A．Less than 19 km	B．About 19 km
C．About 38 km	D．Over 45 km

小題3:The Segway is most commonly used by       .

A．families	B．golfers
C．police	D．tourists

小題4:Which of the following correctly shows the order in which information about the Segway is provided?

A．Introduction→Ways of application→ structure→Principle of operation

B．Introduction→ Principle of operation→Structure →Ways of application

C．Introduction → Structure → Principle of operation →ways of application

D．Structure→ Introduction→Principle of operation→Ways of application

小題5:Which of the following pictures shows the Segways being used?

Chinese International School
Application Form
Before an applicant can be invited to take part in an assessment, an application form should be returned to the Admissions Office, and the application fee of HK$1,000 cannot be returned. For overseas applicants wishing to pay in currencies other than HK dollars, the fee is US$145. Checks are also good for payment to “Chinese International School”.
The application should include:
※ Applicant’ academic report from the last school year.
※ A recent passport-sized photo (attached to the application form).
※ A copy of the applicant’s Hong Kong ID card or a passport showing a valid Hong Kong visa.
※ Only for applicants applying under a Corporate Nomination(提名) Right: A company letter confirming the nomination.
Please note that the application fee is non-refundable. Applicants who would like to re-apply for another academic year are asked to submit a new application and application fee.
Acceptance
Applicants will be informed of their acceptance status in writing by postal mail. Initial (最初的) offers for Reception will be sent out from late March once all assessments have been completed.
Some applicants who have been assessed may be held on a reserve list. Acceptances may also be made on a conditional basis among the applicants on the reserve list.
Applicants who have been assessed but who have not been admitted are welcome to reapply for the next academic year. Please note that such applicants will be asked to submit a new application and application fee.
Confirmation of Acceptance and Enrollment (錄取)
Once an applicant has been admitted, the applicant family will be asked to confirm acceptance and hold the student’s place with immediate payment of the required fees for the Nomination Right (HK$ 500), plus the sum of HK$ 7,500 as the first tuition (學(xué)費(fèi)) payment.
In addition, enrollment will not be considered complete until the following have been received, normally one month before the start of the new school year:
Physical examination results
Tuition (first month)
小題1: According to the passage, if the applicants reapply for an academic year, ______.

A．the application fee can be reduced to a half

B．a(chǎn)pplicants on a reserve list needn’t be assessed

C．the initial application form should be returned to the Admissions Office

D．a(chǎn) new application and application fee are to be required

小題2:Which of the following is true?

A．Once applicants are refused, they can’t apply for it again.

B．Applicants held on a reserve list will not be admitted.

C．The applicants should show either a Hong Kong visa or a Hong Kong ID card.

D．Applicants don’t have to get a company letter to confirm their application.

小題3:How will the applicants possibly be informed of the acceptance status?

A．By fax.	B．By e-mail.
C．By regular mail	D．By telephone.

小題4:According to the Application Process, the first tuition payment is ______.

A．HK$ 500	B．HK$7, 500
C．HK$1, 000	D．US$ 145

小題5:If an applicant has been admitted, the applicant family ______.

A．will be asked to submit a new application

B．will receive physical Examination results

C．will be asked to only pay the first month fee

D．will be asked to confirm acceptance and pay the fees

Astronomy is the oldest science known to man. Thousands of years ago man looked at the stars and wondered about the heavens. But man was limited by what he could see with his eyes alone.
The Greeks studied astronomy over 2,000 years ago. They could see the size, color, and brightness of a star. They could see its place in the sky. They watched the stars move as the seasons changed. But the Greeks had no tools to help themselves study the heavens.
Each new tool added to the field of astronomy helped man reach out into space. They did not know that the planet called Saturn(土星) had rings around it. Their sight was so limited that they could not see all the planets. In the early 1700s, people thought there were only six planets. Nepture(海王星), the last of eight planets to be discovered, was not seen until 1846.
Before the spectroscope(分光鏡), man did not know what kind of gases was in the sun or other stars. Without the radio telescope, we didn’t know that radio noises came from far out in space.
Today, astronomy is a growing science. We had learned more in the last fifty years than in the whole history of astronomy.
小題1:. Thousands of years ago, people observed the stars with the limitation of their _____.

A．eyesight	B．land
C．wealth	D．knowledge

小題2:. When the Greeks watched the stars, they could ____ .

A．know what the stars were made of

B．not see their places in the sky

C．help themselves study the heavens

D．watch the stars move as the seasons changed

小題3:. Until there were ____, man knew very little about the moon.

A．telescopes	B．spectroscopes
C．radio telescopes	D．spaceships

小題4:. Which of the following sentences is NOT true?

A．Astronomy is the oldest science that humans have known.

B．Astronomy is developing fast with the help of technology.

C．In the early 1700s, people didn’t know the existence of Neptune.

D．Over 2,000 years ago, the Greeks knew the planet Saturn had rings around it.

小題5:. This passage mainly talks about _____.

A．tools used in astronomy

B．the development of astronomy in the last 50 years

C．Greeks’ achievements in astronomy

D．new tools and the development of astronomy