In the near future，we may be using our eyes to operate our smart-phones and tablets，even when it comes to playing popular games like Fruit Ninja．
The Gaze Group has been developing eye-controlled computer technology for nearly 20 years．But those devices have been firstly designed to help those with disabilities，and are very expensive．
“After a while，we figured out that probably the best way is to go for a mass-market way，” says Gaze’s Sune Alstrup Johansen．“where everybody would have this available．"
Johansen and some of his colleagues have formed a new company，the Eye Tribe，which is hoping to develop the technology on a mass commercial level．
The technology works with the help of the computing device toward the user’s face． After making sure of the user’s eye movements，the technology is then able to easily find where a person’s eyes are moving，and then allow the eyes to control a cursor（光標(biāo)）．
“Our software can then determine the location of the eyes and know where you’re looking on the screen to make sure what you’re looking at，“reads an explanation on the Eye Tribe site．
There has been a gradual change toward hands-free technology in recent years， particularly in the gaming world．Recently Xbox released the Kinect device，which lets users control their Xbox and play certain games using only their hands，legs and voices． But still，most of these devices have been more of a gimmick than a practical way to use one’s hands to control a mobile device．Johansen said a replaceable filter（濾光器）would be a cheap，convenient way for most consumers．
And even as companies like The Eye Tribe work to create such a product for the average user, making the eye-controlled technology more accessible and less expensive will have similar benefits for physically disabled users.
For more articles on modern science，please CLICK here．
小題1:Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?

A．An introduction of a new device．

B．An introduction of smart-phones．

C．An introduction of eye-controlling technology．

D．An introduction of a new technology for the disabled．

小題2:The underlined word“gimmick” probably means         .

A．a(chǎn) trick

B．a(chǎn) way

C．a(chǎn) lie

D．a(chǎn) dream

小題3:According to the passage，we can learn that      .

A．the eye-controlling technology was first developed for the blind

B．the present developing 0f the technology will bring no good

C．there is no such a phone as we can use only with our eyes at present

D．the eye-controlling technology is only intended for the disabled people

小題4:This passage is probably taken from         .

A．a(chǎn)n experiment report	B．a(chǎn) science fiction
C．a(chǎn) school textbook	D．a(chǎn) science website

Students in many countries are learning English. Some of these students are small children. Others are teenagers. Many are adults. Some learn at school, others by themselves. A few learn English by learning the language over the radio, on TV, or in film. One must work hard to learn another language.            
Why do all these people want to learn English? It is difficult to answer this question. Many boys and girls learn English at school because it is one of their subjects required for study. They study their own language and English. Some people learn it because it is useful for their work. Many people learn English for their work. Many people learn English for their higher studies, because at college or university some of their books are in English. Other people learn English because they want to read newspapers or magazines in English.
小題1:People learn English _______.

A．a(chǎn)t school	B．over the radio
C．on TV	D．not all in the same way

小題2:Different kinds of people want to learn English _______.

A．together with other subjects	B．for different reasons
C．for their work	D．for higher studies at colleges

小題3:From this passage we know that _______.

A．we can learn English easily

B．English is very difficult to learn

C．English is learned by most people in the world

D．English is a useful language but one must work hard to learn

小題4:Which of the following is TRUE?

A．We don't need to learn any foreign languages.

B．We can do well in all our work without English.

C．English is the most important subject in schools.

D．We should learn English because we need to face the world.

Ever wonder how much a cloud weighs? What about a hurricane? A meteorologist(氣象學(xué)者) has done some estimates and the results might surprise you.
Let's start with a very simple white puffy cloud — a cumulus cloud（積云）. How much does the water in a cumulus cloud weigh? Peggy LeMone, senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, did the numbers. "The water in the little cloud weighs about 550 tons," she calculates. "Or if you want to convert it to something that might be a little more meaningful … think of elephants."
The thought of a hundred elephants-worth of water suspended(懸浮的) in the sky begs another question — what keeps it up there?
"First of all, the water isn't in elephant-sized particles（微粒）, it's in tiny tiny tiny particles," explains LeMone. And those particles float on the warmer air that's rising below. But still, the concept of so much water floating in the sky was surprising even to a meteorologist like LeMone. "I had no idea how much a cloud would weigh, actually, when I started the calculations," she says.
So how many elephant units of water are inside a big storm cloud—10 times bigger all the way around than the "puffy" cumulus cloud? Again, LeMone did the numbers: About 200,000 elephants.
Now, ratchet up(略微調(diào)高) the calculations for a hurricane about the size of Missouri and the figures get really massive(巨大的). "What we're doing is weighing the water in one cubic meter theoretically pulled from a cloud and then multiplying by(乘上) the number of meters in a whole hurricane," she explains.
The result? Forty million elephants. That means the water in one hurricane weighs more than all the elephants on the planet. Perhaps even more than all the elephants that have ever lived on the planet.
小題1:The weight of      is NOT mentioned in the passage.

A．a(chǎn) cumulus cloud	B．a(chǎn) tornado
C．a(chǎn) hurricane	D．a(chǎn) storm cloud

小題2:How did Peggy LeMone feel about the result of her calculations?

A．She found it not convincing.

B．She thought it needed further calculations.

C．She was quite surprised at it.

D．She considered the calculations inaccurate.

小題3:What can be inferred from the passage?

A．A storm cloud weighs about 200,000 elephants.

B．The water in a hurricane weighs more than that in any other kind of cloud.

C．There are less than forty million elephants living on the earth.

D．The water in the cloud is in very tiny partials.

小題4:What is the best title for the passage?

A．How Much a Cloud Weighs	B．How Much a Hurricane Weighs
C．Surprising Results	D．Elephants in the Sky

Humans have sewn by hand for thousands of years. It was said that the first thread was made from animal muscle and sinew (肌腱). And the earliest needles were made from bones. Since those early days, many people have been involved in the process of developing a machine that could do the same thing more quickly and with greater efficiency.
Charles Wiesenthal, who was born in Germany, designed and received a patent on a double-pointed needle that eliminated the need to turn the needle around with each stitch (縫合) in England in 1755. Other inventors of that time tried to develop a functional sewing machine, but each design had at least one serious imperfection.
Frenchman Barthelemy Thimonnier finally engineered a machine that really worked. However, he was nearly killed by a group of angry tailors when they burned down his garment factory. They feared that they would lose their jobs to the machine.
American inventor Elias Howe, born on July 9, 1819, was awarded a patent for a method of sewing that used thread from two different sources. Howe’s machine had a needle with an eye at the point, and it used the two threads to make a special stitch called a lockstitch. However, Howe faced difficulty in finding buyers for his machines in America. In frustration, he traveled to England to try to sell his invention there. When he finally returned home, he found that dozens of manufacturers were adapting his discovery for use in their own sewing machines.
Isaac Singer, another American inventor, was also a manufacturer who made improvements to the design of sewing machines. He invented an up-and-down-motion mechanism that replaced the side-to-side machines. He also developed a foot treadle (腳踏板) to power his machine. This improvement left the sewer’s hands free. Undoubtedly, it was a huge improvement of the hand-cranked machine of the past. Soon the Singer sewing machine achieved more fame than the others for it was more practical. It could be adapted to home use and it could be bought on hire-purchase. The Singer sewing machine became the first home appliance, and the Singer company became one of the first American multinationals.
However, Singer used the same method to create a lockstitch that Howe had already patented. As a result, Howe accused him of patent infringement (侵犯). Of course, Elias Howe won the court case, and Singer was ordered to pay Howe royalties (版稅). In the end, Howe became a millionaire, not by manufacturing the sewing machine, but by receiving royalty payments for his invention.
小題1:Barthelemy Thimonnier’s garment factory was burned down because __________.

A．people did not know how to put out the fire

B．Elias Howe thought Thimonnier had stolen his invention

C．the sewing machines couldn’t work finally

D．workers who feared the loss of their jobs to a machine set fire

小題2:Why did the court force Isaac Singer to pay Elias Howe a lifetime of royalties?

A．Because the judge was against Singer for his unfriendly attitude.

B．Because Howe had already patented the lockstitch used by Singer.

C．Because Singer had borrowed money from Howe and never repaid it.

D．Because Singer and Howe had both invented the same machine.

小題3:Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

A．A Stitch in Time Saves Nine

B．The Case between Howe and Singer

C．Patent Laws on the Sewing Machine

D．The Early History of the Sewing Machine

In a world with limited land, water and other natural resources, the harm from the traditional business model is on the rise. Actually, the past decades has seen more and more forests disappearing and globe becoming increasingly warm. People now realize that this unhealthy situation must be changed, and that we must be able to develop in sustainable (可持續(xù)的) ways. That means growth with low carbon or development of sustainable products. In other words, we should keep the earth healthy while using its supply of natural resources.
Today, sustainable development is a proper trend in many countries. According to a recent study, the global market for low carbon energy will become three times bigger over the next decades. China, for example, has set its mind on leading that market, hoping to seize chances in the new round of the global energy revolution. It is now trying hard to make full use of wind and solar energy, and is spending a huge amount of money making electric cars and high speed trains. In addition, we are also seeing great growth in the global markets for sustainable products such as palm oil， which is produced without cutting down valuable rainforest. In recent years the markets for sustainable products have grown by more than 50%.
Governments can fully develop the potential of these new markets. First, they can set high targets for reducing carbon emission (排放) and targets for saving and reusing energy. Besides, stronger arrangement of public resources like forests can also help to speed up the development. Finally, governments can avoid the huge expenses that are taking us in the wrong direction, and redirecting some of those expenses can accelerate (加速) the change from traditional model to a sustainable one.
The major challenge of this century is to find ways to meet the needs of growing population within the limits of this single planet. That is no small task, but it offers abundant new chances for sustainable product industries.
小題1: The traditional business model is harmful because of all the following EXCEPT that ______.

A．it makes the world warmer

B．it consumes natural resources

C．it brings severe damage to forests

D．it makes growth hard to continue

小題2:What can we infer from Paragraph 2?

A．China lacks wind and solar energy.

B．China is the leader of the low carbon market.

C．High speed trains are a low carbon development.

D．Palm oil is made at the cost of valuable forests.

小題3:To fully develop the low carbon markets, government can ______.

A．cut public expenses	B．forbid carbon emission
C．develop public resources	D．encourage energy conservation

小題4:We can learn from the last paragraph that businesses have many chances to ______.

A．develop sustainable products

B．explore new natural resources

C．make full use of natural resources

D．deal with the major challenge

小題5:What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To introduce a new business model.

B．To compare two business models.

C．To predict a change of the global market.

D．To advocate (提倡) sustainable development.

Antidepressant（抗憂郁）drugs such as Prozac were viewed in the early 1900's as wonder pills that would remove depressive blues for good. But in the past five years, growing scientific evidence has shown these drugs work for only a minority of people. And now a research journal says that these antidepressants can make many patients' depression worse. This alarming suggestion centres on the very chemical that is targeted by antidepressants-serotonin（血清素）. Drugs such as Prozac are known as selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors（or SSRIs）. Their aim is to increase the level of this  “feel-good” chemical in the brain.
But the new research, published in the journal Frontiers In Evolutionary Psychology, points out that serotonin is like a chemical Swiss Army knife, performing a very wide range of jobs in the brain and body. And when we start changing serotonin levels purposely, it may cause a wide range of unwanted effects. These can include digestive problems and even early deaths in older people, according to the study's lead researcher Paul Andrews. “ We need to be much more cautious about use of these drugs,” says Andrews, an assistant professor of evolutionary psychology at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada.
Previous research has suggested that the drugs provide little benefit for most people with mild depression, and actively help only a few of the most severely depressed. Famous psychologist Irving Kirsch has found that for many patients, SSRIs are no more effective than a placebo pill. A research in 2010 on Danish children found a small, but significant, increase in the risk of heart problems among babies whose mothers had used SSRIs in early pregnancy. The key to understanding these side-effects is serotonin, says Andrews. Serotonin is also the reason why patients can often end up feeling still more depressed after they have finished a course of SSRI drugs. He argues that SSRI antidepressants disturb the brain, leaving the patient an even greater depression than before.
“After long use, when a patient stops taking SSRIs, the brain will lower its levels of serotonin production,” he says, adding that it also changes the way receptors in the brain respond to serotonin, making the brain less sensitive to the chemical. These changes are believed to be temporary, but studies indicate that the effects may continue for up to two years.
Most disturbingly of all, Andrews' review features three recent studies which, he says , show that elderly antidepressant users are more likely to die earlier than non-users, even after taking other important variables into account. One study, published in the British Medical Journal last year, found patients given SSRIs were more than 4 per cent more likely to die in the next year than those not on the drugs.
“Serotonin is an ancient chemical,” says Andrews. “It is regulating many different processes, and when you disturb these things, you can expect that it is going to cause some harm.”
Stafford Lightman, professor of medicine at the University of Bristol, and a leading UK expert in brain chemicals and hormones, says Andrews’ review highlights some important problems, yet it should also be taken with a pinch of salt. “This report is doing the opposite of what drug companies do,” he says. “Drug companies selectively present all the positives in their research, while this search selectively presents all the negatives that can be found. Nevertheless, Andrews' study is useful in that it is always worth pointing out that there is a downside to any medicine. ” Professor Lightman adds that there is still a great deal we don't know about SSRIs-not least what they actually do in our brains.
When it comes to understanding why the drugs work only for a limited part of patients, U.S.  scientists think they might now have the answer. They think that in many depressed patients, it’s not only the lack of feel-good serotonin causing their depression, but also a failure in the area of the brain that produces new cells throughout our lives. This area, the hippocampus, is also responsible for regulating mood and memory. Research suggests that in patients whose hippocampus has lost the ability to produce new cells, SSRIs do not bring any benefit.
小題1:According to paragraph 2, serotonin, like a chemical Swiss Army knife, can             .

A．make many patients' depression worse

B．cause a wide range of unwanted effects

C．a(chǎn)ffect human body and brain in various ways

D．provide little benefit for most depressed people

小題2:In Stafford Lightman's opinion,                    .

A．drug companies don't know the negative effect of antidepressants

B．Andrews focused on different things from the drug companies

C．scientists have found what SSRIs do in the brain

D．Andrews' research has no medical value

小題3:Which of the following is TRUE about SSRIs?

A．They are used to increase the “feel-good” medical in the brain.

B．They can work even when the hippocampus can't produce new cells.

C．They create a risk of heart problems in pregnant women.

D．They are responsible for controlling mood and memory.

小題4:What is the text mainly about?

A．The aim of drug companies

B．The function of SSRIs

C．The side-effects of antidepressants

D．The cause of depression

閱讀下面短文，掌握其大意，然后從各題所給的A、B、C和D項(xiàng)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)，并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑。
In the future, schools will teach at least one thing we do not teach today: the art of self-discovery. There is nothing more___1__in education. We turn out students from our universities who know how to give answers, but not how  to___2__questions.
Our students do not really get into the centres of wisdom in our culture. They__3___   universities with skills for the workplace, but with no knowledge of how to live, or what___4__is for. They are not taught how to see. They are not taught how to listen. They are not taught the great___5__of obedience（遵守、服從）.
They are not taught the true art of___6__. True reading is not just passing our__7___overwords on a page, or__8___information, or even understanding what is being read. True reading is a__9___act. It means seeing first, and then using the__10___. Higher reading ought to be a new subject. As we read, we should try to get something new. I meet people in all__11___of life, and most known in the fields of literature and science, who, though professionals, do not___12__read what is in front of them. They only read what is__13___known to them. I suspect this is happening now, even as you read this__14___.
All our innovations(革新), our discoveries, our__15___come from one source: being able first to see what is there, and what is not; to hear what is said, and what is not; but also to think clearly.

小題1:	A．technical B．important C．serious D．common

小題2:	A．a(chǎn)fford B．tell C．repeat D．a(chǎn)sk

小題3:	A．a(chǎn)ttend B．enter C．leave D．enjoy

小題4:	A．learning B．working C．living D．thinking

小題5:	A．a(chǎn)rt B．theme C．idea D．style

小題6:	A．listening B．speaking C．reading D．writing

小題7:	A．lips B．a(chǎn)rms C．hands D．eyes

小題8:	A．gathering B．delivering C．sending D．passing

小題9:	A．native B．creative C．detective D．sensitive

小題10:

A．a(chǎn)ppreciation B．imagination C．presentation D．instruction

小題11:

A．walks B．kinds C．sides D．items

小題12:

A．generally B．obviously C．a(chǎn)ctually D．deliberately

小題13:

A．even B．forever. C．still D．a(chǎn)lready

小題14:

A．top B．page C．subject D．book

小題15:

A．creativity B．possibility C．program D．project

Education has an important effect on the mind or physical ability of an individual. It is the process by which society passes its accumulated knowledge, skills, and values from one generation to another.
Various non-traditional education options are now available and continue to flourish（繁榮）. One of the most important uses in education is the use of technology. Teachers are encouraged to use new technological devices in order to strengthen learning among students and meet the needs of various types of learners.
The right to education has been created and recognized by jurisdiction（司法）. Education is the most important concern of the government of India. Recently India has gained world recognition because many students from foreign countries come here to gain higher qualifications.
One has to be educated in order to speed up the growth process in order to influence the economy. Education is indeed a powerful weapon to stop the cut- throat competition that man faces at every period of life. The importance of education in India is progressing with time. Although India has been a great foundation of learning for many years, it still needs to improve not just on the quality of education but also on the number of people being educated.
Education is not just for academic success but also to make a person become a better human being and a better performer in life. Education makes the students able enough, so that they can compete nationally and internationally. To make a student a successful survivor in life, the responsibility lies equally with the schools and the parents too. Selecting a good school is as important as choosing a suitable career option for a child. The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth, it is education that gives us all the power and necessities of making a difference in any field.
People who are not educated have few opportunities to do what they want to do. Educated people become more responsible and informed citizens, and have a voice in politics and society. It allows people to be more productive by encouraging them to play responsible roles in terms of contributing to society.
小題1:Nowadays teachers are encouraged to ______.

A．study modern science and technology

B．pass all knowledge to their students

C．use non-traditional devices in class

D．meet the needs of intelligent student first

小題2:The author uses the example of Indian education to show that____.

A．Indian education is among the best in the world now

B．Indian is becoming more and more powerful now

C．the right to education should be valued all over the world

D．a(chǎn) lot of students in India are from other countries

小題3:The underlined word “dissemination” in Paragraph 5 probably means “______”.

A．spread

B．ignorance

C．a(chǎn)rgument

D．question

小題4:What do we know about education from the passage?

A．It has nothing to do with society

B．It helps people to achieve what they want

C．It has little effect on people’s physical ability

D．It makes a poor man become rich

小題5:What is the passage mainly about?

A．The importance of education	B．The responsibility of education
C．The development of education	D．The purpose of education

Sometime early in the next century, human beings will move to Mars. They will live there for about a year, and then will be replaced with another group of pioneers. Building the base on Mars will advance our knowledge of the solar system and aid in our understanding of the earth.
We already know that Mars resembles the earth in many aspects: general size, presence of water, length of day, range of temperatures. These resemblances have caused many people to consider a centuries-long project: to terraform Mars. Terraforming means altering a planet’s surface so that Earth’s life forms can survive there. This concept, previously found only in science fiction is now being seriously considered by scientists.
Terraforming Mars is theoretically simple: add nitrogen and oxygen to the atmosphere; pump water to the surface; and add the earth’s plants and animals in the order in which they developed on Earth. But it will take at least 300 years.
Some people think that such a project is too huge for humans to undertake, but there are very good reasons to make the attempt. The earth now contains some 6 billion people, and no one has any idea of how many humans the earth can support. Our very existence and numbers are threatening many other species. We also have had some experience with terraforming our own planet: altering the landscape, the atmosphere and the climate. Currently terraforming earth has become a wiser activity as we try to control global warming, air and water pollution, and preserve some natural living places.
While the possibility of such a project is small, it is not impossible .Even if earth –bound societies come and go in the next 300 years, the project can continue through the work of the Mars settlers without the need for constant backing from the earth.
The future existence of all the people in our world may very well depend upon our ability to terraform Mars.
小題1:What would be the best title for this passage?

A．Terraforming Mars.	B．Saving the Earth
C．Travelling to Mars.	D．A Newly-found Place

小題2:What does the underlined word “altering” mean in the second paragraph?

A．Warming.

B．Changing.

C．Planting.

D．Building

小題3:According to the passage the main purpose of terraforming Mars is to ________.

A．do some scientific research work

B．find out its similarity to earth

C．a(chǎn)void the dying away of many other species

D．find on Mars living place for the increasing human beings

小題4:The main reason for causing many people to consider terraforming Mars is that _______.

A．there are some resemblances between Earth and Mars.

B．terraforming Mars is theoretically simple

C．we have had some experience with terraforming our own planet: Earth

D．the development of science and technology is very rapid

小題5:What’s the author’s attitude towards the project?

A．Optimistic.	B．Negative
C．Sceptical（懷疑的）	D．Objective.

WASHINGTON(Reuters)?People who drink two or more sweetened soft drinks a week have a much higher risk of pancreatic cancer (胰腺癌), an unusual but deadly cancer, researchers reported on Monday.
People who drank mostly fruit juice instead of sodas did not have the same risk, the study of 60,000 people in Singapore found.
“Sugar may be to blame but people who drink sweetened sodas regularly often have other poor health habits,” said Mark Pereira of the University of Minnesota, who led the study.
“The high levels of sugar in soft drinks may be increasing the level of insulin(胰島素) in the body, which we think contributes to pancreatic cancer cell growth,” President said in a statement.
Writing in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, Pereira and his colleagues said they followed 60,524 men and women in the Singapore—Chinese Health Study for 14 years.
Over that time, 140 of the volunteers developed pancreatic cancer. Those who drank two or more sweetened soft drinks a week had an 87 percent higher risk of being among those who got pancreatic cancer.
Pereira said he believed the findings would apply elsewhere.
“Singapore is a wealthy country with excellent healthcare. Favorite pastimes(消遣) are eating and shopping, so the findings should apply to other western countries.” he said.
But Susan Mayne of the Yale Cancer Center at Yale University in Connecticut was cautious.
“Although this study found a risk, the finding was based on a relatively small number of cases and it remains unclear whether it was a causal(因果的) connection or not.” Said Mayne, who serves on thee board of the journal, which is published by the American Association for Cancer Research.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest form of cancer, with 230,000 cases globally. In the United States, 37,680 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in a year and 34, 290 die of it.
小題1:We can infer from Pereira’s word that_________

A．the healthcare in Singapore should be greatly improved

B．2 soft drinks a day are considered harmful to health

C．87 out of 140 volunteers developed pancreatic cancer

D．sugar might not be the only cause of pancreatic cancer.

小題2:How does Susan seem to feel about the findings of the study?

A．Satisfied

B．Doubtful

C．Worried

D．Hopeful

小題3:The best title of the text might be_______

A．The Deadliest Forms of Cancer

B．Drink Fruit Juice Instead of Sodas

C．A Study in University of Minnesota

D．Sugary Soft Drinks Lead to Cancer