What's going to happen in the future? Will robots take over our planet? Will computers become smarter than us? Not likely. But here are some things that scientists say are most likely to happen 10 to 30 years later from now, according to the BBC.
1．Digital money
We used to pay with cash for everything we bought. Now when we swipe(刷) our bus pass or use a credit card to shop online, money is spent without us even seeing it. In fact, we are already using one type of digital money.
You have to admit that using a card is much easier than searching your pockets for change. It is also safer than carrying a lot of cash.
When ATM cards were first introduced, they were not accepted everywhere. But now it's hard to live without them. People in Sweden completely stopped using cash last year, according to the Associated Press, and the US might be next.
2．Bionic(能力超人的)eye
It's no longer something only in a sci­fi movie. People who are blind may have a chance to get their sight back—by wearing bionic eyes.
A blind eye can no longer sense light, but a bionic eye can use a camera to “see” the environment and send data directly to the brain.
Although the bionic eye that's out now only allows patients to see lights and unclear shapes, a high­resolution(高清晰度的) version could be just a few years away.
3．Self­driving cars
Everything is going automatic these days—washing machines, ticket selling machines and even cars. Unlike a human driver, a self­driving car won't get distracted by a phone call, the radio or something outside the window. Sensors and cameras on the car would allow it to stick strictly to the rules of the road and keep a safe distance from other cars. This would greatly reduce the number of road accidents. You could even take a nap while the car drives itself.
Many vehicle companies are now planning self­driving cars. “By 2040, driverless vehicles will be widely accepted and possibly be the dominant vehicles on the road，” said Jeffrey Miller, professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage, US, in Wired magazine.
小題1:The underlined word “distracted” in the article is closest in meaning to “________”．

A．directed	B．discouraged
C．a(chǎn)ttacked	D．disturbed

小題2:Jeffrey Miller's attitude towards self­driving cars is ________.

A．optimistic	B．pessimistic
C．doubtful	D．cautious

小題3:Which section is the article most likely to be found in the newspaper?

A．Learning Kit	B．Campus Trends
C．Entertainment	D．Technology

The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution has just published a report on new materials and has looked at the case of nanotechnology（納米技術）, which describes the science of the very small. Nanotechnology covers those man-made materials or objects that are about a thousand times smaller than the microtechnology（微電子技術）we use, such as the silicon chips of computers.
Nanotechnology gets its name from the nanometer, which is a billionth of a meter. There are about 600 consumer products already on the market that use nanotechnology. Nanomedicine is also being developed to fight cancer and other fatal diseases.
The Royal Commission found no evidence of harm to health or the environment from nanomaterials, but this “absence of evidence” is not being taken as “evidence of absence”. In other words, just because there are no apparent problems, this is not to say that here is no risk now or in the future. The commission is concerned about the pace at which we are inventing and adopting new nanomaterials, which could result in future problems that we are ill-equipped to understand or even find with current testing methods.
One of the problems about nanotechnology is that when we make something very small out of a well known material, we may actually change the functionality of that material even if the chemical composition remains the same. Indeed, it is not the particle（顆粒）size that should concern us, but its functionality. Take gold, for example, which is a famously inert (惰性) substance, and valuable because of it. It doesn’t rust or corrode because it doesn’t interact with water or oxygen. However, a particle of gold that is between 2 and 5 nanometers in diameter becomes highly reactive. This is not due to a change in chemical composition, but because of a change in the physical size of the gold particles. How can a change in size result in a change of function? One reason is to do with surface area. Nanoparticles have relatively a much bigger surface area. It is like comparing the surface area of a basketball with the total surface area of many pea-sized balls with the same weight of the single basketball. The pea-sized balls have a surface area many hundreds, indeed thousands of times bigger than the basketball, and this allows them to interact more easily with the environment. It is this increased interactivity that changes their functionality—and makes them potentially more dangerous to health or the environment.
小題1:Why does the writer mention microtechnology in the first paragraph?

A．to introduce the topic of nanotechnology

B．to help us better understand nanotechnology

C．to help us know more about microtechnology

D．to compare microtechnology with nanotechnology

小題2:The example of the “gold” in the last paragraph is intended to show that_________.

A．gold is valuable because it is an inert substance

B．a(chǎn)n inert substance like gold doesn’t interact with water or oxygen

C．the function of gold is steady because it is an inert substance

D．the function of gold changes when made into something very small

小題3:Which process explains that there might be risks in nanotechnology?

A．expand surface area →increase interactivity → change functionality→cause possible dangers

B．expand surface area → change functionality → increase interactivity →cause possible dangers

C．increase interactivity → expand surface area → change functionality→cause possible dangers

D．increase interactivity → change functionality → expand surface area→cause possible dangers

小題4:What does the passage mainly focus on?

A．the introduction of nanotechnology and its wide use

B．the present use of nanotechnology and its future

C．the potential danger nanotechnology may bring us

D．the proposal to stop nanotechnology due to the potential danger

A kitchen that gives step-by-step cooking instructions in French could inspire a revolution in language learning in the UK. By using a new technology, it speaks to you as you prepare a French dish. The kitchen breaks new ground by taking language learning out of the classroom and linking it with an enjoyable and rewarding real-life activity.
The new kitchen is designed to be used in schools, universities and even people’s homes. It could also be an existing kitchen. The first version of the technology was tested in the kitchens of project partner Newcastle University. The kitchen could be available for schools and universities, and for the UK market by the June of 2014.
The Newcastle University team is now working on ways to put it on the market. And the European Union has given money to begin programs in six other languages, including English Italian and Spanish. Finally, versions could be developed for any language cuisine（烹飪法）in the world.
Professor Paul says, “By international standards, the UK students are now poor when it comes to learning languages—a problem that certainly has an economic influence. We believe that developing skills in a country’s language and its cuisine will help change the trend.”
On a computer fixed into the kitchen, the user first selects the French recipe（菜譜）they want to follow. Digital sensors built into dishes, containers and other equipment then communicate with the computer to make sure the right instructions are given at the right time, the user can ask the computer to repeat an instruction, or translate it into English, simply by pressing the touch screen. After cooking, the user can test what they have learned by carrying out a short test on the computer.
All grammar and vocabulary has been carefully selected to make sure that using the kitchen adds to basic proficiency（熟練）in understanding French.
Now three easy-carrying versions of the kitchen are being prepared. They’re to be fixed in Newcastle University and at Institute Francais, a London-based charity devoted to teaching the French language.
小題1:The new kitchen is designed mainly to __________.

A．increase people’s interest in cooking

B．teach people how to cook French dishes

C．offer people a new way to learn languages

D．help cooks learn spoken French in the kitchen

小題2:Which of the following is TRUE about the kitchen?

A．It has versions in six languages now.

B．It is already available for sale in the UK.

C．It has received strong support from the EU.

D．It can be used only in schools and university.

小題3:When a person is using the kitchen, ___________.

A．it will give him a test on his cooking skills

B．it can translate French into another language

C．the cooking process will stop if he goes wrong

D．he must be careful so as not to make mistakes

小題4:What would be the best title for the text?

A．UK students have problems in language learning.

B．New technology helps students learning cooking.

C．An enjoyable and rewarding real-life activity.

D．A Talking Kitchen That Teaches You French.

One might expect that the ever­growing demands of the tourist trade would bring nothing but good for the countries that receive the holiday­makers. Indeed, a rosy picture is painted for the long­term future of the holiday industry. Every month sees the building of a new hotel somewhere. And every month another rock­bound Pacific island is advertised as the ‘last paradise(天堂) on earth’．
However, the scale and speed of this growth seem set to destroy the very things tourists want to enjoy. In those countries where there was a rush to make quick money out of sea­side holidays, over­crowded beaches and the concrete jungles of endless hotels have begun to lose their appeal.
Those countries with little experience of tourism can suffer most. In recent years, Nepal set out to attract foreign visitors to fund developments in health and education. Its forests, full of wildlife and rare flowers, were offered to tourists as one more untouched paradise. In fact, the nature all too soon felt the effects of thousands of holiday­makers traveling through the forest land. Ancient tracks became major routes for the walkers, with the consequent exploitation of precious trees and plants.
Not only can the environment of a country suffer from the sudden growth of tourism. The people as well rapidly feel its effects. Farmland makes way for hotels, roads and airports; the old way of life goes. The one­time farmer is now the servant of some multi­national organization; he is no longer his own master. Once it was his back that bore the pain; now it is his smile that is exploited. No doubt he wonders whether he wasn't happier in his village working his own land.
Thankfully, the tourist industry is waking up to the responsibilities it has towards those countries that receive its customers. The protection of wildlife and the creation of national parks go hand in hand with tourist development and in fact obtain financial support from tourist companies. At the same time, tourists are being encouraged to respect not only the countryside they visit but also its people.
The way tourism is handled in the next ten years will decide its fate and that of the countries we all want to visit. Their needs and problems are more important than those of the tourist companies. Increased understanding in planning world­wide tourism can preserve the market for these companies. If not, in a few years' time the very things that attract tourists now may well have been destroyed.
小題1:What does the author indicate in the last sentence of Paragraph 1?

A．The Pacific island is a paradise.

B．The Pacific island is worth visiting.

C．The advertisement is not convincing.

D．The advertisement is not impressive.

小題2:The example of Nepal is used to suggest ________.

A．its natural resources are untouched

B．its forests are exploited for farmland

C．it develops well in health and education

D．it suffers from the heavy flow of tourists

小題3:What can we learn about the farmers from Paragraph 4?

A．They are happy to work their own lands.

B．They have to please the tourists for a living.

C．They have to struggle for their independence.

D．They are proud of working in multi­national organizations.

小題4:Which of the following determines the future of tourism?

A．The number of tourists.

B．The improvement of services.

C．The promotion of new products.

D．The management of tourism.

小題5:The author's attitude towards the development of the tourist industry is ________.

A．optimistic	B．doubtful
C．objective	D．negative

Meet the “Tutor Kings and Queens”
“If you want to be a top tutor, it definitely helps if you are young and attractive. Students look at your appearance，” said Kelly Mok, 26, a “tutor queen” at King's Glory, one of Hong Kong's largest tutorial establishments.
Richard Eng from Beacon College, a former secondary school teacher, is often credited with being the first of Hong Kong's “star tutors”. “In school all the teachers look the same, there's no excitement，” he said.
The celebrity tutor phenomenon is a result of the huge growth in out­of­school tutoring in Asia. It is fuelled by highly pressured examination systems and ambitious parents wanting their children to secure places at top universities and high­status secondary schools.
In societies where success is_equated_with good exam results, parental anxiety converts into a “steady stream of revenue(收入)” for tutoring establishments, according to a study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB)．
The tutoring industry, or “shadow education” as the ADB calls it, has become very widespread in Asia, fed by the growth in universities and the rising proportion of school leavers aiming for university. Hong Kong University's professor Mark Bray, one of the authors of the ADB study, said a staggering 72% of final­year school students in Hong Kong now go to private tutors.
It's not just Hong Kong. Tutoring has “spread and intensified(強化) in Asia and become more commercialized，” said Professor Bray. In South Korea, 90% of primary school children attend such classes. In China, New Oriental Education and Technology has grown to become one of the largest tutoring schools in Asia with around 2.4 million students this year. In South Korea, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India, tutorial schools use star tutors to attract even more students.
小題1:According to Kelly Mok, tutors ________.

A．have a lot in common with school teachers

B．benefit much from their appearances

C．become more and more popular in the world

D．have much more pressure than in the past

小題2:Who is probably a “tutor king” in Hong Kong?

A．Kelly Mok.	B．Richard Eng.
C．Mark Bray.	D．Not mentioned.

小題3:What Professor Bray says in this passage means that ________.

A．the number of school leavers is increasing

B．tutoring may improve achievement for individual students

C．star tutors have attracted 2.4 million students

D．more and more students in Asia go to private tutors

小題4:The underlined part in Paragraph 4 is similar in meaning to ________.

A．is equal to	B．leads to
C．results in	D．is different from

小題5:Where is this passage probably taken from?

A．An English newspaper.	B．A travel guide.
C．A fashion magazine.	D．A physics book.

What would it be like to take a walk on the surface of Mars? If you could design the tallest building in the world, what would it look like? Do you dream of being the next J．K. Rowling? This summer, you can experience all of these things, and more. All you need is an Internet connection and your imagination.
A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that kids spend an average of 1 hour and 29 minutes online each day. Many kids like to use that time to chat with friends, play games or check e­mails. But the next time you get on the Web, try exploring the world instead. “With the Internet, you can go back 11,000 years in time, or go 11,000 kilometers across the planet.” said Russell, Web search expert of Google. “The whole scope of history and the world is open to you.”
There is a wealth of information to be found online. For example, if your family is going on vacation somewhere，do a quick online search on the area before you even get in the car. “What's the background of the place; what's the history？” says Russell. “I like to tell my kids, ‘Whenever you have a question, whenever you have a doubt, search it out.’”
Ready to launch a virtual journey of your own? Here are a few starting points to get you thinking and to help you on your way. You can invite your parents along for the ride, too. Always ask for permission before downloading programs and software onto your computer. And check with a parent or an adult before visiting a new Web site.
Navigate the world in 3­D with Google Earth. Begin in outer space and zoom(快速移動) into the streets of any city, from Hong Kong to San Francisco. Or visit ancient monuments, watch the changing rainforests over time, and dive underwater to explore tropical reef.
With the Moon in Google Earth tool, you can walk in Neil Armstrong's famous footsteps. Take a guided tour of the moon's surface with Armstrong's fellow shuttle mate astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
When you're exploring that part of the solar system, hop on over to the Red Planet with Google Mars. There, you can move very quickly around the surface and see images from the Mars Rovers.
小題1:The author uses questions in the first passage to ________.

A．introduce the topic of the paragraph

B．question the possibility of realizing the dream

C．a(chǎn)ttract the readers' attention

D．let the readers answer it

小題2:How do you travel around the world in a day according to the passage?

A．By taking the time shuttle.

B．By making use of the Internet

C．By watching 3­D films.

D．By finding a tourism company in Google

小題3:Russell thought ________.

A．the students spent too much time on the Internet

B．the students shouldn't chat and play games online

C．the students could solve their problems through the line

D．the students should learn knowledge instead of chatting online

小題4:What's the purpose of the passage?

A．Encourage the kids to spend more time online.

B．Encourage the kids to do some research on science.

C．Encourage the kids to learn to use the computer.

D．Encourage the kids to explore the world online.

There are some new drivers going back to school. Teens who have recently gotten their driver's licenses may be taking the wheel to school this fall. However, parents fear when their teen starts driving. And it turns out that such parental fears are justified, so it's worth reviewing how to keep your teen safe while he or she is behind the wheel.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among US teens. Drivers 16 to 19 years old are at the greatest risk of crashes. In fact, their risk is 4 times greater than that of older drivers. The teens at the greatest risk are those who are male, those carrying other teenage passengers in the car, and those still in their first year of driving. Nearly 50 percent of teen deaths related to automobile crashes happen on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays between the hours of 3 pm and midnight.
Why are teens at higher risk of motor vehicle crashes?
Development. Teens haven't completely matured mentally and have greater risk­taking behaviors, possibly because they tend to underestimate the risk associated with a particular behavior. Teens also have a greater tendency to speed and to drive too close to the cars in front of them.
No seatbelts. Teens have the lowest rate of seatbelt use among all driving groups.
Alcohol. A least 25 percent of motor vehicle deaths in teens are related to drinking alcohol.
Technological distractions(分散注意力的事)．Cellphones，texting，MP3 players，and the like can all distract drivers greatly—and who more than teenagers?
Be aware of your teen's driving practices and discuss safe driving habits when opportunities present themselves. Check out the applications and devices now available for restricting your teen's use of technology while driving. Some applications alert you to the danger when your teen is texting while the vehicle is moving. Another device blocks incoming and outgoing texts when the car is running—incoming messages get an automatic reply (eg. “I'm driving right now”), and phone calls go directly to voicemail. You can also get notifications if your teen tries to shut off the program. There are also GPS programs that let you know your new driver's whereabouts at all times. All in all, you can't be too cautious when teaching your teen how to be safe on the road.
小題1:What factor is least related to the teen drivers' high risks of crashes?

A．Drivers' age.	B．Passengers' sex.
C．Driving experience.	D．Driving time.

小題2:Teens probably turn away their attention from driving when they are ________.

A．using no seatbelts	B．drinking water
C．carrying passengers	D．a(chǎn)nswering cellphones

小題3:According to the passage, which should be prevented during teens' driving?

A．Texting.	B．GPS programs.
C．Automated replies.	D．Voicemail.

小題4:The author writes the last paragraph in order to ________.

A．offer parents practical suggestions

B．summarize teens' driving practices

C．a(chǎn)dvocate different driving habits

D．set an example for the teens

October 15^th is the Global Handwashing Day. Activities are planned in more than 20 countries to get millions of people in the developing world to wash their hands with soap. For example, donors（捐贈者） will give 150,000 bars of soap to schools in Ethiopia.
Experts say people around the world wash their hands every day, but very few use soap at so-called important moments. These include after using the toilet, after cleaning a baby and before touching food.
Global Handwashing Day is the idea of the Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap. Partners include the United Nations Children’s Fund, American government agencies, the World Bank and soap makers Unlever and Procter and Gamble. The organizers say all soaps are equally effective at removing disease-causing germ(細菌). They say the correct way to wash is to wet your hands with a small amount of water and cover them with soap. Rub（揉搓） it into all areas, including under the fingernails（指甲）. Rub for at least twenty seconds. Then rinse well under running water. Finally, dry your hands with a clean cloth or wave them in the air.
The Partnership for Handwashing says soap is important because it increases the time that people spend in washing hands. Soap also helps to break up the dirt that holds most of the germs. And it usually leaves a pleasant smell. The Partnership for Handwashing also says washing with soap before eating or after using the toilet could save more lives than any vaccine(疫苗)or medicine. Hand washing could also prevent the spread of other diseases. When people get germs on their hands, they can infect（感染）themselves by touching their eyes, noses or mouths. Then they can infect others.
小題1:What’s the best title for this passage?

A．Say no to washing hands in the wrong way.

B．Find out why washing hands carefully is so important.

C．Hand washing: so important----it gets a day of its own.

D．Want to live a longer life?-wash your hands.

小題2:The word “rinse” in Paragraph 3 probably means ______.

A．to dry your hands	B．to wash away the soap
C．to rub your hands carefully	D．to clean your fingers

小題3:The last paragraph mainly tells us ______.

A．how to wash your hands correctly

B．why washing hand with soap is so important

C．the dangers of washing hands without soap

D．when we should especially wash our hands with soap

小題4:In which part of newspaper would you most probably read this passage?

A．Medical care

B．Public service

C．Health report

D．Advertisement

In the past, going to a piano teacher was the most popular way to learn how to play the piano. You could get one-to-one teaching and have the opportunity to learn as much as the teacher knew. If you didn’t have private lessons, you could still learn the piano, but you would have to teach yourself. This was easy for some, but very difficult for most. However, with technology developing today, there is at last another way that you can take piano lessons. You can take an online course.
An online course is much cheaper than a private lesson. If a private lesson costs 30-40 dollars per week, just think about how quickly that adds up. You can take a whole online course in piano for just a fraction(小部分) of the money that you would spend on weeks of private lessons. Also, private lessons are usually only one hour per week. So you would have to wait for your next lesson to continue your learning. However, online piano courses are quite different.
With an online piano course, you can work at your own pace. You can also take as many lessons per week as you want, or go back and listen to your last lesson if you have forgotten anything. Most adults who want to learn how to play the piano enjoy being able to go back and listen to the lessons again.
Of course if you need someone to sit beside you and offer you immediate feedback(反饋) as you are playing, you might not get that from an online piano course. However, the lessons online can be viewed（觀看） at any time, or as often as you’d like, which means that you can get your own type of feedback from an online piano course.
小題1:This passage mainly tells us ______.

A．the disadvantages of the traditional ways of learning to play the piano

B．the differences between traditional piano courses and online courses

C．why people prefer online piano courses to traditional piano courses

D．the advantages of learning to play the piano through an online course

小題2:What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 want to tell us?

A．That private piano lessons shouldn’t be that expensive.

B．That taking private piano lessons really costs a lot.

C．That not everyone can afford to take piano lessons.

D．That the price for private piano lessons has increased greatly.

小題3:How did the writer make his points clear?

A．By giving detailed data.

B．By giving many examples

C．By writing about his own experiences

D．By comparing with the old ways.

Most parents and teachers would get angry when they hear that teenagers listen to their iPods while preparing for exams. But pupils who listen to music when doing their homework may be, in fact, working hard.
Thirty three schools have downloaded specially written pop and rock songs for their 10,000 pupils who are studying for GCSE (初級畢業(yè)證書). The professionally recorded music, based on texts in English literature, teaches teenagers about themes in the GCSE curriculum (課程). Two young men set up “Revise”, the company that produced the songs, and worked with teachers to make sure the lyrics (歌詞) reflected the curriculum. Some of the songs were written by Geraint Brown, a director, and they are performed by professional singers and musicians.
Songs for the GCSE science and maths lessons are also being developed in 36 schools. They have also started using the program, called, “LearnThruMusic”.
Dave Matthews, the head of Hawthorn High School in the South Wales valleys, said the program aimed at helping teenagers who are unwilling to study. He said, “There are lots of pupils who don’t have a high level of home support. It’s almost cool to say you have no need to find a support and we have got to change that. With this, they don’t have to be sitting at their desk at home. They can be outside, walking around or even listening to it on the bus, which is very convenient for them.” Everyone has a phone, MP3 or CD player, and they’re more likely to listen to these than pick up a book. “I think everyone would agree that music had an important influence on us when growing up. Both boys and girls are very good at remembering the words and dancing to the music in the charts. There’s no one thing that will successfully engage (使…產(chǎn)生興趣) every child, and some of them will make little or no use of this. But the fact that they don’t have to do any extra work makes this a very good deal for a kid,” Dave Matthews added.
小題1:The pop and rock songs used in 36 schools ________.

A．were written for the students to relax themselves

B．made most parents and teachers angry

C．were specially written for hardworking students

D．were closely related to the curriculum

小題2:Which benefit of the program is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．It saves students much extra work.

B．It offers different ways of learning.

C．It makes remembering easier.

D．It improves family support to kids.

小題3:Which of the following can be inferred in the passage?

A．The program is not expected to have equal effect on every student.

B．Some students used the song as an excuse for not reading textbooks.

C．It’s more difficult to create songs for science and maths lessons.

D．Students involved in the program needn’t go to school every day.

小題4:Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A．Special-written Songs — A Reason Why Students Should Listen to IPods.

B．Special-written Songs — A New Way to Learn the Curriculum.

C．Special-written Songs — A Substitution for Textbooks.

D．Special-written Songs — Mothers’ New Concern.