Taking exams in a large group setting can be stressful for students and for the staff members who are watching over them. When classrooms are crowded and desks are close together, cheating might be tempting.
One university in Thailand came up with an anti-cheating hat that makes it almost impossible for students to see other students’ papers. A photo of the students wearing the anti-cheating hats made its way to the internet, and the university was criticized for making students wear those ridiculous looking homemade hats. The hats were made by stapling two pieces of paper onto a headband, one to each side of the head.
After being criticized, senior academic staff at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand, released a statement saying that the hats idea came from students. They said that in a bid to prevent cheating they asked the students for ideas on how to prevent cheating in the upcoming exam, which was being taken by almost one hundred students. Students came up with different ideas, then the paper hat idea was selected by them as the most fit. The university claims that no-one was forced to use the hat, but they all chose to do so. “When wearing the hat during the exam, students felt more relaxed,” Nattadon Rungruangkitkrai, a lecturer at the university said.“It was not meant to indicate that Kasetsart students often cheat on exams. I apologize if the photo makes other people look at my students in a negative way,’ Rungruangkitkrai added.
小題1:Why was the university criticized on the Internet?

A．The homemade anti-cheating hat looked too simple.

B．Wearing the anti-cheating hat made students look ridiculous.

C．Wearing the anti-cheating hats couldn’t prevent students from cheating in the exam.

D．The university forced students to wear the anti-cheating hat.

小題2:What’s most of the Kasetsart University students’ attitude towards the cheating hat?

A．skeptical

B．supportive

C．objective

D．negative

小題3:It can be inferred from the passage that_______.

A．It’s useless wearing the anti-cheating hat in the exam.

B．Kasetsart students are often caught cheating in the exam.

C．Wearing the anti-cheating hat is effective in some degree.

D．Some students are forced to wear the anti-cheating hat.

Consumers are being confused and misled by the hodge-podge(大雜燴) of environmental claims made by household products, according to a “green labeling” study published by Consumers International Friday.
Among the report’s more unacceptalbe findings – a German fertilizer described itself as “earthworm friendly”; a brand of flour said it was “non-polluting” and a British toilet paper claimed to be “environmentally friendlier”.
The study was written and researched by Britain’s National Consumer Council (NCC) for lobby group Consumers International. It was funded by the German and Dutch governments and the European Commission.
“While many good and useful claims are being made, it is clear that there is a long way to go in ensuring shoppers are adequately informed about the environmental impacts they buy,” said Consumers International director, Anna Fielder.
The 10-country study surveyed product packaging in Britain, Western Europe, Scandinavia and the United States. It found that products sold in Germany and the United Kingdom made the most environmental claims on average.
The report focused on claims made by specific products, such as detergent (洗滌劑), insect sprays and some garden products. It did not test claims, but compared them to labeling guidelines set by the International Standards Organization (ISO) in September, 1999. Researchers documented claims of environmental friendliness made by about 2,000 products and found many too vague or too misleading to meet ISO standards.
“Many products had specially designed labels to make them seem environmentally friendly, but in fact many of these symbols mean nothing,” said report researcher Philip Page.
“Laundry detergents made the most number of claims with 158. Household cleaners were second with 145 separate claims, while paints were third on our list with 73. The high numbers show how confusing it must be for consumers to sort the true from the misleading,” he said.
The ISO labeling standards ban vague or misleading claims on product packaging, because terms such as “environmentally friendly” and “non-polluting” cannot be verified. “What we are now pushing for is to have multinational corporations meet the standards set by the ISO,” said Page.
小題1:According to the passage, the NCC found it unacceptable that _______.

A．a(chǎn)ll the products surveyed claim to meet ISO standards

B．the claims made by products are often unclear and deceiving

C．consumers would believe many of the manufacturers’ claims

D．few products actually prove to be environment friendly

小題2:As indicated in this passage, with so many good claims, the consumers _______.

A．a(chǎn)re becoming more cautious about the products they are going to buy

B．a(chǎn)re still not willing to pay more for products with green labeling

C．a(chǎn)re becoming more aware of the effects different products have on the environment

D．still do not know the exact impact of different products on the environment

小題3:It can be inferred from the passage that the lobby group Consumer International wants to _______.

A．make product labeling satisfy ISO requirements

B．see all household products meet environmental standards

C．warn consumers of the danger of so-called green products

D．verify the effects of non-polluting products

There is no doubt that Apple is well aware of the increased competition in the market and could be in a hurry to put another device out there, said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst at IDC Mobile Devices Technology and Trends. Given its history with product launches and business policy, though, Apple probably isn’t going to rush an iPhone release simply to put it on shelves, he said.
“If you’re Tim Cook (CEO of Apple), you’re thinking if you want to pay more attention to how to keep growing that bottom line and keep investors happy, or continue with the same approach from Apple, which is do what we can do and manage products and releases in the best way they can work for us. Apple usually does things in their own time ，and I’m having a hard time buying this May or June timeline.” Llamas told Mac News World.
While it，s probable that Apple is definitely in a testing stage for its next smartphone , consumers likely have a standard wait for the finished product, said Colin Gibbs, analyst at GigaOm Pro.
“It typically takes a year or longer to create a state-of-the-art smartphone, so no one should be surprised Apple is in the testing stages with the next iPhone. And while it’s possible that Apple could launch the next iPhone this spring or summer, I’m not expecting to see it until a little later in the year,” he told Mac News World.
When it does launch, though, it could be in a variety of colors, said Gibbs. “Apple has already tested the waters with releasing colored devices when it revamped(更新，翻新）its iPod line last fall, so it’s not too much of a stretch to believe it would want the new twist with its smartphone, as well”.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the new iPhone becomes available in some new colors，’’ he said. “That could be done pretty cheaply ，and it would give Apple a new marketing angle.”
小題1:According to Ramon Llamas, Apple always______.

A．tries to pleases its investors

B．does things as planned

C．ignores the fierce market competition

D．rushes to put new products to market

小題2:As for the next iPhone, Colin Gibbs didn’t mention______ 

A．the stage of its being tested

B．the rough time of its being released

C．the wide variety of its color

D．the function to be improved

小題3:What’s Colin Gibbs ，attitude towards the next iPhone?

A．Disapproving.	B．Casual
C．Objective.	D．Doubtful.

小題4:This passage is presented in the form of______.

A．stories

B．comments

C．a(chǎn)dvertisements

D．debates

The hottest show this summer-the “Voice” just finished on Sunday at the Shanghai Stadium．But the show that had a good start didn't end to everyone's satisfaction．The two and a half hour show dragged on for more than four hours because of the huge amount of advertising, which the audience and residents（居民） living nearby could hardly bear．
This summer, something hotter than the weather came to Shanghai. That is the Voice of China．The show soon became a cash cow for the organizer as the advertisement prices reached 1.16 million yuan for 15 seconds. And the show has earned more than 100 million yuan up to now in ad income only. But the organizers’ bliss（快樂） was audiences’ melancholy（悲哀）．
In the final live show on Sunday, about 14 rounds of advertisements were aired, each of which came at a crucial result-announcing moment.
Frequently interrupted by advertisements, some audience complained that the show wasn’t worth its ticket prices of 180 to 1680 yuan.
The planned two and a half hour show went two hours overtime because of the advertising. This annoyed audience members, and touched the nerves(神經(jīng)) of residents living near the site.
Someone called the police, and the show is now facing punishment for going over-time and disturbing residents late at night.
小題1:Why didn’t “the Voice” make audience satisfied?

A．It failed to attract audience attention in the end．

B．It failed to make audience satisfied．

C．It increased by one and a half hours and audience couldn’t bear it．

D．It was full of so many advertisements that audience can’t tolerate them．

小題2:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The show lasted for two and a half hours.

B．Someone called the police because they can’t bear the noises late at night.

C．The show was worth its ticket prices because the audience watched many advertisements.

D．The show has earned more than 100 million yuan up to now totally.

小題3:Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?

A．The Voice of China—the most popular TV show of last summer.

B．The Voice of China—I want you.

C．The Voice of China—hard to say I love you.

D．The Voice of China—the noises of China.

小題4:This passage is organized in the pattern of____.

A．time and event	B．comparison and contrast
C．cause and effect	D．definition and classification

Mainland couples who give birth to a second child in Hong Kong will be fined forbreaking the family planning policy a senior official has warned． As more women flock to Hong Kong to give birth to their second child，Zhang Feng，family planning department director of Guangdong Province，stressed that this violated Chinaspolicies． “And those who are government employees will even be dismissed from their posts．”he said．
''It doesn't matter if they give birth to their second child on the mainland or in other countries and regions, they have violated the country's policies and the province's regulations''.
He said that some families had been punished in the past few months after having a second child in Hong Kong, but gave no details.
Zhang made his remarks when a Hong Kong newspaper carried a controversial notice claiming residents' medical services had been affected by the growing number of mainland women who arrive in the city to give birth and gain right of abode (居住) there.
According to statistics revealed by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, about 88,000 babies were born in Hong Kong in 2010, but more than 41,000 or 47 percent, were to mainland couples, including a large number from Guangdong.
Hong Kong has limited the number of mainland women permitted to give birth in the city at 34,000 this year.
The issue also has caused calls for an amendment to Hong Kong's Basic Law so that babies born to mainland women are no longer granted permanent right of abode.
''I support Hong Kong government's decision to reduce or limit the number for mainland women giving birth in Hong Kong.'' Zhang said.
China introduced its family planning policy in 1979 to limit births in the world's most populous nation, although the rules have been relaxed in recent years.
小題1:Which of the following is true?

A．Zhang Feng is family planning department director of Guangdong Province.

B．Many government employees have been dismissed from their posts.

C．Those who give birth to a second child in Hong Kong will be fined.

D．It doesn’t matter if they give birth to their second child on the mainland.

小題2: What does the word ''violated'' mean in the second paragraph?

A．was obeyed

B．went against

C．was for

D．was dismissed

小題3:Zhang Feng said that______.

A．few families had been punished after having a second child in China

B．a(chǎn)bout 88,000 babies were born in Hong Kong in 2010

C．he agreed to reduce or limit the number for mainland women giving birth in Hong Kong

D．the residents' medical services in Hong Kong had been affected

小題4:From the passage we can infer______.

A．in 2010 most of the babies born in Hong Kong belonged to mainland couples

B．babies born to mainland women in Hong Kong can't get permanent right of abode now

C．the number of mainland women permitted to give birth in Hong Kong has been reduced

D．the family planning policy in China is as strict as before

小題5:Which is NOT the reason why some people want to give birth to a second child in Hong Kong?

A．They want to gain right of abode there for their babies.

B．They want to escape being punished for breaking the family planning policy.

C．They want their babies to enjoy the good medical services in Hong Kong.

D．They want to cause calls for an amendment to Hong Kong's Basic Law.

One of the world's richest men has taken a close interest in one of man's most basic functions: visiting the toilet．Bill Gates's charitable organization, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is looking for inventors to design the loo of the future, which, they hope, would improve sanitation for millions of people around the world.
So, what's wrong with the traditional flush toilet? Firstly, it wastes a huge amount, of potential drinking water．Secondly, they are more likely to cause pollution．This is a real problem in many areas of the developing world, where, according to United Nations estimates, unsafe sanitation causes half of all hospitalizations．Younger people are particularly at risk．Illnesses which cause diarrhea are responsible for the deaths of about 1．5 million children a year．Finally, standard lavatories simply aren't practical in remote areas．
The challenge set by Bill Gates was to come up with a latrine which works without running water, electricity or aseptic tank．It also needed to operate for less than 5 cents．28 designs were displayed at the recent Reinvent the Toilet Fair．in Seattle, USA．Among them was one which turned human waste into electricity using microwaves, another which converted human waste into charcoal, and yet another which used urine for flushing．
But the winner was a solar-powered design which generated hydrogen gas and electricity．The team from the California Institute of Technology（CIT）picked up a prize of $ 100,000.
But clearly Bill Gates doesn't feel he's flushing money down the toilet．After the Seattle event he said, "We, couldn't be happier with the response we've gotten," Gates has even pledged $370 million more to the future toilet project．They hope to field test more, prototypes over the next three years．
小題1:Why is Bill Gates paying people to invent new toilets?

A．Because he wants to test people's sense of creativity．

B．Because he thinks the traditional ones are out of fashion

C．Because he wants to improve sanitation for many people．

D．Because he can't design this kind of things himself．

小題2:Which of the following is NOT a problem with the traditional flush toilet?

A．They are too complicated to use.	B．They waste too much water
C．They might cause diseases．	D．They are not always practical.

小題3:The underlined word "latrine" in the third paragraph might have similar meanings to the word "__   " in the text．

A．sanitation

B．loo

C．diarrhea

D．prototype

小題4:The team from CIT won the prize because their design        .

A．can change human waste into electricity

B．can turn human waste into charcoal

C．can use urine for flushing

D．can produce power with solar energy

小題5:If someone "flush money down the toilet", they are       .

A．wasting money for nothing

B．being angry with their work conditions

C．showing—off their wealth

D．expressing their great determination

March 22, 2011---Most restaurants in the United States offer their customers a glass of tap water at no charge with their meal, but this week many restaurants are asking dinners to pay a dollar, or more, for a glass of water. Cards on their tables explain that this small amount helps bring clean water to children around the world. It’s called the UNICEF Tap Project.
“UNICEF’s Tap Project is really all about bringing attention to the fact that over 900 million people around the globe do not have access to good, clean, healthy drinking water,” says Cary Stem, who heads the US Fund for UNICEF. She adds that water-borne illness is the second-highest cause of preventable childhood death in the world.
“Each and every day approximately 4,100 children die just because they don’t have that access - 4,100 every single day.”
The public service campaign encourages people to help change that statistic with a simple, affordable action: paying a dollar to get a glass of tap water at a restaurant.
“One dollar buys enough good, clean water for a child for 40 days,” Stem says.
“The tap project has expanded since it began five years ago with 300 restaurants in New York City. This year, Stem says, about 3,000 restaurants across the country are participating in the campaign. We raised about $2.5 million over the last five years of this campaign,” says Stem. “Last year, we raised over $1 million for the first time. This year we’re hoping to top that.”
Stem credits the continued success of the campaign to an army of volunteers who support the tap project and raise money in their communities.
The UNICEF Tap Project is promoting its efforts with a simple motto: when you take water, give water. Currently, UNICEF works in more than 100 countries around the world to improve access to safe water and sanitation facilities in schools and communities.
Stem hopes that, by participating in the project, more Americans will realize that what they often take for granted is a precious and scarce resource in many other parts of the world.
小題1:Restaurants began to charge for tap water to _______.

A．increase their profit

B．urge customers to save water

C．raise people’s awareness of the world water problem

D．collect money for those without access to safe water

小題2:We can learn from the text that the Tap Project ________.

A．began in New York City

B．was started by volunteers

C．is hoping to collect $2.5 million this year

D．provides help for 1,000 countries in the world

小題3:It can be learned that _______.

A．the Tap Project began in 2006

B．America suffers a serious problem

C．4,100 children die of water pollution every year

D．water-borne illnesses are the biggest killer of children

小題4:How does Cary Stem feel about the work of the Tap Project?

A．Concerned

B．Hopeful

C．Disappointed

D．Angry

ARIEL, West Bank: A suicide bomber blew up near Israeli soldiers outside a Jewish settlement in the West Bank yesterday, killing at least three people and wounding about 30
Ron Nachman, mayor of the settlement of Ariel. “Soldiers were among the casualties（傷亡者）. ”People on the spot said the bomber blew up after soldiers eating at a food stand in a petrol station at the entrance of the settlement found him. According to some people on the spot accounts reported by Israeli media, a soldier shot and wounded the bomber, who then exploded.
The Magen David Adorn ambulance service said at least three people were killed and at least 30 wounded in the blast（爆炸）, which set the bomber burning at Ariel, about 25 kilometers east of Tel Aviv.
　　A fire brigade（旅） official said: “The bomber was still burning when we got there and we put out the fire immediately.”
　　Meanwhile, a blast shook homes in Lebanon’s largest Palestinian refugee camp early yesterday, damaging buildings but causing no injuries, Palestinian sources said. They said the bomb was planted outside the home of a member of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat’s Fatah faction in Ain el-Hilwch camp, and exploded while the family was sleeping.
小題1:Some of people including ________were killed or wounded in the blast accident.

A．mayor	B．soldiers
C．rescue workers	D．a(chǎn) fire brigade official

小題2:The suicide bomber blew himself up because________.

A．there was something wrong with his brains

B．he couldn’t see the settlement’s mayor

C．a(chǎn) soldier shot and wounded him

D．he wanted to make himself known

小題3:It can be concluded that the passage is most probably part of a(n）________.

A．a(chǎn)nnouncement	B．a(chǎn)dvertisement
C．science research	D．news report

The video rooms have been open since Jan. 2. If successful, the chain hopes to expand the service to other provinces, or even other countries. In addition to the food, customers pay 200 yuan per hour for using the room.
''The video rooms have been fully booked in February,'' said Chen Yu, manager of the Wangfujing branch. The Video room in Beijing is about 30 square meters and large enough for six customers.
''Many customers prefer to use the room for dinners rather than lunch,'' Chen said, adding the average age of customers who booked the video hotpot(火鍋) is about 30.
''The whole process is very smooth. The image and the voice transmission(轉(zhuǎn)換) are as good as those of video conferencing at work, ''said one of Chen's colleagues surnamed Luo.
''I have a lot of friends in Beijing, whom I haven’t met for a long time because of being busy at work,'' said a woman surnamed Yu who is having dinner with her husband at Haidilao.''The new service gives us a chance to have a dinner together without traveling. I would like to give it a try.''
The video hotpot also helped establish a friendship between waitresses in the two cities.
Zhao Huanhuan, in her 20s, who is specially trained for serving in the video room in Shanghai, developed a friendship with a waitress named Lu Ke in the Beijing branch.
Zhao said excitedly: ''It was too amazing to believe. I'm so interested in using the special room and enjoy serving people there. I also talk about some interesting interactive games with Lu before guests come for dinner''.
Although Lu felt a little bit nervous when she first served in front of the screens, she said the new mode of communication also encouraged her to supply better services for customers.
''It's like a service competition. We saw each other through video and I could learn from Zhao's serving,'' Lu said, adding she will visit Zhao if she goes to Shanghai.
It seems that video hotpot doesn't satisfy everyone's taste, however.
小題1:From the passage we know that ______.

A．the video room service has been open for a long time

B．the video room service has been open in many provinces in China

C．using the video room, you have to pay extra 200 yuan per hour

D．the Video room in Beijing is only designed for six people to use

小題2:Haidilao may be the name of ______.

A．a(chǎn) theatre

B．a(chǎn) restaurant

C．a(chǎn) cinema

D．a(chǎn) hotel

小題3:Why do many customers choose the video room service?

A．Because the service there is excellent.

B．Because they can have dinner with friends without traveling.

C．Because the food there is delicious.

D．Because the room is large enough for six people.

小題4:We can learn from the passage that Zhao Huanhuan ______.

A．enjoys communicating with Lu Ke

B．hasn't met Lu Ke for a long time

C．is twenty years old now

D．learned a lot from Lu Ke

小題5:What do you suppose will be talked about in the paragraph to be followed?

A．Lu's visit to Zhao in Shanghai.

B．Other customers' praise for the service.

C．How to improve the service.

D．Other customers' complaint about the service.

Just before midnight, six University of Cincinnati students were watching TV in an on-campus apartment when three men burst through the door. While one of the intruders pointed a gun at the group, the other two scooped up $4,400 worth of laptops, cell phones, video games and cash. Once they had what they wanted, the trio fled into the night.
Furious, the students chased down and tackled one of the burglars -- the one with the gun. In the struggle, it went off, and a bullet grazed a student's leg. His friends piled on the gunman and held him until police showed up.
By the next day, the injured young man was back in his apartment, and the suspect was in jail, charged with burglary, felonious assault and receiving stolen property. But how did the men manage to storm into an on-campus residence that November night in the first place? Simple: Students told police the building's main doors hadn't latched properly for days.
As parents confront ballooning college costs and shrinking acceptance rates, they are finding themselves with an even bigger, more basic problem: Which campuses are safe? Colleges seem like idyllic and secure places, and for the most part, they are. But ivy-covered walls can't keep out every bad element. This country's 6,000 colleges and universities report some 40,000 burglaries, 3,700 forcible sex offenses, 7,000 aggravated assaults and 48 murders a year. Other hazards -- fires, binge-drinking, mental-health problems -- are also on the rise.
Of course, that's not what parents and students see on America's serene campuses. There's a false sense of security, says Harry Nolan, a safety consultant in New York City. "Students see guards patrolling at night or a video camera monitoring the dorm entrance and think, nothing bad can happen to me," he explains. "People don't know that safety controls are often very lax."
小題1:What did the students do after the burglars fled into the night?

A．They stood there in surprise.

B．They ran after the burglars at once.

C．They waited for the police.

D．They phoned their teacher.

小題2:What does the underlined word “l(fā)atched” in the third paragraph probably mean?

A．watched

B．fixed

C．locked

D．kept

小題3:What worries parents most except ballooning college costs and shrinking acceptance rates?

A．Their children’s grades in the universities or colleges.

B．Their children’s safety in the universities or colleges.

C．Their children’s behavior in the universities or colleges.

D．Their children’s relationship with classmates in the universities or colleges.

小題4:Which is right according to the passage?

A．Their children’s grades in are high.

B．Their children’s safety in the universities or colleges will be mornitored well.

C．The universities or colleges don’t pay much attention to the children.

D．The universities or colleges are not key educational departments in the local area.