Everywhere you look, large quantities of information in the world are pouring. This data flood is already starting to transform business, government, science and everyday life. It has great potential for good — as long as consumers, companies and governments make the right choices about when to restrict the flow of data, and when to encourage it.

A few industries have led the way in their ability to gather and take advantage of the data. Credit-card companies monitor every purchase and can identify cheats with a high degree of accuracy. Stolen credit cards are more likely to be used to buy hard liquor than wine, for example, because it is easier to overlook. Insurance firms are also good at combining clues to spot doubtful claims: dishonest claims are more likely to be made on a Monday than a Tuesday, since policyholders (保險(xiǎn)客戶) who stage accidents tend to assemble friends as false witnesses over the weekend. By combining many such rules, it is possible to work out which cards are likeliest to have been stolen, and which claims are untrue. By analyzing “basket data”, supermarkets can make promotions to appeal to particular customers’ preferences. The oil industry uses supercomputers to help them before drilling wells.

But the data flood also poses risks. There are many examples of databases being stolen: disks full of social-security data go missing, laptops loaded with tax records are left in taxis, credit-card numbers are stolen by online purchase. The result can be privacy made public, identity stolen and cheats permitted large space. Rather than owning and controlling their own personal data, they very often find that they have lost control of it.

The best way to deal with the data flood is to make more data available in the right way, by requiring greater transparency in several areas. First, users should be given greater access to and control over the information held about them, including whom it is shared with. Google allows users to see what information it holds about them, and lets them delete their search histories or modify the targeting of advertising, for example. Second, organizations should be required to disclose details of security breaches, as is already the case in some parts of the world, to encourage bosses to take information security more seriously. Third, organizations should be subject to an annual security check, with the resulting grade made public (though details of any problems exposed would not be). This would encourage companies to keep their security measures up to date.

59. What is the best title for this passage?

A. Information Flood              B. Benefits of Data Flood

   C. Harms of Data Flood            D. How to Use Data in a Right Way

60. From the passage we can infer that ________.

A. lots of data are lost because of hardware problems

B. online purchases are becoming more and more popular

C. credit cards are not so secure to use and will go out of use very soon

D. insurance firms have to investigate before they confirm their policyholders’ claims

61. Which of the following is the writer’s opinion about how to deal with the data flood?

A. Personal information should be used for public benefits.

B. The users should be given the right to access public information.

C. Companies should update their measures to guarantee their data safety.

D. Organizations should keep their resulting grade of security checks unknown to the public.

62. From the passage we can conclude that _________.

A. the data flood makes peoples’ life less convenient and more expensive

  B. companies and insurance firms are responsible for the data flood

  C. the information flood is more useful to organizations than to individuals

  D. the information flood has both positive and negative influence on modern life

With the start of BBC World Service Television, millions of viewers in Asia and America can now watch the Corporation's news coverage, as well as listen to it.

And of course in Britain listeners and viewers can tune in to two BBC television channels, five BBC national radio services and dozens of local radio station. They are brought sport, comedy, drama, music, news and current affairs, education, religion, parliamentary coverage, children's programmes and films for an annual license fee of ￡83 per household.
  It is a remarkable record, stretching back over 70 years - yet the BBC's future is now in doubt. The Corporation will survive as a publicly-funded broadcasting organization, at least for the time being, but its role, its size and its programmes are now the subject of a nation-wide debate in Britain.

The debate was launched by the Government, which invited anyone with an opinion of the BBC - including ordinary listeners and viewers - to say what was good or bad about the Corporation, and even whether they thought it was worth keeping. The reason for its inquiry is that the BBC's royal charter runs out in 1996 and it must decide whether to keep the organization as it is, or to make changes.

Defenders of the Corporation - of whom there are many - are fond of quoting the American slogan. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The BBC ain't broke, they say, by which they mean it is not broken (as distinct from the word broke, meaning having no money), so why bother to change it?
Yet the BBC will have to change, because the broadcasting world around it is changing. The commercial TV channels － ITV and Channel 4－ were required by the Thatcher Government's Broadcasting Act to become more commercial, competing with each other for advertisers, and cutting costs and jobs. But it is the arrival of new satellite channels - funded partly by advertising and partly by viewers' subscriptions - which will bring about the biggest changes in the long term.

56. The world famous BBC now faces ________.

A. the problem of new coverage　　          B. an uncertain prospect

C. inquiries by the general public　            D. shrinkage of audience
57. In the passage, which of the following about the BBC is not mentioned as the key issue?
   A. Extension of its TV service to Far East.

B. Programmes as the subject of a nation-wide debate.

C. Potentials for further international co-operations.

D. Its existence as a broadcasting organization.
58. The BBC's royal charter （line 4, paragraph 4） stands for ________.

A. the financial support from the royal family  B. the privileges granted by the Queen

C. a contract with the Queen    　　              D. a unique relationship with the royal family

59. The foremost reason why the BBC has to readjust itself is no other than ________.　　　　　　　　

A. the emergence of commercial TV channels

B. the enforcement of Broadcasting Act by the government

C. the urgent necessity to reduce costs and jobs

D. the challenge of new satellite channels

If you enjoyed the spring-like sunshine over the weekend and thought the weather has finally turned a corner, you’re sadly mistaken.

Chilly (寒冷的) days and grey clouds are forecast for the week—making it far too early to pack away the winter woollies.

Temperatures will struggle to rise above zero at night and fail to make double figures during the day.

People enjoy the spring sunshine in Sefton Park, Aigburth, Liverpool. Forecasters have predicted a return to chilly weather this week.

Met Office forecaster Charlie said, “It was a nice, dry, bright weekend in many parts and Monday is going to be a similar affair for many.”

“Temperatures will be between 5℃and 8℃, which is below average for the start of spring.”

The sun will disappear from the south of the country after today, with dry but cloudy conditions forecast for tomorrow and Wednesday. 

Wednesday will be warmest of the three, with temperatures peaking at 9℃. But this is still two degrees below the March average for the district.

Overnight, temperatures will drop sharply, with lows of minus 3℃for the next three nights.

    “It will generally stay on the cold side of average,” said Mr. Powell.

The March misery comes at the end of the coldest winter for more than 30 years.

    Temperatures in December, January and February struggled to stay above zero, with the UK’s average 1.5℃, making it the deepest freeze since 1978—79.

It claimed there was just a one-in-seven chance of a cold December to February.

The agency also sadly predicted a “barbecue summer”, saying it was “quite optimistic” that it would be warmer and drier than average.

Following the two mistakes, the Met Office has dropped its long-range seasonal forecasts and will instead publish a monthly prediction for Britain, updated once a week.

In its defense, it says that while short-term forecasts are extremely accurate, Britain’s size and geographical position makes long-term predictions much more challenging.

It also points out that it gave warning of any heavy falls of snow this winter.

60. According to the passage, the weather on Tuesday in the south might be _______.

A. dry but cloudy  B. sunny but chilly  C. sunny and warm  D. cloudy and chilly

61. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

   A. British people can put away their winter clothes now.

   B. The Met Office has shortened its forecast range.

   C. The weather forecast becomes more and more accurate.

   D. The agency was quite confident of long-term predictions.

62. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A. The big chill isn’t over yet                    B. A warm spring finally arrives

C. A heavy snow is on the way            D. The Met Office drops forecasts

63. From the passage, we can conclude ________.

A. the weather report is more and more important

B. British people become worried about bad weather

   C. Britain has just experienced a very freezing winter

   D. The Met Office can always predict any heavy snow falls accurately

(BBC News April 18) All flights in and out of the UK and several other European countries have been cancelled as ash from a volcanic eruption in Iceland moves south.

Up to 4,000 flights are being cancelled with airspace closed in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark among others.

The UK’s air traffic control service (Nats) said no flights would be allowed in UK airspace until at least 07:00 BST on Friday for fear of engine damage.

Safety group Eurocontrol said the problem could last for 48 hours.

The volcano is still erupting and the wind direction is expected to continue bringing clouds into UK and European airspace for some time to come.

The UK’s airspace restriction was the worst in living memory, a Nats spokesman said. Some 600,000 people are thought to have been affected.

Nats suggested that the restrictions were unlikely to be lifted (解除) after 07:00, saying it was “very unlikely that the situation over England will improve in the foreseeable future”.

Passengers were advised to contact their carriers before travelling.

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said he was “closely monitoring the situation” and would be meeting with key transport officials on Friday morning.

Experts have warned that the tiny particles of rock, glass and sand contained in the ash cloud from the still-erupting volcano could be sufficient to jam aircraft engines.

The Health Protection Agency said the ash from the eruption did not bring a significant risk to public health because of its high altitude.

However, the British Lung Foundation has warned people with lung conditions to keep their medication (醫(yī)療護(hù)理) with them as a precautionary measure.

These are some of the knock-on effects:

    ● Eurocontrol says Germany is monitoring the situation and considering partial airspace closures.

● The two main airports in Paris and many others in the north of France are closing. 

● There is severe disruption (崩潰) in France and Spain, where all northbound flights are cancelled. 

● Nats is due to make an announcement shortly as to the arrangements that will be in place

through to 13:00 BST on Friday.

● British Airways offers refunds or an option to rebook after all its domestic flights are suspended.

Flybe announces it has cancelled all flights up until 13:00 BST on Friday and more than 25 services due to run after that.

British sports teams have been hit by travel problems after flights were grounded.

60. What may passengers do on hearing the news according to the passage?

       A. They may cancel their international flights.

       B. They may contact the airlines before traveling.

       C. They may take measures to protect their lungs from the ash.

       D. They may stay indoors till the volcanic eruption dies down.

61. Why have some European countries cancelled flights after the volcanic eruption?

A. Because the volcanic ash may make passengers ill.

B. Because people refuse to take the international flights.

C. Because the volcanic ash may jam or damage the engine.

D. Because the flights may be hit by the rocks from the eruption.

62. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. All the flights are likely to return to normal in 48 hours.

B. British people had experienced a worse airspace restriction before that.

C. Germany is monitoring the situation and considering closing all airspace. 

D. The UK airspace restrictions are unlikely to be lifted in the foreseeable future.

 

The competition for Hollywood's highest honors has begun with the announcement Tuesday in Los Angeles of this year's nominations（提名）for the 82nd Academy Awards. 

As expected, James Cameron's Avatar received a Best Picture nomination. And Cameron's former wife, Kathryn Bigelow, was nominated for The Hurt Locker, a war film set in Iraq.  Bigelow would be the first female director to win Best Picture.
    Hollywood author Tom O'Neil says the race between the former couple adds more drama to the competition.  "We have a classic David-versus-Goliath battle here for Best Picture at the Oscars. The most successful movie ever made, Avatar, up against a movie that lost money, The Hurt Locker - directed by the former Mrs. Goliath, Kathryn Bigelow. This race has all kinds of dimensions（程度） to it," he said.
    For the first time since 1943, 10 films are competing for the Best Picture award.

    Entertainment reporter Sam Rubin says that means greater interest in the Academy Awards ceremony March 7th.  "The Oscars are a television show," he explained. "So the idea is to increase ratings and interest in the television show."
   District Nine represents another departure -- a tale of science fiction -- like the box office hit Avatar.
    "No science-fiction movie has ever won Best Picture. Only two have been nominated in the past: Star Wars and E.T. Two are nominated for Best Picture now," O'Neil said.
    Best Picture nominee Precious is a drama about the struggles of an inner-city teen, and its director, Lee Daniels, is also nominated in the Best Director category. He is first African-American director to get a Best Picture nomination. 
    The other Best Picture nominees are An Education, The Blind Side, Inglourious Basterds, A Serious Man, and Up in the Air.
    Over the past 20 years, the film with the most nominations has won best picture 15 times --making Avatar and The Hurt Locker the favorites. 

56. According to the passage, the director of the film __________might be the first female director to win Best Picture.

 A. Avatar       B. The Hurt Locker     C. Star Wars     D. The Blind Side

57.How many films have been nominated for the Best Picture Award of the 82^nd Oscars?

A. 2           B. 6                C. 8             D.10

58. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A. The nominations for the 2009 Oscar Best Picture Films

B. The competition for Hollywood's highest honors has begun

C. The race between a couple                 D. Best Picture Award for the Oscars

59. Which of the following is TRUE about Avatar?

A. It is the most successful movie ever made.

B. It’s the only science-fiction movie that has ever won Best Picture.

C. It was directed by James Cameron                    D. It’s a war film.

A new college guide in the United States compares educational requirements in seven subjects. These include math, science, writing and United States history or government. The other subjects are economics, foreign language and literature.

The free online guide is from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. The council is a nonprofit group that supports liberal arts education.

Its president, Anne Neal, says these areas of knowledge are needed to succeed in a twenty-first century society and an increasingly connected world. Yet she told VOA’s Faiza Elmasry it was surprising how many students can graduate with, in her words, a “thin education.”

Forty-two of the one hundred colleges and universities surveyed received the lowest marks. This meant they required two or fewer of the seven subjects. Five schools received a top grade for requiring six subjects. These were Brooklyn College in New York City, Texas A&M, the University of Texas-Austin, West Point and the University of Arkansas.

Robert Costrell is a professor of education reform and economics at the University of Arkansas. He says many, if not all, of the top American colleges once had a core curriculum —a set of courses required for all students.

But over the years, many have dropped these requirements. Or they have watered them down, Professor Costrell says, into what became known as distribution requirements. This system lets a student choose from a number of different courses to satisfy a requirement.

ROBERT COSTRELL: “And in many cases these courses went too far, I would say, towards the fluffy treatment of serious material, and students could satisfy their requirement by taking such courses.”

Professor Costrell says schools should not only re-examine what they teach. They should also measure what students have learned — for example, through some form of examinations or papers.

A new report this week from the College Board showed that college prices continue to rise. But Anne Neal from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni says higher prices do not guarantee a better general education. In fact, the group found that the higher the tuition, the more likely that students have to develop their own general education.

The college guide is on the Web at whatwilltheylearn.com. Anne Neal says her group is surveying more colleges. The hope, she says, is to discover what college graduates have really learned, and how ready they are to compete in the global marketplace.

67. Where does the passage probably come from?

A. A scientific fiction.                       B. A research newspaper.  

C. A fashion magazine.                      D. An entertainment newspaper.

68. The American Council of Trustees and Alumni does all the following EXCEPT _________.

A. support liberal arts education

B. concern itself with education in America

C. devote time to helping improve college education

D. make money by helping with college education

69. The words “watered them down” underlined in Paragraph 6 most likely mean “_______.”

A. reduced required courses                  B. improved required courses

C. increased required courses                 D. developed required courses

70. In this passage, the new college guide mainly tells its readers that American colleges  should ______.

A. meet the requirements of the new century

B. reduce the number of required courses

C. have different standards on required courses

D. cut down on their tuitions

If you enjoyed the spring-like sunshine over the weekend and thought the weather has finally turned a corner, you’re sadly mistaken.

Chilly (寒冷的) days and grey clouds are forecast for the week—making it far too early to pack away the winter woollies.

Temperatures will struggle to rise above zero at night and fail to make double figures during the day.

People enjoy the spring sunshine in Sefton Park, Aigburth, Liverpool. Forecasters have predicted a return to chilly weather this week.

Met Office forecaster Charlie said, “It was a nice, dry, bright weekend in many parts and Monday is going to be a similar affair for many.”

“Temperatures will be between 5℃and 8℃, which is below average for the start of spring.”

The sun will disappear from the south of the country after today, with dry but cloudy conditions forecast for tomorrow and Wednesday. 

Wednesday will be warmest of the three, with temperatures peaking at 9℃. But this is still two degrees below the March average for the district.

Overnight, temperatures will drop sharply, with lows of minus 3℃for the next three nights.

    “It will generally stay on the cold side of average,” said Mr. Powell.

The March misery comes at the end of the coldest winter for more than 30 years.

    Temperatures in December, January and February struggled to stay above zero, with the UK’s average 1.5℃, making it the deepest freeze since 1978—79.

It claimed there was just a one-in-seven chance of a cold December to February.

The agency also sadly predicted a “barbecue summer”, saying it was “quite optimistic” that it would be warmer and drier than average.

Following the two mistakes, the Met Office has dropped its long-range seasonal forecasts and will instead publish a monthly prediction for Britain, updated once a week.

In its defense, it says that while short-term forecasts are extremely accurate, Britain’s size and geographical position makes long-term predictions much more challenging.

It also points out that it gave warning of any heavy falls of snow this winter.

60. According to the passage, the weather on Tuesday in the south might be _______.

A. dry but cloudy  B. sunny but chilly  C. sunny and warm  D. cloudy and chilly

61. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

   A. British people can put away their winter clothes now.

   B. The Met Office has shortened its forecast range.

   C. The weather forecast becomes more and more accurate.

   D. The agency was quite confident of long-term predictions.

62. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A. The big chill isn’t over yet                    B. A warm spring finally arrives

C. A heavy snow is on the way                D. The Met Office drops forecasts

63. From the passage, we can conclude ________.

A. the weather report is more and more important

B. British people become worried about bad weather

   C. Britain has just experienced a very freezing winter

   D. The Met Office can always predict any heavy snow falls accurately

江蘇省南通揚(yáng)州泰州三市2010屆高三第二次模擬考試（英語(yǔ)）word版

無(wú)內(nèi)容

(BBC News April 18) All flights in and out of the UK and several other European countries have been cancelled as ash from a volcanic eruption in Iceland moves south.

Up to 4,000 flights are being cancelled with airspace closed in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark among others.

The UK’s air traffic control service (Nats) said no flights would be allowed in UK airspace until at least 07:00 BST on Friday for fear of engine damage.

Safety group Eurocontrol said the problem could last for 48 hours.

The volcano is still erupting and the wind direction is expected to continue bringing clouds into UK and European airspace for some time to come.

The UK’s airspace restriction was the worst in living memory, a Nats spokesman said. Some 600,000 people are thought to have been affected.

Nats suggested that the restrictions were unlikely to be lifted (解除) after 07:00, saying it was “very unlikely that the situation over England will improve in the foreseeable future”.

Passengers were advised to contact their carriers before travelling.

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said he was “closely monitoring the situation” and would be meeting with key transport officials on Friday morning.

Experts have warned that the tiny particles of rock, glass and sand contained in the ash cloud from the still-erupting volcano could be sufficient to jam aircraft engines.

The Health Protection Agency said the ash from the eruption did not bring a significant risk to public health because of its high altitude.

However, the British Lung Foundation has warned people with lung conditions to keep their medication (醫(yī)療護(hù)理) with them as a precautionary measure.

These are some of the knock-on effects:

    ● Eurocontrol says Germany is monitoring the situation and considering partial airspace closures.

● The two main airports in Paris and many others in the north of France are closing. 

● There is severe disruption (崩潰) in France and Spain, where all northbound flights are cancelled. 

● Nats is due to make an announcement shortly as to the arrangements that will be in place

through to 13:00 BST on Friday.

● British Airways offers refunds or an option to rebook after all its domestic flights are suspended.

Flybe announces it has cancelled all flights up until 13:00 BST on Friday and more than 25 services due to run after that.

British sports teams have been hit by travel problems after flights were grounded.

60. What may passengers do on hearing the news according to the passage?

       A. They may cancel their international flights.

       B. They may contact the airlines before traveling.

       C. They may take measures to protect their lungs from the ash.

       D. They may stay indoors till the volcanic eruption dies down.

61. Why have some European countries cancelled flights after the volcanic eruption?

A. Because the volcanic ash may make passengers ill.

B. Because people refuse to take the international flights.

C. Because the volcanic ash may jam or damage the engine.

D. Because the flights may be hit by the rocks from the eruption.

62. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. All the flights are likely to return to normal in 48 hours.

B. British people had experienced a worse airspace restriction before that.

C. Germany is monitoring the situation and considering closing all airspace. 

D. The UK airspace restrictions are unlikely to be lifted in the foreseeable future.

SHANGHAI: The Transportation Information System for 2010 Shanghai World Expo has been completed and put into trial operation, officials said yesterday.

The system which consists of three sub-systems will provide seven options to receive transportation information, including websites, transportation guides, radio and TV broadcasting, hotlines, message signs, mobile phone and enquiry machines, to satisfy tourists’ requirements for transport information in the Expo garden and around the city at all time.

Option 1: Official site for Expo traffic information

Inspired by Aichi Expo and the Beijing Olympic Games, the Shanghai event will also launch its official website of traffic information, www.jtcx.sh.cn. Mobile phone users can log on to www.jtcx.sh.cn/m. The website delivers daily traffic information as well as travel guide around Expo garden, and advocate using public transport during the event.

Option 2: Expo Transportation guide

Two portable travel guides were produced for the convenience of tourists in the Yangtze River Delta.

One mainly targets visitors from the 19 prefecture-level cities of the Yangtze River Delta. The map introduces information of intercity coach lines, car parks, subway transfers. It will be distributed free at highway tolls and is also available for download on the website.

The other one focuses on visitors in Shanghai. The map will detail the various entries leading to the Expo site, as well as bus stops and subway stations around the city. The introduction of over 90 bus lines connecting the Expo garden to the rest of the city will also be listed. The map will be available at hotels, railway stations, airports and residential areas.

Option 3: Radio and television broadcasts

Visitors can also get updated traffic information at home or on their mobile devices as the Shanghai Traffic information center will broadcast live traffic condition via radio and TV during the event, so that travelers can adjust their travel plan accordingly.

Option 4: Expo transport hotline

If radio and television broadcasts can not meet your needs of traffic information, organizers in Shanghai have also set up a special hotline for Expo traffic enquiries. There will be two hotline numbers 962010 and 12319 at your service twenty-four hours.

Option 5: Variable message signs

For drivers the variable message signs will become the first choice to access to traffic information. During the Expo, the signs will play an important role in helping drivers to receive traffic flow, speed, models and other information, as well as traffic incidents and road closure information, so as to avoid congestion.

Option 6: Mobile phone browsers and taxi terminals

Visitors can obtain real-time traffic conditions via mobile phone browsers. Traffic information will also be provided to car mounted terminals on the 4,000 Expo taxis, which will enable drivers to have timely access to real-time status on roads.

Option 7: Touch screen enquiry machine

As for visitors who stay at hotels who are unfamiliar with the place, the tourism bureau have set up in more than four hundred 3-star hotels the Tourist Information enquiry machine. Visitors can check at terminal routes to Expo garden from the hotels.

Which of the following is the best title of the passage above?

A. Seven ways to get Expo transportation info    B. Information on the move

C. Transportation on the way                  D. Shanghai and Expo

Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Visitors can get the map of Shanghai Expo Transportation free of charge.

B. Visitors have access to the hotline of Expo traffic enquires only at night.

C. Traffic drivers will be well informed of the traffic conditions on the road.

D. Not all the 3-star hotels are equipped with the screen enquiry machines.

The underlined word “congestion” probably means ____.

A. squeeze                  B. jam                       C. noise                     D. mess

During the Shanghai Expo, tourists can know the traffic information in the following way EXCEPT ____.

A. TV                      B. Radio                   C. Internet                 D. Magazine