NOT all memories are sweet. Some people spend all their lives trying to forget bad experiences. Violence and traffic accidents can leave people with terrible physical and emotional scars. Often they relive these experiences in nightmares.
Now American researchers think they are close to developing a pill, which will help people forget bad memories. The pill is designed to be taken immediately after a frightening experience. They hope it might reduce ,or possibly erase(抹去) the effect of painful memories.
In November, experts tested a drug on people in the US and France. The drug stops the body releasing chemicals that fix memories in the brain. So far the research has suggested that only the emotional effects of memories may be reduced, not that the memories are erased.
The research has caused a great deal of argument. Some think it is a bad idea, while others support it.
Supporters say it could lead to pills that prevent or treat soldiers' troubling memories after war. They say that there are many people who suffer from terrible memories.
"Some memories can ruin people's lives. They come back to you when you don't want to have them in a daydream or nightmare. They usually come with very painful emotions," said Roger Pitman, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. "This could relieve a lot of that suffering."
But those who are against the research say that changing memories is very dangerous because memories give us our identity (特質(zhì)). They also help us all avoid the mistakes of the past.
"All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were horrible at the time but make us who we are. I'm not sure we want to wipe those memories out, "said Rebecca Dresser, a medical ethicist.
【小題1】The passage is mainly about ________.

A．a(chǎn) new medical research

B．a(chǎn) new invention of the pill

C．a(chǎn)n argument about the research on the pill

D．a(chǎn) way of erasing painful memories

【小題2】The drug tested on people can ________.

A．prevent body producing certain chemicals

B．cause the brain itself to recover memories

C．help people remember the memories

D．wipe out the emotional effects of memories

【小題3】We can infer from the passage that ________.

A．the pill will prevent people's bad experiences

B．people argue about the effects of the pills

C．taking the pill will do harm to people's health

D．the pill has probably been produced in America

【小題4】Which of the following does Rebecca Dresser agree with?

A．Some memories can help avoid the mistakes made in the past.

B．Changing memories is very dangerous.

C．Experiencing bad events makes us different from others.

D．The pill will reduce people's sufferings from bad memories.

The way we get about has a deep influence on the way we live－affecting where we set up home, work and holiday. So what changes might come in the way we get around? What big ideas are out there, and do they have any chance of coming true?
Personal Air Travel
The idea: flying cars
Developments in light small plane technology will make it possible for everyone to own what are, in fact, flying cars. They will have closed cabins, heating, stereos and room for two people.
You will take off from a field near your home and fly to towns and cities. After landing, you will take off the fixed wing and continue your journey by road just as if you were traveling by car.
Fuel efficient engines and the advantage of being able to travel in the sky will keep costs and the environmental influence down.
Flying for Fun
The idea: Jet Packs
The idea was a hit when a stuntman (特技演員) flew around on one during the opening ceremony of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, which was very successful.
You’ll be able to use the equipment－roughly the size of two scuba tanks fastened to your back－for short journeys.
They will be handy for cleaning hard-to-reach windows, arriving in style at a party and shopping.
Taxis
The idea: driverless taxis
These computer-controlled taxis will take you wherever you want along a fixed route, whenever you want to go.
For the price of one person’s bus fare, several people can ride at speeds of up to 25 mph, and there will be fences to guard against accidents.
There will be little, if any, wait for the use of the taxis, which will leave from stations and will be used by prepaid cards.
The taxis, which will travel on a 1.5 m-wide track, will use 75% less energy per passenger than a car and 50% less than a bus.
【小題1】The passage is mainly about ________.      

A．future travel	B．big ideas and dreams
C．a(chǎn)dvanced technology	D．the influence of travel

【小題2】We learn from the passage that flying cars ________.

A．will operate only in the sky

B．will be more expensive than common cars

C．will have fewer bad effects on the environment

D．won’t be equipped with things similar to what cars have

【小題3】With Jet Packs, we can do all the following EXCEPT________.

A．a(chǎn)ttend a party	B．clean high windows
C．go shopping	D．have a long journey

【小題4】As for driverless taxis, we can infer that__________.

A．We can go wherever we want in them

B．They will be both cost-effective and safe

C．It costs more to take them than to take ordinary cars

D．They will be operated by computers as well as by people

As most university students are packing their bags，boarding trains or flying home for the Spring Festival，some will stay behind to spend the holiday on campus．
Zhou Yunyun，22，a senior finance major at Jilin University，has decided that instead of traveling to Hainan province，he will kill the time by playing computer games with his online friends．
“I'm used to chatting and playing with them every day．It’s just fun to make friends this way，”he said．“When I returned home in past years，my relatives always asked me a lot of questions about my plans after graduation．They had high expectations of me，which made me feel stressed，” said Zhou．
The campus，usually lively，will probably turn into a death town，with most restaurants，shops and student centers closed during the break．But there are also a few advantages，according to Jia Debao，2 1，a junior majoring in administration at China Agricultural University．“I might feel a bit lonely，but at least I can stay away from my parents’ complaining and enjoy the peaceful and quiet stay，” he said．“More importantly，I can enj oy the high speed of the Internet，I can always find empty seats in classrooms，and I don’t have to wait to use the bathroorm” But education experts recommend students who stay on campus to come up with more interactive plans．That’s because communication on the Internet can’t replace real life interpersonal relationships．
Society has promoted a kind of“couch potato" or close-in culture among some young people, according to Shi Tongyu, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He warned that this kind of lifestryl can damage students’ mental and physical development.
“When you constantly stare at a computer screen and type on your keyboard，you gradually lose the ability to socialize and survive normally，"said Shi．“A human’s most important task is to survive，which cannot be completed by staying at home all the time． Instead，it must be achieved through real life experience and communication．”
【小題1】What can we learn about Zhou Yunyun?

A．He feels very lonely on campus．

B．He will promote close-in culture．

C．He will spend the Spring Festival with relatives．

D．He will spend the Spring Festival with on-line friends．

【小題2】Spending the Spring Festival on campus for Jia Debao means         .

A．he will miss his parents a little bit

B．there will be more seats in classrooms

C．he will have a quiet and peaceful break

D．the speed of the Internet will get faster

【小題3】The underlined phrase“couch potato” is closest in meaning to        .

A．inactive person	B．close friend
C．sociable student	D．a(chǎn)ddicted gamer

【小題4】What do education experts recommend students to do?

A．To do some traveling．

B．To stay more with families．

C．To find empty seats in classrooms．

D．To experience real life and communication．

Beautiful cars surrounded by even more beautiful models--it’s no secret why the 2012Beijing Auto Show was popular.
The exhibition was held between April 23 and May 2. Although renowned companies showed off their top models, it wasn’t just their expensive sports cars that grabbed people’s attention.
Concept cars are a way for designers to test out their ideas on the public with complete freedom. They can try out cars with special features that could not be massively(批量) produced easily.
Designers don’t have to follow industry rules；they don’t even need to worry about whether their cars would be fllowed on the roads．
At the Beijing Auto Show，the@Ant by Chery was one concept car to draw a lot of attention．China Daily called it‘‘the very definition of a concept car”．
The vehicle is powered by electricity and is capable of driving itself．But the magic doesn’t end there．
The@Ant was inspired by actual ants．According to Car News China，with the help of automated telemetric systems，@Ants are able to“see” other@Ants and compare  destination information. If two are heading the same way for a while, the vehicles connect, with one car’s rear (后面的)wheels matching up with the front wheels of another car．Up to 10@Ants can be put together and will automatically connect to form a“train"．This  will help save energy while traveling, as well reducing traffic jams.
The car sounds like a great idea．Further research will be needed to turn this concept  car into something for the market，but concepts like Chery’s  show how carmakers are  working for cleaner and greener vehicles．It’s like what the@Ant motto says，“Exploring future human beings’lifestyles”．
【小題1】The concept car is getting popular because         .

A．it looks like an ant

B．it is beautifully designed

C．it is exhibited as a top model

D．it conveys a new idea for the future

【小題2】How can the@Ants help save energy while travelling according to the passage?

A．By connecting each other and running together．

B．By driving themselves without man’s control．

C．By comparing their destination information．

D．By reducing traffic jams on the roads．

【小題3】What the designers of the concept car need to do at the Auto Show is         .

A．to test the safety of the concept car

B．to follow the rules in the car industry

C．to show their unique idea of complete freedom

D．to see if concept cars can be massively produced

【小題4】The best title of the passage is         .

A．Concept Cars Are Driving to the Future

B．The@Ant Draws a Lot of Attention

C．The@Ant Is a Top Model of Concept Cars

D．Concept Cars Are Cleaner and Greener

The smallest animal with a backbone（脊椎） known to science, a fish from the carp family, has been discovered in the peat swamps （沼澤）of Indonesia. Mature（成熟的）females of the fish species （種類）Paedocypris reach just 7.9mm in length.
The species was discovered in the highly acidic (酸性的) peat swamps of the Indonesian island of Sumatra by a team led by Ralf Britz, a zoologist at the Natural History Museum in London.
“This is one of the strangest fish that I’ve seen in my whole career,” Dr Britz said. “It’s tiny, and it lives in acid. I hope that we’ll have time to find out more about them before their habitat disappears completely.”
The species lives in dark tea-colored swamp waters, which are 100 times more acidic than rainwater. Although these swamps were once thought to be inhabited by very few animals, recent research has shown that they are home to a highly different range of species that occur nowhere else.
The peat swamps were damaged by forest fires in 1997, and are also threatened by agriculture. The scientists behind the discovery said that several populations of Paedocypris had already been lost.
“Many of the peat swamps we surveyed（調(diào)查）throughout South-East Asia no longer exist,” Dr Britz said. “Populations of all the miniature（微型的）fish of peat swamps have decreased or disappeared.”
Details of the discovery are published today in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B.
【小題1】64.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．The Strangest Fish

B．Acidic Peat Swamps

C．Strange Species

D．The Smallest Backbone Animal

【小題2】65.Where does the smallest backbone animal live?

A．It lives in highly acidic rainwater.

B．The species lives in the acidic waters of dark tea-coloured swamps.

C．It was put in the Natural History Museum in London.

D．Its habitat disappears completely.

【小題3】66.According to the passage, the forest fires in 1997 have led to the fact that______.

A．many places where these animals lived have been damaged

B．the population of the specieshas increased

C．there are many animals in the acidic peat swamps today

D．a(chǎn)griculture doesn’t affect the living space of these animals

【小題4】67.Dr Britz’s words imply______.

A．the habitat will be more after a period of time

B．many peat swamps that they surveyed have already survived

C．he wants to find more miniature fishes before their habitat disappears

D．he wants to have further research

Recently a Beijing father sent in a question at an Internet forum(論壇) asking what “PK” meant. “My family has been watching the ‘Super Girl’ singing competition TV program. My little daughter asked me what ‘PK’ meant, but I had no idea,” explained the puzzled father.
To a lot of Chinese young people who have been playing games online, it is impossible not to know this term. In such Internet games, “PK” is short for “Player Kill”, in which two players fight until one ends the life of the other.
In the case of the “Super Girl” singing competition, “PK” was used to refer to the stage where two singers have to compete with each other for only one chance to go up in competition ranking.
Like this father, Chinese teachers at high schools have also been finding their students’ compositions using Internet jargons(行話) which are difficult to understand. A high school teacher from Tianjin asked her students to write compositions with simple language, but they came up with a lot of Internet jargons that she didn’t understand.
“My ‘GG’ came back this summer from college. He told me I’ve grown up to be a ‘PLMM’. I loved to ‘FB’ with him together; he always took me to the ‘KPM’,” went one composition.
“GG” means Ge Ge(Chinese pinyin for brother). “PLMM” refers to Piao Liang Mei Mei(beautiful girl). “FB” means Fu Bai(corruption). “KPM” is short for KFC, Pizza Hut and McDonald’s.
Some specialists welcome Internet jargons as a new development in language.
If you do not even know what a Kong Long(dinosaur, referring to an ugly looking female) or a Qing Wa(frog, referring to an ugly looking male) is, you will possibly be regarded as a Cai Niao!
【小題1】By writing the article, the writer tries to              .

A．explain some Internet language

B．suggest common Internet language

C．laugh at the Beijing father

D．draw our attention to Internet language

【小題2】What does the writer think about the term “PK”?

A．Fathers can’t possibly know it.

B．The daughter should understand it.

C．Online game players may know it.

D．“Super Girl” shouldn’t have used it.

【小題3】The examples of the Beijing father and the Tianjin teacher are used to show that Internet jargons              .

A．a(chǎn)re used not only online

B．can be understood very well

C．a(chǎn)re welcomed by all the people

D．cause trouble to our mother tongue

【小題4】 What would be the best title for the passage?

A．A puzzled father	B．Do you speak Internet-ish?
C．Keep away from Internet-ish	D．Kong Long or Qing Wa?

To get a chocolate out of a box requires a lot of unpacking: the box has to be taken out of the paper bag in which it arrived, the cellophane (玻璃紙) wrapper has to be torn off, the lid opened and the paper removed, the chocolate itself then has to be unwrapped from its own piece of paper. But this overuse of wrapping is not limited to luxuries. It is now becoming increasingly difficult to buy anything that is not done up in beautiful wrapping.
The package itself is of no interest to the shopper, who usually throws it away immediately. Useless wrapping accounts for much of the refuse put out by the average London house-hold each week. So why is it done? Some of it, like the cellophane on meat, is necessary, but most of the rest is simply competitive selling. This is absurd. Packaging is using up valuable energy and resources and polluting the environment.
Recycling is already happening with milk bottles which are returned to the dairies (牛奶場）, washed out, and refilled. But both glass and paper are being threatened by the growing use of plastic. More dairies are experimenting with plastic bottles.
The trouble with plastic is that it does not rot. Some environmentalists argue that the only solution to the problem of ever increasing plastic containers is to throw away plastic altogether in the shops, a suggestion unacceptable to many producers who say there is no alternative (替代品) to their handy plastic packs.
It is evident that more research is needed into the recovery and re-use of various materials and into the cost of collecting and recycling containers rather than producing new ones. Unnecessary packaging, intended to be used just once, and to make things look better so more people will buy them, is clearly becoming increasingly absurd. But it is not so much a question of throwing away packaging as using it wisely. What is needed now is a more advanced approach to using scarce resources for what is, after all, a relatively unimportant function.
【小題1】The underlined part “this overuse of wrapping is not limited to luxuries” in Paragraph l means ______.

A．more wrapping is needed for ordinary products

B．the wrapping used for luxury products is unnecessary

C．more wrapping is used for luxuries than for ordinary products

D．too much wrapping is used for both luxury and ordinary products

【小題2】Why is packaging important to producers?

A．It is easy to use it again.

B．Packaged things will not go rotten.

C．They want to attract more shoppers.

D．Shoppers are all interested in beautiful packaging.

【小題3】According to the passage, dairies are ______.

A．reusing their paper containers

B．giving up the use of glass bottles

C．increasing the use of plastic bottles

D．experimenting with the use of paper bottles

【小題4】Some environmentalists think that ______.

A．too much plastic is wasted

B．shops should stop using plastic containers

C．no alternative can be found to plastic packaging

D．plastic packaging should be made more convenient

Shopping green can make an important contribution to protecting the planet and conserving its resources.
Today’s consumer faces a wider range of choices than ever before, Add to that the steady stream of sales campaigns, and shopping smart only gets harder. To buy economically and reduce waste, safeguard health and protect the environment, you’ll need to follow some basic principles and have a clear idea of what you want.
1. Do Your Homework
Before making any major purchase, take the time to research it. Plentiful resources are usually available online. Avoid buying in a hurry, and don’t be persuaded by overenthusiastic salespeople. Sleep on it if necessary—you won’t regret giving yourself some extra time to think.
2. Take the Long View
Consider the running costs as well as the initial price of any item you buy. Many environmentally friendly products cost more to buy, but save you money in the long run. Choose items that are made to last. For example, pick a sofa that has a hardwood or steel frame rather than one made of softwood, which may break easily.
3. Skip the Disposable Option
Buy reusable products like washable cloth towels, handkerchiefs, serviettes（餐巾）and cleaning cloths rather than paper, single-use varieties. Avoid other disposable supplies like cups, glasses, and chopsticks, too.
4. Take the Local Route
Buy local products that are in season. It’s usually cheaper and fresher and has less harm to the environment. Markets and roadside stands are good sources. Some supermarkets also buy from local producers. Support it if you have one.
5. Avoid Wasteful Packaging
Better not buy products that have too much packaging. It’s estimated that approximately 10 percent of every shopping bill is actually paying for packaging—which you normally just throw away! Moreover, significant amounts of energy are used in the production of packaging. Purchasing refillable and renewable containers can also help cut this kind of waste.
【小題1】What could be the best title for this passage?

A．Protection of the Planet

B．Green Shopping Principles

C．Environmentally Friendly Products

D．Resource Conservation

【小題2】The underlined phrase “sleep on it” has the similar meaning with      .

A．think it over	B．forget about it
C．set it aside	D．put it into action

【小題3】Why does the author advise us to buy lasting products?

A．Because they are less expensive to buy.

B．Because they save money in the long run.

C．Because they will never break.

D．Because they are local products.

【小題4】Which of the following can be considered green shopping?

A．Following the stream of sales campaigns.

B．Buying disposable chopsticks.

C．Focusing on packaging.

D．Purchasing from local markets.

Since the 1970s, scientists have been searching for ways to link the brain with computers. Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology could help people with disabilities send commands to machines.
Recently, two researchers, Jose Millan and Michele Tavella from the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland, demonstrated a small robotic wheelchair directed by a person's thoughts.
In the laboratory, Tavella operated the wheelchair just by thinking about moving his left or right hand. He could even talk as he watched the vehicle and guided it with his thoughts.
“Our brain has billions of nerve cells. These send signals through the spinal cord (脊髓) to the muscles to give us the ability to move. But spinal cord injuries or other conditions can prevent these weak electrical signals from reaching the muscles.” Tavella says. “Our system allows disabled people to communicate with external world and also to control devices.
The researchers designed a special cap for the user. This head cover picks up the signals from the scalp (頭皮) and sends them to a computer. The computer interprets the signals and commands the motorized wheelchair. The wheelchair also has two cameras that identify objects in its path. They help the computer react to commands from the brain.
Prof. Millan, the team leader, says scientists keep improving the computer software that interprets brain signals and turns them into simple commands. “The practical possibilities that BCI technology offers to disabled people can be grouped in two categories: communication, and controlling devices. One example is this wheelchair.”
He says his team has set two goals. One is testing with real patients, so as to prove that this is a technology they can benefit from. And the other is to guarantee that they can use the technology over long periods of time.
【小題1】BCI is a technology that can ________.

A．help to update computer systems

B．link the human brain with computers

C．help the disabled to recover

D．control a person's thoughts

【小題2】How did Tavella operate the wheelchair in the laboratory?

A．By controlling his muscles.

B．By talking to the machine.

C．By moving his hand.

D．By using his mind.

【小題3】Which of the following shows the path of the signals described in Paragraph 5?

A．scalp→computer→cap→wheelchair

B．computer→cap→scalp→wheelchair

C．scalp→cap→computer→wheelchair

D．cap→computer→scalp→wheelchair

【小題4】Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A．Switzerland, the BCI Research Center

B．New Findings About How the Human Brain Works

C．BCI Could Mean More Freedom for the Disabled

D．Robotic Vehicles Could Help to Cure Brain Injuries