大学英语之泛读第一册1 5单元答案[资料]

大学之泛读第一册1 5单元[资料] Cloze -- Passage 1 The French division of McDonald's has run advertisements that included a surprising ____1____: Kids shouldn't eat at McDonald's more than once a week. The advertisements, ____2____ information from specialists, aim to show that "McDonald's meals are part of a balanced weekly diet," said Euro RSCG, the agency that came up with the ads, which appeared this spring, mostly in French women's magazines. Alongside quotes from specialists addressing ____3____ and diets for children, the ads described how McDonald's hamburgers are made of 100 percent real beef and cooked on a grill free of ____4____ oil. One ad placed in Femme Actuelle in April quoted a nutritionist who said, "there's no reason to ____5____ fast food, or visit McDonald's more than once a week." The McDonald's Corp., based in Oak Brook, Ill., said in a statement Wednesday that it "strongly ____6____" with the nutritionist quoted in the French advertisement. "The vast majority of nutrition professionals say that McDonald's food can be and is a part of a healthy diet based on the sound nutrition ____7____ of balance, variety and moderation(适度)," the statement said. Since opening its first French branch in 1968, McDonald's has expanded ____8____ in France. More recently the multinational has come under fire from anti-globalization ____9____, farmers' groups, and in Paris, striking workers. Last year, sheep farmer-turned-activist Jose Bove became a standard-bearer for the French anti-globalization ____10____ when he led a group that ransacked(洗劫) a McDonald's in southern France. A) quoting B) continuously C) overweight D) suggestion E) abuse F) protesters G) occasionally H) additional I) tame J) movement K) disagreed L) healed M) principles N) conference O) prosperous Cloze -- Passage 2 Female cheetahs(印度豹) at the Bronx Zoo in New York just love Calvin Klein's Obsession for Men perfume. No, they don't ____1____their favorite perfume behind their ears, but they do enjoy rubbing up against tree trunks ____2____ with the scent. Instead this is part of a program of the Wildlife Conservation Society, which ____3____ New York City's zoos and aquariums, to keep animals healthy and happy. "We want to enrich the daily lives of the animals, both ____4____ and psychologically," Diana Reiss, senior research scientist at the Conservation Society, told reporter. "One of the ways we do that is offering our animals different kinds of scents to give them ____5____." The scents provide a way to stimulate the animals. Reiss said smell is ____6____ to the lives of animals. "With our cheetahs at the Bronx Zoo, we worked from ____7____ perfumes to expensive perfumes," she said. "The one they respond to the most is Calvin Klein Obsession for Men. But they also respond to inexpensive perfumes." The wildlife workers test the animals' ____8____ to various scents by spraying tree trunks with different perfumes or placing cinnamon or other spices in the animals' ____9____. "We'll observe how much time they spend in that area," Reiss said. But not all animals have high-class tastes when it comes to scents, Reiss said. Female cheetahs at the Bronx Zoo may rank Obsession for Men as their ____10____ perfume. But forget that for the pumas and lynx at the Queens Zoo. They like something that really smells. A) physically B) variety C) apply D) essential E) inexpensive F) response G) sprayed H) favorite I) considerably J) operates K) environment L) regulation M) initial N) frequency O) swear Cloze -- Passage 3 The Mona Lisa is showing her age, museum curators in Paris said while announcing a scientific study of the 500-year-old masterpiece. The thin wooden ____1____ around Leonardo da Vinci's painting is showing signs of warping, causing curators at the Louvre "some worry". The museum has ____2____ a study to evaluate the Mona Lisa's vulnerability to climate changes. The painting will remain on ____3____during the testing, the Louvre said. "Its state of preservation is ____4____the source of some concern," a statement issued by the museum said. Deterioration in its wood panel was "greater than that which has been ____5____observed," it added. The study, to be conducted by the Centre for Research and Restoration of Museums of France, will better ____6____what materials the painting is made of. The painting, whose ____7____smile attracts millions of visitors to the Louvre, is displayed behind glass to protect it from ____8____changes and camera flashes. It will be put in a specially ____9____room in the Louvre early next year. The Mona Lisa was painted between 1503-1506 and was thought to be named after the sitter, most likely the Florentine wife of Francesco del Giocondo. It moved to France with da Vinci in the early 16th Century, where it has ____10____except for a short spell when it was stolen in 1911. The painting was discovered two years later in a Florence hotel. A) mysterious B) previously C) dose D) commissioned E) charity F) climatic G) intentionally H) redecorated I) interfere J) display K) determine L) currently M) panel N) charming O) remained Cloze -- Passage 4 The ability to see words on either side of the point at which your eyes focus is called peripheral vision (周围 的视觉). Foreign students of English often feel that it is impossible to recognize so many words at a single ____1____ or within a short time. It is difficult for many ____2____speakers too, but it can be done. It is something that has to be done if you are to read as ____3____as you should. You can increase your peripheral vision by eye exercises. Equally important is the importance of moving your eyes from point to point in a uniform rhythm. Slow reading often ____4____from regression, the number of times your eyes have to go back. While practising to increase your peripheral vision and uniform rhythm, you may ____5____have to reread. Do not get ____6____. A smooth, forward rhythm comes with practice. ____7____your speed will get to the point where your eyes move comfortably forward without regression. A final ____8____of slow reading is forming the sounds of each word, even though you might not speak them aloud. The ____9____ American native speaks English at 180 to 200 words a minute. If you read each word in ____10____, it is impossible to read faster than this. Reading 200 words a minute is a dangerously slow speed. A) average B) eventually C) results D) column E) discouraged F) rapidly G) subsequent H) glance I) mind J) scratched K) process L) native M) occasionally N) cause O) offends Cloze -- Passage 5 It seems you always forget -- your reading glasses when you are rushing to work, your coat when you are going to the ____1____, your credit card when you are shopping… Such absent-mindedness may be ____2____to you. Now British and German scientists are developing memory glasses that ____3____everything the user sees. The glasses can play back memories ____4____to help the wearer remember things they have forgotten such as where they left their keys. And the glasses also allow the user to "label" items so information can be used later on. The wearer could walk around an office or a factory ____5____certain items by pointing at them. Objects indicated are then given a blank label on a screen inside the glasses that the user then ____6____in. It could be used in ____7____plants by mechanics looking to identify machine parts or by electricians wiring complicated a device. A spokesman for the project, said: "A car ____8____ for instance could find at a glance where a part on a certain car model is so that it can be identified and repaired. "For the ____9____ the system could highlight accident black spots or dangers on the road." In other cases the glasses could be worn by people going on a guided tour, indicating points of ____10____or by people looking at panoramas where all the sites could be identified. A) later B) motorists C) moisture D) noticeable E) frustrating F) fills G) dashing H) necessity I) record J) halts K) cleaners L) mechanic M) industrial N) interest O) identifying Careful Reading – Passage 1 In a recent book entitled The Psychic Life of Insects Professor Bouvier says that we must be careful not to credit the little winged fellow with intelligence when they behave in what seems like an intelligent manner. They may be only reacting. I would like to confront the Professor with an instance of reasoning power on the part of an insect which cannot be explained away in any other manner. During the summer, while I was at work on my doctoral thesis, we kept a female wasp at our cottage. It was more like a child of our own than a wasp, except that it looked more like a wasp than a child of our own. That was one of the ways we told the difference. It was still a young wasp when we got it and for some time we could not get it to eat or drink, it was so shy. Since it was female, we decided to call it Miriam. One evening I had been working late in my laboratory fooling around with some gin and other chemicals, and in leaving the room I tripped over a line of diamonds which someone had left lying on the floor and knocked over my card index which contained the names and addresses of all the larvae worth knowing in North American. The cards went everywhere. I was too tired to stop to pick them that night. As I went, however, I noticed the wasp was flying about in circles over the scattered cards. ―Maybe Miriam will pick them up‖, I said half laughingly to myself, never thinking for one moment that such would be the case. When I came down the next morning Miriam was still asleep in her box, evidently tired out. And well she might have been. For there on the floor lay the cards scattered all about just as I had left them the night before. The faithful little insect had bussed about all night trying to come to some decision about picking them up and arranging them in the boxes for me, and then had figured out for herself that, as she knew practically nothing on larvae of any sort except wasp larvae, she would probably make more of a mess of rearranging them than if she had left them on the floor for me to fix. It was just too much for her to tackle, and discouraged, she went over and lay down in her box, where she cried herself to sleep. 1. Professor Bouvier most probably agrees that __________. A. insects‘ reasoning power has nothing to do with intelligence B. wasps can only behave in an instinctive manner C. wasps are different from other winged creatures D. the issue of insects‘ intelligence need further research 2. The author took the wasp Miriam to the cottage because __________. A. Miriam was treated like a child B. Miriam was the pet of the family C. the author was studying insects for his doctoral thesis D. the author wanted to prove that insects have intelligence 3. When the card index scattered on the floor, the author __________. A. decided to pick them up the next morning B. believed Miriam would pick them up C. didn‘t understand why Miriam flew about over the cards D. found it ridiculous that Miriam would pick them up 4. By saying ―And well she might have been‖ (Sen. 2, Para. 6), the author thinks that Miriam was __________. A. exhausted B. intelligent C. energetic D. depressed 5. Which of the following statement was based on facts rather than on the author‘s pure thinking? A. Miriam cried herself to sleep. B. Miriam had bussed about all night. C. Miriam could only tell wasp larvae. D. Miriam had left the cards on the floor. Careful Reading – Passage 2 The 35-year-old Beijing woman is watching an ad showing a giant television made by the Chinese company Haier. A stream of introduction for the television floats in and out of view, including one about receiving electronic mail over the tube. A surfer rides the waves between skyscrapers, his wash leaving an ―@‖ in the water. The ad is ―too direct‖, she tells an interviewer. ―There is this guy talking, telling me all about the product, showing me some images. We get it – but we don‘t like it.‖ Since a Shanghai television station aired China‘s first TV commercial in 1979, most have been the plain, straightforward, tell-the-name-of-the-product-and-what-it-does kind. Those started disappearing the U.S. in the late 1960s in favor of more subtle pitches using irony and humor. Now a study says Chinese commercials don‘t have to talk down to consumers anymore either – at least the one-third of them living in China‘s prosperous cities, and who most interest advertisers. Even the Western agencies that win awards elsewhere for hip, inventive commercials usually keep it simple in China. After all this country only began flirting with capitalism 20 years ago and is fairly new to advertising. And to consumer culture, too. China is still a developing nation where an income of just $2,0000 a year qualifies an urban household as middle-class. On the other hand, city people who once aspired to own the ―big three‖ – a television, refrigerator and washing machine – have already moved up to DVD players and mobile phones. And with a population of 1.3 billion, the world‘s largest, China is a huge market. That is why the world‘s largest companies, from Coca-Cola to Procter $ Gamble, are battling it out in China. Advertisers spent more than $500 million dollars through the first half of the year, estimates market researcher, making China the largest advertising market in Asia after Japan. The prevailing view of many of those advertisers and their agencies is that the Chinese don‘t yet get clever or subtle advertising and they prefer a straightforward ad with lots of information. But the April survey of almost 500 people in five China‘s largest cities discovered ―a savvy urban population, tired of a diet of ?boring‘ ads and hungry to be treated as the sophisticated decision-makers they are.‖ In short, the Chinese appreciation of what makes a good ad is no different from their counterparts anywhere else in the world. 1. The 35-year-old woman was dissatisfied with the Haire TV because __________. A. there is too much misleading information about it B. its function is too similar to that of a computer C. its advertisement was too difficult to understand D. it has been advertised in a simple-minded way 2. By saying that ―Chinese commercials don‘t have to talk down to consumers‖, the author suggests that __________. A. the plain and straight-forward way of advertising should be abolished B. it is not necessary to take up irony and humor in advertisement C. advertisers are more interested in how to attract the high-class citizens D. those disappearing in the U.S. may be just appropriate in China 3. What can we learn about the consumer culture in China? A. It is not as complicated as that outside China. B. It has not been fully understood yet. C. Its influence on advertising is still limited. D. It is one of the most important products of capitalism 4. The author will agree that China‘s middle-class households __________. A. are interested in inventive ads instead of simple ones B. earn less than the overseas middle-class households C. contribute most to China‘s consumer market D. no longer aspired to own the ―the big three‖ 5. The passage mainly intends to discuss __________. A. the most effective ways of advertising in China B. the development of advertising styles in China C. consumers‘ view on the ads in China D. a misconception on the ads in China Careful Reading – Passage 3 The HMS Ontario is one of the most famous shipwrecks and was discovered by two Rochester engineers Jim Kennard, 64, who has spent more than half his life pursuing The HMS Ontario, along with Dan Scoville, 35, a shipwreck diver. They discovered The HMS Ontario deep off the southern shore of Lake Ontario when side-scanning sonar system that Mr. Kennard, a retired Kodak engineer, designed and built himself, showed a picture of something deep in Lake Ontario. The location of the shipwreck had been unknown for 228 years. Experienced ship wreck divers Jim Kennard and Dan Scoville have discovered seven of Lake Ontario‘s estimated 500 shipwrecks in the last six years alone. Jim Kennard also designed a microwave-sized remote submersible that they deployed to go down and take the shipwreck‘s video. The shipwreck is quite deep in Lake Ontario, so the remote machine with video was very useful. ―Right away we saw the quarter gallery, the windows in the stern, the cannons,‖ said Jim Kennard. ―There was no mistaking. That‘s when we started getting excited.‖ The discovery of the ship wreck was confirmed by The HMS Ontario expert Canadian Arthur Britton Smith, who authored the definitive book on the HMS Ontario. The loss of the HMS Ontario, is one of the worst-ever disasters recorded on Lake Ontario. In her time The HMS Ontario was the most-feared ship on the Great Lakes. It was 1780 and the Yankees were threatening to storm across Lake Ontario and seize Montreal from the British. But the intimidating 226-ton Ontario – 22 cannons, two 80-foot masts, a beamy hull with cargo space for 1000 barrels, was intimidating. On Oct. 31, 1780, she sailed into a storm with around 120 passengers on board and was never seen again. The British tried to keep the news of the ship wreck hush hush. The HMS Ontario appears to be in perfect shape and The HMS Ontario has aged remarkably well though zebra mussels cover much of the woodwork. Leaning on a 45-degree angle, her masts still jut straight up from her decks where several guns lie upside-down and a brass bell, brass cleats and the stern lantern are perfectly visible. The Seven windows across her stern still have glass. Shipwrecks in cold freshwater are well preserved, that is why great lakes shipwrecks are prized. At 500 feet deep, where the HMS Ontario lies, there is no light and no oxygen to speed up the decomposition, and little marine life to feed on the wood. There was no evidence of the roughly 113 Canadian men, women, children and American prisoners who went down with the ship - the passengers – mostly Canadian soldiers from the 34th regiment – were never found. Nobody knows for sure how many passengers perished on the Ontario; the British kept their prisoner counts secret. Out of worries over looting, Mr. Jim Kennard and Mr. Dan Scoville are not revealing The HMS Ontario‘s location. The vessel sits in water up to 500 feet deep and cannot be reached by anyone other than experienced divers. It is not believed to have any shipwreck treasure on it as was reported other than a few shipwreck coins that belonged to the passengers. Kennard said he and his partner have gathered enough ship wreck video of the ship that it will not be necessary to return to the site. He added that they hope to make a documentary about the discovery with the video of the shipwreck. The Great Lakes host many shipwreck locations and there are an estimated 4,700 shipwrecks in total, of which 500 are in Lake Ontario. Freshwater shipwrecks are famous for their preservation of the vessels and make popular diving spots. 1. The two discoverers of the HMS Ontario saw its video __________. A. with the help of a scanning sonar system B. with the help of a remote submersible C. on an Ontario TV channel D. on a DVD about history 2. The HMS Ontario was most probably a __________. A. cruise liner B. fishing boat C. war ship D. cargo ship 3. Great Lakes shipwrecks are highly valued because __________. A. they are well protected against decomposition B. they need to be explored with high technology C. they are of great use to the research of history D. they have much well-preserved treasure on board 4. What is Not true about the HMS Ontario? A. No trace of human being has been found in the shipwreck. B. The passengers were evacuated before the ship sank. C. The ship used to belong to the British Navy. D. There was not much treasure on the ship. 5. What will Jim and Dan do with the HMS Ontario shipwreck? A. They will take it to the surface when they get more financial fund. B. They will make it a popular diving spot. C. They will reveal the location of the ship when the video is released. D. They will leave the shipwreck where it is. 6. Which paragraph is Not about the finding of Jim and Dan? A. Paragraph 3. B. Paragraph 4. C. Paragraph 5. D. Paragraph 6. Careful Reading – Passage 4 Self-Portrait with Straw Hat (1887), a van Gogh self-portrait done in Paris, is one of his most intriguing yet most neglected works. The artist‘s gloomy eyes stare out from his face in half-profile, facing to the left, and the world-weary expression initially appears to support the view of critics such as James Risser, who explains van Gogh‘s self-portraits as a sustained search for identity. Self-Portrait with Straw Hat (1887) initially appears to comply with Risser‘s evaluation. In this work, the painter depicted himself wearing a jumper of intense blue before a background done almost entirely in gray but with noticeable blurs of blue—most notably in the top right corner. Overall the painting appears to be unfinished, a hastily done portrait that the painter abandoned to create more lasting works. In its incomplete state we can precisely read ―an unfinished life,‖ and in the wild strokes of casual blue in the background and splashed across the artist‘s garments we are instantly confronted with the sense of growing ―more and more out of control.‖ But is this an accurate evaluation? On the one hand, Risser seems to have legitimate cause for envisioning van Gogh‘s self-portrait as psychological self-analysis, a painting that ―reveals an emotional intensity hiding beneath the surface‖. But is the chaotic surface effect of the blue in this painting actually a form of self-criticism, the artist‘s own intense and emotional despair over his loss of control—or is it representative of an underlying aesthetic whose focus is not the painter himself? An intriguing alternative exists: van Gogh may not have painted the self-portraits as psychoanalytical evaluations of himself, but instead merely as experiments in technique. The artist often stated that he painted himself only because he lacked other models, a view found in the critical work of both Richard Kendall and T.J. Shackelford. Perhaps, then, van Gogh was not trying to learn about himself but about art as a whole while painting these portraits and hence we ought to read the self-portraits as a series of statements about art itself. The key to this analysis may be a careful exploration of the special color symbolism van Gogh attached to the color blue. Unlike our everyday association of blue with melancholy or boredom, the artist imagined blue as a symbol for the infinite or the limitless. Such a view calls into question the idea that self-portraits such as van Gogh‘s Self-Portrait with Straw Hat (1887) were a psychological profile of the artist‘s melancholy or despair. Instead, when we consider blue‘s special symbolic role as the infinite in van Gogh‘s Paris self-portraits, we discover a new narrative describing the painter‘s own aesthetic: his insistence that the future of art lay in expressive rather than realistic methods. 1. What does James Risser think of van Gogh‘s self-portraits? A. Different self-portraits represent van Gogh‘s different attitude towards life. B. Many of his self-portraits have been neglected by critics. C. Van Gogh sought for identity through all his self-portraits. D. Van Gogh expressed his weariness of the world in most of his self-portraits. 2. Which description is mentioned in the second paragraph about van Gogh‘s Self-portrait with a Straw Hat? A. The painting is not well done. B. The painting mainly used gray. C. The painter used blue but erased it later. D. The portrait showed a depressed emotion. 3. Who felt that the self-portrait showed ―an unfinished life‖? A. Van Gogh himself. B. Risser‘s opponents. C. The author. D. James Risser. 4. According to Richard Kendall and T.J. Shackelford, the Self-portrait with a Straw Hat may not have anything to do with __________. A. van Gogh‘s painting technique B. the symbolism of color C. the psychological analysis of the painter D. the painter‘s aesthetic 5. According to van Gogh himself, his self-portraits were intended to be __________. A. narrative B. expressive C. analytic D. artistic Careful Reading – Passage 5 It took me a decade to realize that the world has no shortage of fashion designers who are capable of making trendy, elegant, sexy and sophisticated garments, but that it is badly in need of, simply, clothes designers. My own definitions would set fashion and clothing greatly apart. It is a fact that, in the world of metropolitan shopping malls and high-end boutiques, there are plenty of beautiful garments whose very unpredictability make our life colorful, and compel a multitude of desires. You are almost convinced: you can buy whatever you dare to think. As experience grew with age, my attraction to art became ever stronger. The world of art revealed new spiritual prospects, a food for the heart and the sense of happiness that comes from catching sight of a friend from a past life. My journeys into the remote countryside, far away from urban life, carry me to deeper thoughts and explorations of the values of life. I am no longer satisfied by the practical and ornamental functions of clothing that are changing in modality, nor breakthroughs in form, much less does the drive for reputation or profit enter into my work. I yearn strongly for clothing to stand as does paint to the painter, as does stone to the sculptor, as a simple and particular language of an individual creation, which draws the audience from an appreciation of the surface to deeper thoughts and conversations with the world of the soul. I have a strong desire to explore the mental life and spiritual world of human beings. And through the works of hand that have touched me deeply, I believe that the most sublime and most meaningful creative motives should arise through caring for other people, the ultimate care of humanity—a concern for human feeling and spirituality. This includes love, but it is bigger than love, and it is unconditional. I believe the greatest works of art can touch the deepest and strongest parts of human feeling and the world of the spirit, and only these works can be the memories of history, preserving the most valuable feelings that have ever existed, and inspiring a greater awareness of ourselves. I am not satisfied if people only appreciate clothing if it makes them happy, or visually appealing, or merely serves their needs. I believe clothing could be a specific creative language, and has infinite possibilities for communicating ideas and transmitting thoughts, for inspiring you and shaping your behavior. The spiritual qualities which I pursue stand in complete opposition to the trends of modern fashion What I find profoundly engaging are the primitive eras of human history, when people held nature in the deepest reverence and made objects of the utmost simplicity. Those crafts fashioned out of necessity, and not by the hands of celebrated masters, possess a power that can endure across the ages. These designs may still resonate through the millennia and arrest the values of contemporary fashion. This is what I have pursued, for clothing to return to its original simplicity. For our sensibilities which have been over-stimulated by fashion, we must regain a natural sense of clothing. Genuine fashion today should not follow the glamor of trends. It should instead uncover the extraordinary in the ordinary, for I believe that the ultimate luxury is not the price of the clothing, but its spirit. 1. According to the author, the fundamental factor a fashion designer needs to consider is __________. A. the unpredictability of the clothing B. the desires of the consumers C. the creation of the clothing itself D. the shifting trend in fashion 2. The author‘s desire for art was inspired by __________. A. the life of one of his friends‘ B. his experience as a designer C. his journey in the countryside D. the consumers‘ changed need 3. Which of the following is of least interest to the author in his designing work? A. The functions of clothing. B. The spirit implied in clothing. C. The appreciation of the consumers. D. The prospect of reputation and profit. 4. By saying ―This includes love‖ (Sentence 7, Paragraph 2), the author regards love as __________. A. that can be achieved through the works of hand B. a form of concern for human feeling and spirituality C. the most important component of the spiritual world D. one of the most sublime and meaningful creative motives 5. The author indicated that the primitive crafts were made as a result of __________. A. respect for nature B. simplicity C. necessity D. spiritual pursuit Fast Reading -- Passage 1 Secrets of Grade-A Parents Helping your child get ahead at school starts at home When Carey Graham started Grade One, he got a very special teacher. ―She recognized my passion for learning,” says the now 20-year-old. ―Every morning we‘d sit down with workbooks and do writing and math exercises. And any time during the day, she could always be counted on to read to me. She always encouraged me to learn all I could about everything.‖ This extraordinary teacher was his mom, Jeanne Lambert, who homeschooled Graham until high school. He‘s now in his second year in the University of Toronto‘s Peace and Conflict Studies program, having received a provincial ―Aiming for the Top‖scholarship. Graham is considering a law degree or a master‘s in political science down the road. He attributes his academic success to the foundation laid by his parents. ―They understood the importance of reacting to a child‘s interests,” says Graham.―Every opportunity—whether building an addition to our house or a family trip outside—was used to enhance my learning.‖ While Graham‘s type of education is becoming more and more popular, most people can‘t give up the time or income to teach their kids at home, and many are more confident in mainstream schooling. But even if you send your kids off on the school bus every morning, you can still give them many of the benefits of homeschooling. After all, you‘ve been teaching your children successfully since infancy, and that teaching role doesn‘t end just because a child is in school. Parents need to remind themselves that no matter how qualified their child‘s teacher, they are the ones who know their child best—what motivates and excites him, when he has the energy to learn. ―You can‘t be a parent without being a teacher,” says Bruce Arai, a professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. ―Perhaps the most important teaching in a child‘s life is done by his parents, not by some professional with certificates,” he says. Homeschooling isn‘t about sitting your kids down in the kitchen and teaching them in the formal sense, says Arai, but about ―making sure the resources and opportunities for learning are available to them.‖ And that, any parent can do. Here, then, are some methods that parents who would never consider homeschooling can pick up from those who do. Lesson 1 Think Outside the Classroom ―Education can take place anywhere,” says homeschooler Gina Rozon of La Ronge, Sask. When her ten-year-old daughter, Liana, became interested in rocks, Rozon didn‘t just consult a book for information. ―I phoned some friends until I found somebody who knew somebody who knew somebody who was married to a geologist (地质学家). He was happy to come over and examine Liana‘s rocks with her. He also told us about his job at a mine and the education required to do it.‖ When homeschooler Kerri Paquette, a mother of six, was building a house in Lansdowne, she saw it as a learning opportunity. ―They learned math as we measured, about soil as we dug the foundation, about water while we did the plumbing, and about electricity when we did the electrical work. My children make the subjects come alive as much I do,” says Paquette. Her kids, aged three to 13, continue to view the world as their classroom. They study food and plant growth through their organic garden. They learn about cows by talking to the neighboring farmers. And they learn math, measuring and science while helping Paquette cook. ―The other day my nine-year-old, Maddison, started learning a new educational computer program. The section on fractions was all new, but she knew it from when we bake.‖ Every activity, says Paquette, can include a lesson. Lesson 2 Eliminate Learning Limits A teacher with a class of 25 students can‘t continue a unit on, say, the body just because one child is still keen—but you can. ―We don‘t have a time frame that restricts our investigations, and we don‘t have a daily schedule,” says Linda Clement, who homeschools her two daughters in Victoria. When her 14-year-old showed an interest in the human body, the curious student read dozens of relevant books and surfed web sites. Janet‘s curiosity took her in all sorts of directions: a dictionary of poisons and antidotes, an encyclopedia of medicine, books about human personality and much more. The benefit to your child goes beyond a thorough knowledge of a subject. Studying deeply a topic builds independent research skills and a love of learning. ―If my children are interested in a subject,” says Clement, ―we can go as far into the subject, answering as many questions as they have, for as long as is necessary. This freedom encourages their investigations.‖ Lesson 3 Teach Your Kids Their Way Some children are visual learners (they absorb best when they see something), some are auditory (they need to hear it), some are kinesthetic (they need hands-on experience) and some are a combination. Uncovering how your child learns best will increase your effectiveness in helping him or her with schoolwork. Unsure of your child‘s learning style? Ask his teacher. The way Melissa Cowl‘s six children, aged three to 15, pick up on math highlights the great differences in learning styles. ―Our ten-year-old, Matthew, needs everything in black and white: Tell him what to do and how to do it, and it‘s done,” says the mother. ―He had a math text that was too colorful, with a layout that was difficult to follow. I switched to a text that was more step-by-step, more concrete. Now he does math tests with no trouble. ―Our eight-year-old, Ryan, however, is very hands-on. For math, he uses a variety of colorful pens to gure out things like addition and fractions. He needs to see it and feel it. Not one of my kids learns the same way fi as the others.‖ Lesson 4 Let Them See You Learn One of the best parts of homeschooling is that you can continue your own education—and your kids can see you doing it and pick up on your love of learning. The same principle can be applied by any parent. ―Learning never ends,” says Julia Goforth, a homeschooling mother of four. ―We try new things all the time, whether I‘m reading something new or we‘re all tasting foods we‘d never normally eat.‖ Reversing the roles also has benefits, giving kids a sense of pride in their own newfound knowledge. ―Today my 12-year-old daughter, Denise, explained to me how she figured out a math problem. She‘d wound up with the right answer, but I didn‘t understand how she managed it,” says Rozon. ―Our kids are teaching us all the time.‖ Learning doesn‘t always go smoothly, for kids and adults alike, which is why it‘s important for children to see their parents struggle with something new. ―My children watched me turn my life around by trying new things,” says Goforth.―I went from being a fearful, stay-at-home mom to an adventurous artist‘s model and public speaker. Learning to belly dance and play the violin is on my to-do list this year.‖ Lesson 5 ―Own‖ Your Children‘s Education ―Helping them isn‘t about showing your kids how to do the work. It‘s about being genuinely interested and having regular conversations about what they‘re learning,” says J. Gary Knowles, a professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Rozon has many suggestions for how to get more involved. ―Get to know the teacher. Discuss ways to design the assignments to your child‘s learning style. Spend time in the classroom. Ask for outlines of unit studies so you can find additional materials at the library or through videos. Read your child‘s textbooks: If you work a few pages ahead, you‘ll be able to help them with problems they encounter.‖ Reading is another must, says Rozon. ―Even after your children can read themselves, hearing somebody else read aloud is important. We nearly always bring a book wherever we go; we read for at least a half hour before bedtime.‖ The more engaged a parent is, the more the child benefits, adds Bruce Arai. ―The evidence is clear: Parental involvement is one of the most important factors in school success. The hours children spend in class are but one element of their education.‖ ―I see every moment of every day as a learning experience,” says Goforth. ―The most satisfying part of it is seeing the love of learning continued. I‘m not controlling my children‘s desire to learn by insisting they learn. They learn because they want to.‖ Adds Jeanne Lambert, mother of Carey Graham: ―Make the time, take the time, guide, lead, and encourage. If nothing else, your children learn you care, and that‘s the most important lesson you can give them.‖ 1. Who is Carey Graham‘s special teacher when he started Grade One? A. His elder sister. B. His elder brother. C. His father. D. His mother. 2. Carey Graham may most probably study __________ after his graduation from university. A. biology B. political science C. education D. international trade 3. What does Bruce Arai suggest to parents who take up homeschooling? A. The resources and chances for learning should be provided in homeschooling. B. Parents should get a teaching certificate before homeschooling their kids. C. Parents should replace homeschooling with mainstream schooling. D. Homeschooling should be as formal as mainstream schooling. 4. When the kids help Kerri Paquette cook, they learn about __________ at the same time. A. food and plant B. math and science C. wildlife and animals C. plumbing and electricity 5. What is true about Kerri Paquette‘s children? A. She has three boys and three girls. B. Maddison is one of her sons. C. Her eldest kid is thirteen years old. D. Her smallest kid is too young to learn. 6. Janet read books about human personality so as to understand about __________. A. the way libraries work B. how personality influences people‘s behaviors C. the best way of homeschooling children D. the human body 7. Children who learn best from hands-on participation can be classified as __________. A. visual learners B. auditory learners C. kinesthetic learners D. combination learners 8. Matthew had difficulty with math when the math text was __________. 9. Julia Goforth believes that learning never ends, so she is going to learn to __________this year. 10. Always before bedtime, Rozon reads with the children for __________. Fast Reading -- Passage 2 Tips for Those Who Travel Alone When it comes to traveling, sometimes taking a journey alone can be great. Traveling alone allows for a time of self-reflection, relaxation and self-discovery, when you can take the time to soak in the finer things the world has to offer. The independence gained by going alone allows for the opportunity to experience your choice destination exactly the way you want. Planning your trip: Where to stay So you‘ve finally decided to take advantage of some well-earned vacation time and visit Prague, the city of your dreams. Because you‘ll be all by yourself, the planning of your trip is automatically different. One of the first questions worth attention is how you‘re going to spend your time in the beautiful Czech Republic capital. Are you going on a shoestring budget, or would you rather go all-out and book a room in a fancy hotel? Because traveling alone means your money is funding the trip, a wise choice would be to stay in youth hostels. Cast away the wrong idea that these places are uncomfortable and dirty, and accept the fact that hostels provide safe, clean, comfortable, and most importantly, cheap housing that millions of students and economical travelers take advantage of every year. It is relatively easy to book a room at a hostel via the Internet, and plenty of information is available about each one. On the other hand, if you can‘t wait to take advantage of room service and a Jacuzzi bath, then turn to a hotel. Have a plan Along with securing your accommodations, prepare a route of the journey for each day before you leave. This plan should include everything from visiting all the famous landmarks to some relaxation time, which is essential since you‘ll be likely walking for miles in your comfortable shoes (invest in a good pair, it will pay off). As great as organization is, however, you may not, at times, have to be restrained by your plan so as to leave room for some sceneries unexpected or unplanned on your trip. That is exactly the beauty of traveling alone: You are your own master, and while preparation is key, there is always room to do something wild. Important information prior to takeoff One of the hardest parts of traveling in general is coming up with a list of what you‘ll need to bring with you (or leave behind). Thinking of these all-important items becomes all the more difficult (and necessary) when you have no one else to rely on. Luggage Whatever luggage you take, make sure it‘s easy to handle. The best solution is to take one hold-all, be it a suitcase or a backpack, and then a smaller bag which you can hang loosely from your shoulder. It‘s also a good idea to keep a change of clothing in your shoulder bag in case your suitcase or backpack gets lost by an airline or bus company. Carry a dictionary If you‘re heading for a foreign country, don‘t leave home without a bilingual dictionary. Although a strong grasp of Czech will prove quite difficult, it is still important to learn phrases like ―thank you,” ―hello,” ―please,” and ―I didn‘t know she charged money for her time,” in case you‘re in trouble. Make copies of documents Make a copy of all essential travel documents such as your passport and health insurance. Keep the copies separate or leave them behind with someone you trust, in the event of an emergency. Bring a credit card Along with cash, bring a credit card as an emergency method of payment and make sure to take note of your credit card company‘s customer service line in case of loss or theft. That way, you can cancel your card immediately and have a new one delivered to you while on your trip (if possible). Pack pleasure items A book to enjoy on a train ride or on the beach, a journal to record your experiences, and maps to educate yourself on the layout of the land (you can get these from a tourism bureau), can make a world of a difference. With these things in mind and a positive spirit, you are now officially ready to set out on your own. Finally there You‘ve taken the big step, said goodbye to family and friends, endured a long plane ride, and are finally in the place you dreamed of visiting... until now. You might be quite overwhelmed by your new surroundings, but there are ways to control these feelings of over-stimulation. Instead of being an outsider looking in, try to transform yourself into a relaxed traveler who is not held back by minor frustrations, such as long lines at the train station or delays in visiting hours of certain landmarks. If you planned accordingly, then you can afford to ―waste‖ time at the busy tourist hotspots. Besides, you‘re on vacation, and have nowhere to be,选 Another benefit of traveling alone is the ability to explore museums and engage in other time-consuming activities. There is no pressure to rush through exhibits or cut the visit short; pace yourself and take in the masterpieces, whether you‘re an art lover or just a beginner. Getting around Make an effort to walk everywhere—within reason, of course. This will help you get in touch with the area (so to speak) and observe the locals in their element. Using your legs also allows you to find interesting shops and cafes more easily than if you were on some poor-quality tour bus. Your goal should be to blend in, something a well-designed (and perhaps overpriced) tour won‘t likely offer. Wear loose, light clothing because the more comfortable you feel, the more willing you will be to stay out an extra hour to explore a section you might have overlooked. Remain enthusiastic, relaxed and prepared, and the stories you will have to share upon your return will be priceless. Extra tips: Bring along a camera with lots of films. Leave your route with someone at home, along with the numbers of each place you‘re staying at. It‘s okay if your plans are sketchy, but if there is a big change in your plans, you might want to e-mail the new information to your ―in case of emergency‖ person back home. Stay safe and keep an eye out when it comes to money or your belongings; you don‘t have a companion to catch the pickpocket creeping up from behind. While having fun is important, so is safety. Be carefree, but don‘t throw caution to the wind. 1. Which description is true about the city Prague? A. It is most visited by self-service tourists. B. It is the most beautiful in East Europe. C. It is the capital city of Czech Republic. D. It is a city famous for its fairy tales. 2. According to the author, youth hostels are __________. A. safe but uncomfortable B. cheap but inconvenient C. popular and pleasant D. economical and tidy 3. What is not included in the services of youth hostels? A. Access to the Internet. B. Jucuzzi bath. C. Breakfast. D. Swimming pool. 4. The author suggests that you should bring with you __________ in your shoulder bag. A. a map of the destination B. a change of clothing C. an interesting book D. some convenience food 5. If you have problems with the foreign language, you should __________. A. take a bilingual dictionary along B. seek help from travel agencies C. be ready to hire an interpreter D. avoid talking to local citizens 6. If you bring a credit card, make sure you take down __________ in case of loss or theft. A. the card number B. the name of the card company C. the service number of the card company D. the record of every expenditure 7. A tourism bureau may provide you with __________. A. postcards B. information about hotels C. information about transportation D. maps 8. When you arrive at the destination, you should turn yourself into a relaxed traveler instead of __________. 9. Traveling alone has a benefit that you can enjoy visiting museums, although it may be __________. 10. Poor-quality tour buses are less likely to take you to __________. Fast Reading -- Passage 3 Why DIY? The reasons why people engage in DIY have always been numerous and complex. For some, DIY has provided a rare opportunity for creativity and self expression. For others it has been an unwelcome necessity, driven purely by economic considerations. Then there has been a group which feels that a building can never be a home unless it has been altered and modified to reflect a change of occupancy. A final group has traditionally adopted the measure that if you want a job done well, you must do it yourself. The same four basic species of DIYers exist today, although these various motives may now share some substantially similar characteristics. The perfectionist in search of the good job done well is often also driven by a desire for creativity. There are also two new categories of motive—the pursuit of DIY as a leisure activity and DIY as a form of occupational therapy. These, again, share some characteristics with other reasons. DIY as necessity There is a significant number of young homemakers (38% of our interviewees) for whom there is no option but DIY. Their new home, whether bought on a mortgage (抵押) which consumes a major part of their income, or rented at similarly challenging rates, will often require essential redecoration and even structural repair. Some of these people are reluctant first-time DIYers. They would much prefer to hire professionals, but can‘t afford to do so. The majority, however, welcome the opportunity that need has forced upon them to get involved for the first time in the real business of creating a home—with all of its unfamiliar physical labor and the learning from the beginning of new techniques. In time, many will move to one of the other categories of DIYer, continuing to exercise their new found talents and enthusiasm when no longer forced by financial restrictions to do o. s DIY as territorial marking Even those who have bought a brand new ―starter home‖, the type which becomes increasingly popular around the edges of our towns and cities, will feel compelled to add personal touches of a less dramatic kind to disguise its otherwise boring and expressionless nature. Putting a ―personal mark on the place‖ was one of the most frequently reported motives for DIY, with 72% of sample seeing this as being a very important aspect. DIY as self-expression Many young people today are frustrated artists—their potential creative talents just waiting for the chance to reveal themselves. There are also those seeking opportunities for a sense of achievement and personal fulfillment. DIY provided just such opportunities for the overwhelming majority of our interviewees (84%). They spoke at length of their sense of pride after completing their very first DIY task, and about how this experience gave them the drive to tackle more ambitious projects. This sense of creative achievement comes both from the choices made by the first-time DIYer—the selection of colors, textures and components to apply to the ―canvas‖ of the home—and from the application of specific skills and techniques. The manufacturers of DIY materials clearly understand this and now provide a wide range of ―arty‖ products to fuel creative urges. At the same time, they make the materials themselves much easier to use—the DIY equivalent of painting by numbers. Special paint effects, which once required the specialist knowledge and training of the true professional, can now be achieved straight out of the can with a simple brush. talents.Hence, a new generation of home decorators takes pride in new-found DIY as perfection-seeking A large proportion of first-time DIYers (63%) distrust builders and decorators. They feel that most are ―cowboys‖ and that even the more reputable ones are very unlikely to have the same loving attention to detail and care as the DIYer. Some had previously suffered from the so-called repairs of small builders, while others were proud of the fact that no tradesman of this kind had ever set foot in their home. Within this group there were those who were content for builders to perform basic or structural work, and to undertake tasks such as plastering which are beyond the competence of most DIYers, particularly the younger beginner in our sample. The finishing work, however, was something these people kept for themselves—the final ―perfecting‖ of what otherwise would be just an ordinary result. This drive for perfection was also evident among the ―strippers‖ in this group. The idea of putting wallpaper over existing paper, or even paint on the top of preceding coats, was to be cursed. Everything needed to be taken back to the bare plaster or the naked wood before any new decoration could be applied. Some interviewees recognized that this search for perfection could sometimes go too far: ―It‘s puzzling me really. There‘s always something I‘m working on. I‘m never happy with anything.‖ The problem perfectionists face is that progress can be very slow. One young female partner of such a perfectionist said, ―My boyfriend spent so long decorating the bedroom that I had to hire in someone to do the living room.‖ The living room was finished first. When perfectionists are obliged, by nagging or circumstance, to speed things up, other problems can result: ―The only time I rushed a job was when we had friends coming for the weekend. I was so unhappy with it that I painted it again after they had gone.‖ DIY as leisure activity For a significant minority of first-timers (28%), DIY is seen as a new and entertaining pastime. It is not really work, but something similar to entertainment, shared by both partners and even the children in the case of young families. ―It‘s just great fun,” one of our samples said enthusiastically. The idea that DIYing is similar to a trip to the lions of Longleat may seem strange. But for these interviewees home-making was sufficiently different from, and infinitely preferable to, the dull routines of weekday work to constitute a weekend break. The results of such activity were rewarding, but probably less so than engaging in the activity itself. DIY as therapy ―It has healing powers, doesn‘t it? I‘m always in my own little world when I‘m doing DIY—it‘s great.‖ So said a young man of 27 in our sample. ―For me it‘s occupational therapy,” said another interviewee. For them and others it was their way of getting rid of stress after a long day at work—a way of relaxing and using the repetitive nature of many DIY tasks as a way of relaxing. Others hinted at a similar process, where DIY was almost an end in itself, rather than just a means to achieving a better home. In this sense they were similar to those who saw DIY as a form of leisure, but it was the psychological effects which were emphasized by 18% of our sample. While people in this group might sound upset, lacking the basic social skills to get a life outside of the home, they were quite the opposite. DIY provided a transitional stage between work and play—something which allowed them to relax and rid themselves of tensions, becoming more capable of social communication in the process. 1. Besides the traditional motives of DIY, the new categories of motive include the pursuit of DIY as __________. A. economic necessity B. chances of creativity C. leisure activity D. self expression 2. What do the young homemakers think of buying a new home on mortgage? A. It costs more money than renting a home. B. It is as challenging as renting a home. C. It is the last option they would choose. D. It costs even more than food and drinks. 3. The reluctant first-time DIYers would rather have been able to __________. A. hire professionals to do the homemaking B. decorate their new home more beautifully C. find less expensive decoration materials D. learn the techniques of decoration at school 4. A brand new starter home becomes more and more popular __________. A. with young married couples B. near the urban areas of big cities C. as advertisers keep promoting it D. around the border of towns and cities 5. Nowadays, special paint effects can be achieved __________. A. by anyone with a painting machine B. by specially-trained professionals C. by any DIYers with simple tools D. by few people with artistic knowledge 6. A large proportion of first-time DIYers use the term ―cowboys‖ to refer to ___________. A. DIY material manufacturers B. builders and decorators C. ambitious and creative DIYers D. professional interior designers 7. It has been found that most young DIY beginners are not competent enough for __________. A. plastering B. plumbing C. gardening D. roof tiling 8. ―Strippers‖ are people who are driven by the pursuit of DIY as __________. 9. A significant minority of first-timers (about twenty-eight percent of the interviewees) take DIY as __________. 10. People who take DIY as a form of leisure and those who take DIY as therapy similarly think of DIY as __________. Fast Reading -- Passage 4 GPS The Global Positioning System is a space-based triangulation system using satellites and computers to measure positions anywhere on earth. It is first and foremost a defense system developed by the United States Department of Defense, and is referred to as the ―Navigation Satellite Timing and Ranging Global Positioning System‖ or NAVSTAR GPS. The uniqueness of this navigational system is that it avoids the limitations of other land-based systems such as limited geographic coverage, lack of continuous 24-hour coverage, and the limited accuracies of other related navigational instruments. The high accuracies obtainable with the Global Positioning System also make it a precision survey instrument. GPS Components: the Space Segment, the Control Segment, and the User Segment. Space Segment The Space Segment of the system consists of the GPS satellites. These space vehicles (SVs) send radio signals from space. The GPS Operational Constellation consists of 24 satellites that orbit the earth in 12 hours. There are often more than 24 operational satellites as new ones are launched to replace older satellites. The satellite orbits repeat almost the same ground track (as the earth turns beneath them) once each day. The orbit altitude is such that the satellites repeat the same track and area over any point approximately each 24 hours (4 minutes earlier each day). here are six orbital planes (with four SVs in each), equally spaced (60 degrees apart), and inclined at about T fifty-five degrees with respect to the equatorial (赤道的) plane. This constellation provides the user with between five and eight SVs visible from any point on the earth. Control Segment The Control Segment consists of a system of tracking stations located around the world. The Master Control facility is located at Schriever Air Force Base (formerly Falcon AFB) in Colorado. These monitor stations measure signals from the SVs which are incorporated into orbital models for each satellites. The models compute precise orbital data and SV clock corrections for each satellite. The Master Control station uploads orbital data and clock data to the SVs. The SVs then send subsets of the orbital ephemeris (星历) data to GPS receivers over radio signals. User Segment The GPS User Segment consists of the GPS receivers and the user community. GPS receivers change SV signals into position, speed, and time estimates. Four satellites are required to compute the four dimensions of X, Y, Z (position) and Time. GPS receivers are used for navigation, positioning, time distribution, and other research. Navigation in three dimensions is the primary function of GPS. Navigation receivers are made for aircraft, ships, ground vehicles, and for hand carrying by individuals. Precise positioning is possible using GPS receivers at reference locations providing corrections and relative positioning data for remote receivers. Surveying, geodetic control, and plate tectonic studies are examples. Time and frequency distribution, based on the precise clocks on board the SVs and controlled by the monitor stations, is another use for GPS. Astronomical observatories, telecommunications facilities, and laboratory standards can be set to precise time signals or controlled to accurate frequencies by special purpose GPS receivers. Research projects have used GPS signals to measure atmospheric parameters. GPS Accuracy At present the system consists of 24 satellites at an altitude of about 20,000 km having an orbital inclination of 55 degrees. The orbits are almost circular and it takes 12 hours for a satellite to complete a pass around the Earth. GPS signals are broadcast from a cluster of 24 or more earth orbiting satellites. Because the GPS signals are derived from the atomic frequency standards on board each satellite, they are widely used as a reference for time synchronization and frequency adjustment. The real time positioning accuracy of a single receiver is normally up to 100 meters horizontally and 150 meters vertically. However, various methods have been developed which enable much higher accuracy (centimeter level). GPS Receivers There are a variety of different types of GPS receivers on the market for commercial and public use. Prices range from $500-$30,000, reflecting the accuracy and capabilities of the instruments. For the general outdoorsman, a good GPS receiver should have 8 satellite tracking capability and be capable of receiving the GPS satellite signals through forest covering in northern Ontario shield area; for the professional user, a minimum 8 satellite tracking capability, high memory capacity, differential GPS capability, and resistance to signal weakening under forest covering is essential; for the professional surveyor requiring high level precision and accuracy capability, they should assess the project or application for which the technology is to be used with the help of an unbiased consultant, in order to determine the most cost effective and appropriate instrument. Navigational Units Small hand held units at relatively low cost allow boaters and hikers to know their position within a few hundred meters. This accuracy is sufficient for recreational use. Mapping A hand held or similar unit at mid-range price that is linked to a fixed broadcast base station. These units allow utility companies, municipalities and others to locate various items (telephone poles, waterlines, valves) with a positional tolerance of several meters. This is suitable for some Geographical Information Systems (GIS) mapping purposes. GPS and Policing GPS technology offers numerous benefits to law enforcement agencies of all types. For some agencies, the navigational capabilities offered by GPS enhance efficiency and safety. These navigational applications can be used to support a variety of policing and criminal justice functions. Other agencies use GPS positioning technologies to carry out special operations or to provide enhanced personnel safety. For example, using computerized maps of their rights given by law, cooperated with GPS, aviation personnel can determine location, speed and time. The positioning capabilities offered by GPS may also contribute to the success of specialized law enforcement operations such as in controlling vehicles. One such program operated in Minneapolis led to a 60% reduction in auto theft after only one month. The automatic vehicle location systems can not only provide efficiency of response and help ensure officer safety, but also provide officer with accurate information concerning the best response route to an incident. What‘s more, they can provide officers information that allows the closest patrol officers to be dispatched to a particular incident. Advanced Transportation Management Systems (ATMS) are heavily dependant upon GPS technology to provide data about the road system. GPS allows for law enforcement personnel to clear roadway blockages to ensure the safety of motorist. Most people associate law enforcement with the prevention, reduction, and prosecution of criminal activity. In fact, a large portion of local law enforcement resources are involved in facilitating the movement of people and vehicles in a safe manner. In conclusion, large-volume commercial applications such as cellular phones, personal communication systems, and in-vehicle navigation systems will fuel continued development of these technologies. What was ultimately the domain of the Department of Defense is rapidly becoming available for business, private, and general government use. Policing and public safety in general, will benefit from these market forces. It is clear that there are a number of GPS applications for policing. 1. The passage mainly discusses the components of GPS. 2. GPS satellites are space vehicles which send radio signals from space. 3. Navigation, the primary function of GPS, involves data of four dimensions: X, Y, Z (position) and Time. 4. The highest positioning accuracy of a receiver can now reach meter-level. 5. For the professional surveyor requiring high level precision and accuracy capability, a good GPS receiver should have a minimum 8 satellite tracking capability. 6. GIS mapping may be done with a hand-held or similar unit at medium-range price. 7. Thanks to the GPS system, the auto theft rate in Mineapolis had been reduced by sixty percent in a month. 8. Limited geographic coverage, lack of continuous 24-hour coverage, and the limited accuracies of other related navigational instruments are the disadvantages of __________. 9. The prices of various GPS receivers are determined by __________. 10. The accuracy of a hand-held GPS unit at relatively low price is good enough for __________. Fast Reading -- Passage 5 Are we ready for the library of the future? Librarians or providers of tech support? Librarians today will tell you their job is not so much to take care of books but to give people access to information in all forms. Since librarians, like so many people, believe that the entire universe of commerce, communication and information is moving to digital form, they are on a reform to give people access to the Internet—to prevent them from becoming second-class citizens in an all-digital world. Something funny happened on the road to the digital library of the future, though. Far from becoming keepers of the keys to the Grand Database of Universal Knowledge, today‘s librarians are increasingly finding themselves in an unexpected, overloaded role: They have become the general public‘s last-resort providers of tech support. It wasn‘t supposed to be this way. Today‘s libraries offer a variety of media and social-cultural events—they are ―blended libraries,” to use a term created by Kathleen Imhoff, assistant director of the Broward County Library of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. At the newly remodeled San Francisco Public Library, the computers are prominently displayed in the center of the library building while the books are all but hidden on the periphery (外 围). Imhoff‘s own library has word processing and other types of software for visitors to use, Internet access, audio CDs, videotapes, concerts, lectures, books and periodicals in three forms (print, microfiche and digital). Many libraries have found that this kind of ―blending‖ is hugely popular in their communities, and librarians explain the changes in their institutions‘ roles by pointing to the public demand for these new services. But other trends are at work, too. Can computers really help visitors to find what they want? For some time, libraries have been automating their back-end, behind-the-desk functions for reasons of cost and convenience, just like any other business. Now, the computers have moved out from behind librarians‘ desks and onto the floor where the visitors are. This means that, suddenly, library-goers will have to know how to use those computers. This sounds reasonable enough until you take a close look. Unfortunately, the same technology that cuts costs and relieves librarians of work behind the scenes increases it for the public—and for the librarians at the front desk who have to help the public figure out how to use the technology. The unhappy result: People are simply not finding the information they seek. If you are just coming to the library to read a book for pleasure and you know what a card catalog is and you have some basic computer skills, then you are going to be OK. But if you are trying to find some specific information—say, whether software in the classroom helps kids learn better or the causes of lung cancer or the basic procedure for doing a cost-benefit analysis of computer systems (three topics I have actually tried to look up in the San Francisco library)—then you‘re in trouble. What should a visitor of the future library be equipped with? To begin with, library visitors must now be able to type, to use a mouse and a menu and to understand the various types of computer interfaces (terminal text, windows and browsers). It‘s also nice if you know 17 different ways to quit a program, which electronic databases you should look in for what kinds of information, the grammar necessary to define your search and the Library of Congress‘ controlled vocabulary. After I had been to the new San Francisco library three times, I started keeping a folder of instructions on how to do a keyword search (fi a=author, for example), since I would forget between visits. Probably half the population has never used a computer, fewer know how to type and almost nobody knows anything about electronic databases or searching grammar. As a result, the public library is now engaged in a massive attempt to teach computer literacy to the entire country. Some librarians compare it to the adult literacy programs the library also sponsors, but this is on a far larger scale—and less closely tied to the library‘s traditional mission. What do libraries do to help visitors to get prepared for the future libraries? The response at each library system has been different. Some libraries actually give courses in word processing, accounting program and so on. But even at libraries where the staff has resisted becoming computer trainers, they are still forced to devote significant resources to the problem. Such has been the case in San Francisco, where people with disabilities can sign up to use the voice-recognition program Dragon Dictate—but only if they can prove they already know how to use the software. The librarians have neither the time nor the peculiar skill (nor the time to develop the skill) to teach it to them. At the reference desks, librarians try not to spend a lot of time teaching people the basics of how to use the computer, but sometimes it‘s unavoidable. ―We try to get them started,” says business librarian John Kenney. ―We let them do as much as they can on their own and they come get us. It‘s certainly a big problem.‖ The San Francisco library offers classes on its own electronic catalog, commercial periodical indexes and the Internet twice a week as well as occasional lectures about the Internet. Although it seems odd to me that people now need to take a two-hour class before they can use the library, the classes are always full. But despite the excellent teachers, two hours is simply not enough to meet the needs of the students, many of whom have never used a computer before in their lives and many of whom simply can‘t type. When I took the class one Tuesday, the man sitting next to me said he has used the library‘s computer catalog many times, but he keeps making typing mistakes without knowing it. This unexpectedly throws him into the wrong screens and he doesn‘t know how to get back. On the floor, he repeatedly has to ask a librarian for help. Libraries‘ own trouble ―Providing technology does not mean people can use the technology,” says Marc Webb, a San Francisco librarian and one of the teachers. ―Half the voters are still trying to read English.‖ The library has also had to deal with the practical difficulties of making its catalog accessible via the Internet, a new service many libraries are starting to offer. ―It‘s absolutely overwhelming,” Webb says. ―Everyone is getting to us with multiple transports, they‘re all using different software, they have Winsock or Telnet set up differently, and suddenly the library is forced to become a hardware and software help desk. When you‘re trying to tell someone over the telephone how to set up Winsock through AOL when this is the first time they‘ve ever used a computer, it‘s very difficult.‖ 1. In today‘s libraries, the librarians are people who __________. A. take care of the books B. conduct better-reader programs C. provide tech support for the public D. help promote the popularity of the library 2. According to Kathleen Imhoff, libraries at the present time are __________. A. traditional libraries B. blended libraries C. digital libraries D. high-tech libraries 3. What is true about the San Francisco Public Library? A. There are only computer databases, without books. B. Books are no longer open to the general public. C. Computers are more prominently displayed than books. D. The number of librarians has been decreased sharply. 4. Libraries have been automating their back-end, behind-the-desk functions in consideration of __________. A. cost and convenience B. advancement of technology C. the demands of readers D. the number of visitors 5. If you have some basic knowledge of card catalogue and computer skills, you will be able to __________. A. a software that helps improve learning ability B. a program that can do financial analysis C. a medication for fever D. a book for pleasure 6. Which of the following programs is sponsored by public libraries? A. Wildlife protection programs. B. Adult literacy programs. C. Environmental reseach programs. D. Family planning programs. 7. Dragon Dictate is a sofeware which is used to help __________ in library use. A. school children B. the blind or deaf C. elderly people D. the disabled 8. The San Fransisco library requires its visitors to take a ___________ couse before they can use the library. 9. The man sitting next to the author in the class could not open the right screen because of his __________. 10. Recently, many libraries are trying to provide the visitors with a new service: __________.