B
Special Bridges Help Animals Cross the Road
----- Reported by Sheila Carrick
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.
Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more concerned with how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road.
Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads, the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason? Roadkill.
"Ecopassages" may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. "These ecopassages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid human conflicts," said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Conservation Society.
But do animals actually use the ecopassages? The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an ecopassage that went under a highway. This showed that the lion used the passage.
Builders of some ecopassages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals as different as salamanders and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses.
The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might see an animal overpass!
45. The writer uses the example of “ocelots” to show that_________.
A．wild animals have become more dangerous
B．the driving conditions have improved greatly
C．the measure for protecting wildlife fails to work
D．a(chǎn)n increasing number of animals are killed in road accidents
46. From the news story, we know an ecopassage is_________.
A．a(chǎn)n underground path for cars B．a(chǎn) fence built for the safety of the area
C．a(chǎn) bridge for animals to get over a river D．a(chǎn) pass for animals to cross the road
47. When the writer says that animals seem “to be catching on”, he means_________.
A．a(chǎn)nimals begin to realize the dangers on the road
B．a(chǎn)nimals begin to learn to use ecopassages
C．a(chǎn)nimals are crossing the road in groups
D．a(chǎn)nimals are increasing in number
48. The writer asks visitors and drivers to look around when traveling because_________.
A．wild animals may attack cars B．wild animals may jam the road
C．they may see wild animals in the park D．they may see wild animals on ecopassages
C
In the course of working my way through school, I took many jobs I would rather forget. But none of these jobs was as dreadful as my job in an apple plant. The work was hard; the pay was poor; and, most of all, the working conditions were terrible.
First of all, the job made huge demands on my strength. For then hours a night, I took boxes that rolled down a metal track and piled them onto a truck. Each box contained twelve heavy bottles of apple juice. I once figured out that I was lifting an average of twelve tons of apple juice every night.
I would not have minded the difficulty of the work so much if the pay had not been so poor. I was paid the lowest wage of that time—two dollars an hour. Because of the low pay, I felt eager to get as much as possible. I usually worked twelve hours a night but did not take home much more than $ 100 a week.
But even more than the low pay, what made me unhappy was the working conditions. During work I was limited to two ten-minute breaks and an unpaid half hour for lunch. Most of my time was spent outside loading trucks with those heavy boxes in near-zero-degree temperatures. The steel floors of the trucks were like ice, which made my feet feel like stone. And after the production line shut down at night and most people left, I had to spend two hours alone cleaning the floor.
I stayed on the job for five months, all the while hating the difficulty of the work, the poor money, and the conditions under which I worked. By the time I left, I was determined never to go back there again.
49. Why did the writer have to take many jobs at that time?
A．To pay for his schooling B．To save for his future
C．To support his family D．To gain some experience
50. The following facts describe the terrible working conditions of the plant EXCEPT_________.
A．loading boxes in the freezing cold B．having limited time for breaks
C．working and studying at the same time D．getting no pay for lunch time
51. What is the subject discussed in the text?
A．The writer’s unhappy school life
B．The writer’s eagerness to earn money
C．The writer’s experience as a full-time worker
D．The writer’s hard work in an apple plant
52. How is the text organized?
A．Topic—Argument—Explanation
B．Opinion—Discussion--Description
C．Main idea—Comparison—Supporting examples
D．Introduction—Supporting examples—Conclusion
D
Supermarkets are trying out new computers that make shopping carts more intelligent (具備智能的). They will help shoppers find cups or toilet soap, and keep a record of the bill.
The touch-screen devices (觸摸屏裝置) are on show at the Food Marketing Institute's exhibition here this week. "These devices are able to create value and get you around the store quicker," said Michael Alexandor, manager of Springboard Retail Networks Inc., which makes a smart cart computer called the Concierge.
Canadian stores will test the Concierge in July. A similar device, IBM's "shopping buddy," has recently been test-marketed at Stop & Shop stores in Massachusetts.
Neither device tells you how many fat grams or calories are in your cart, but they will flash you with items on sale. The idea is to make it easier for people to buy, not to have second thoughts that maybe you should put something back on the shelf.
"The whole model is driven by advertisers' need to get in front of shoppers," said Alexandor. "They're not watching 30-second TV ads anymore."
People can use a home computer to make their shopping lists. Once at the store, a shopper can use a preferred customer card to start a system (系統(tǒng)) that will organize the trip around the store. If you're looking for toothpicks, you type in the word or pick it from a list, and a map will appear on the screen showing where you are and where you can find them.
The devices also keep a record of what you buy. When you're finished, the device figures out your bill. Then you go to the checker or place your card into a self-checkout stand and pay.
The new computerized shopping assistants don't come cheap. The Buddy devices will cost the average store about $160,000, and the Concierge will cost stores about $500 for each device.
53. The underlined word “they” (paragraph1) refers to_________.
A．supermarkets B．shop assistants C．shopping carts D．shop managers
54. Which of the following is the correct order of shopping with the computerized shopping carts?
a. Start the system. b. Make a shopping list.
c. Find the things you want. D. Go to a self-checkout stand.
A．a(chǎn)bdc B．bacd C．a(chǎn)cbd D．bcad
55. We can learn from the last paragraph that_________.
A．intelligent shopping carts cost a large sum of money
B．the Concierge is cheaper than the Buddy devices
C．shop assistants with computer knowledge are well paid
D．a(chǎn)verage stores prefer the Concierge to the Buddy devices
56. What might be the most suitable title for the text?
A．New age for supermarkets
B．Concierge and Shopping Buddy
C．New computers make shopping carts smarter
D．Touch-screen devices make shopping enjoyable
Special Bridges Help Animals Cross the Road
----- Reported by Sheila Carrick
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.
Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more concerned with how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road.
Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads, the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason? Roadkill.
"Ecopassages" may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. "These ecopassages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid human conflicts," said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Conservation Society.
But do animals actually use the ecopassages? The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an ecopassage that went under a highway. This showed that the lion used the passage.
Builders of some ecopassages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals as different as salamanders and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses.
The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might see an animal overpass!
45. The writer uses the example of “ocelots” to show that_________.
A．wild animals have become more dangerous
B．the driving conditions have improved greatly
C．the measure for protecting wildlife fails to work
D．a(chǎn)n increasing number of animals are killed in road accidents
46. From the news story, we know an ecopassage is_________.
A．a(chǎn)n underground path for cars B．a(chǎn) fence built for the safety of the area
C．a(chǎn) bridge for animals to get over a river D．a(chǎn) pass for animals to cross the road
47. When the writer says that animals seem “to be catching on”, he means_________.
A．a(chǎn)nimals begin to realize the dangers on the road
B．a(chǎn)nimals begin to learn to use ecopassages
C．a(chǎn)nimals are crossing the road in groups
D．a(chǎn)nimals are increasing in number
48. The writer asks visitors and drivers to look around when traveling because_________.
A．wild animals may attack cars B．wild animals may jam the road
C．they may see wild animals in the park D．they may see wild animals on ecopassages
C
In the course of working my way through school, I took many jobs I would rather forget. But none of these jobs was as dreadful as my job in an apple plant. The work was hard; the pay was poor; and, most of all, the working conditions were terrible.
First of all, the job made huge demands on my strength. For then hours a night, I took boxes that rolled down a metal track and piled them onto a truck. Each box contained twelve heavy bottles of apple juice. I once figured out that I was lifting an average of twelve tons of apple juice every night.
I would not have minded the difficulty of the work so much if the pay had not been so poor. I was paid the lowest wage of that time—two dollars an hour. Because of the low pay, I felt eager to get as much as possible. I usually worked twelve hours a night but did not take home much more than $ 100 a week.
But even more than the low pay, what made me unhappy was the working conditions. During work I was limited to two ten-minute breaks and an unpaid half hour for lunch. Most of my time was spent outside loading trucks with those heavy boxes in near-zero-degree temperatures. The steel floors of the trucks were like ice, which made my feet feel like stone. And after the production line shut down at night and most people left, I had to spend two hours alone cleaning the floor.
I stayed on the job for five months, all the while hating the difficulty of the work, the poor money, and the conditions under which I worked. By the time I left, I was determined never to go back there again.
49. Why did the writer have to take many jobs at that time?
A．To pay for his schooling B．To save for his future
C．To support his family D．To gain some experience
50. The following facts describe the terrible working conditions of the plant EXCEPT_________.
A．loading boxes in the freezing cold B．having limited time for breaks
C．working and studying at the same time D．getting no pay for lunch time
51. What is the subject discussed in the text?
A．The writer’s unhappy school life
B．The writer’s eagerness to earn money
C．The writer’s experience as a full-time worker
D．The writer’s hard work in an apple plant
52. How is the text organized?
A．Topic—Argument—Explanation
B．Opinion—Discussion--Description
C．Main idea—Comparison—Supporting examples
D．Introduction—Supporting examples—Conclusion
D
Supermarkets are trying out new computers that make shopping carts more intelligent (具備智能的). They will help shoppers find cups or toilet soap, and keep a record of the bill.
The touch-screen devices (觸摸屏裝置) are on show at the Food Marketing Institute's exhibition here this week. "These devices are able to create value and get you around the store quicker," said Michael Alexandor, manager of Springboard Retail Networks Inc., which makes a smart cart computer called the Concierge.
Canadian stores will test the Concierge in July. A similar device, IBM's "shopping buddy," has recently been test-marketed at Stop & Shop stores in Massachusetts.
Neither device tells you how many fat grams or calories are in your cart, but they will flash you with items on sale. The idea is to make it easier for people to buy, not to have second thoughts that maybe you should put something back on the shelf.
"The whole model is driven by advertisers' need to get in front of shoppers," said Alexandor. "They're not watching 30-second TV ads anymore."
People can use a home computer to make their shopping lists. Once at the store, a shopper can use a preferred customer card to start a system (系統(tǒng)) that will organize the trip around the store. If you're looking for toothpicks, you type in the word or pick it from a list, and a map will appear on the screen showing where you are and where you can find them.
The devices also keep a record of what you buy. When you're finished, the device figures out your bill. Then you go to the checker or place your card into a self-checkout stand and pay.
The new computerized shopping assistants don't come cheap. The Buddy devices will cost the average store about $160,000, and the Concierge will cost stores about $500 for each device.
53. The underlined word “they” (paragraph1) refers to_________.
A．supermarkets B．shop assistants C．shopping carts D．shop managers
54. Which of the following is the correct order of shopping with the computerized shopping carts?
a. Start the system. b. Make a shopping list.
c. Find the things you want. D. Go to a self-checkout stand.
A．a(chǎn)bdc B．bacd C．a(chǎn)cbd D．bcad
55. We can learn from the last paragraph that_________.
A．intelligent shopping carts cost a large sum of money
B．the Concierge is cheaper than the Buddy devices
C．shop assistants with computer knowledge are well paid
D．a(chǎn)verage stores prefer the Concierge to the Buddy devices
56. What might be the most suitable title for the text?
A．New age for supermarkets
B．Concierge and Shopping Buddy
C．New computers make shopping carts smarter
D．Touch-screen devices make shopping enjoyable