单选题What is the author’s tone toward the Northern Lights?

单选题Under the {{U}}terms{{/U}} of the contract, you must give 3 months’ notice before you leave.

单选题Michael is now merely a good friend. A．largely B．barely C．just D．rarely

单选题The city has decided to do away with all the old buildings in its center.

单选题There is no risk to public health. A. point B. danger C. chance D. hope

单选题It was Uan exceptionally/U hot day for the time of year.

单选题I can't put up with my neighbor's noise any longer, it's driving me mad.A. tolerateB. generateC. reduceD. measure

单选题The landscape can change Uabruptly/U after a rainstorm in the Great Sahara Desert.

单选题Plants in Desert Only special plants can survive the terrible climate of a desert, for these are regions when the annual range of the soil temperature can be over 75℃. Furthermore, during the summer there are few clouds in the sky to protect plans from the sun' s ray. Another problem is the fact that there are frequently strong winds that drive small, sharp particles of sand into the plants,earing and damaging them. The most difficult probiem for all forms of plant life, however, is the fact that the entire annual rainfall occurs during a few days or weeks in spring. Grasses and flowers in desert survive from one year to the next by existing through the long, hot, dry season in the form of seeds. These seeds remain inactive unless the fight amount of'rain falls. If no rain falls, or if insufficient rain falls, they wait until the next year, or even still the next. Another factor that helps these plants to survive is the fact that their life cycles are short. By the time the water from the spring rains disappears — just a few weeks after it falls — such plants no longer need any. The perennials (多年生植物) have special features that enable them to survive as plants for several years. Thus, nearly all desert perennials have extensive root systems below ground and a small shoot system above ground. The large root network enables the plant to absorb as much water as possible in short time. The small shoot system, on the other hand, considerably limits water loss by evaporation. Another feature of many perennials is that after the rainy season they 10se their leaves in preparation for the long, dry season, just as trees in wetter climates lose theirs in preparation for the winter. This reduces their water loss by evaporation (蒸发) duing the dry season. Then, in next rainy season, they come fully alive once more, and grow new branches, leaves and flowers, just as the grasses and flowers in desert do.

单选题The leader's corruption undermined the image of the company. A. establish B. damage C. strengthen D. consolidate

单选题She is slender with delicate wrists and ankles.

单选题Certain colors when incorporated into the decor of a room can produce a cozy atmosphere.

单选题What he said was contrariwise to what we expected.

单选题Artificial Speech Because speech is the most convenient form of communication, in the future we want essentially natural conversations with computers. The primary point of contact will be a simple device that will act as our window into the world. It will have to be small enough to slip into our pocket, so there will be a screen but no keyboard: you will simply talk to it. The device will be permanently connected to the Internet and will keep relevant information up to you as it comes in. Such devices will evolve naturally in the next five to ten years. Just how quickly people will adapt to a voice-based Internet world is uncertain. Many believe that, initially at least, we will need similar conventions for the voice to those we use at present on screen: click, back, forward, and so on. But soon you will undoubtedly be able to interact by voice with all those IT-based services you currently connect with over the Internet by means of a keyboard. This will help the Internet serve the entire population. Changes like this will encompass (围绕，包围) the whole world. Because English is the language of science, it will probably remain the language in which the technology is most advanced, but most speech-recognition techniques are transferable to other languages provided (假如，若是)there is sufficient motivation to undertake the work. Of course, in any language there are still huge problems for us to solve. Carefully dictated, clear speech can now be understood by computers with only a 4～5 percent error rate, but even the most advanced technology still records 30～40 percent errors with spontaneous speech. Within ten years we will have computers that respond to goal-directed conversation, but for a computer to have a conversation that takes into account human social behaviors is probably 50 years off. We are not going to be chatting to the big screen in the living room just yet. In the past, insufficient speed and memory have held us back, but these days they are less of an issue. However, there are those in the IT community who believe that current techniques will eventually hit a brick wall. Personally, I believe that incremental (不断增长的) developments in performance are more likely. But it is true that by about 2040 or so, computer architectures will need to become highly parallel (并行的) if performance is to keep increasing. Perhaps that will inspire some radically new approaches to speech understanding that will replace the methods we are developing now.

单选题Libraries A library is a place to find out about almost anything. In it there are mostly books. There are also pictures, papers, magazines, maps, tapes, and records. Special science and art shows, story hours, movies, plays, and contests may also be held there. Long long ago, a library had only books, and these were hard to get. Books could be written only by hand. There were so few that no one was allowed to take them out of the library. After the printing press was invented, books could be made faster. This helped libraries get more books. To borrow a book to take home today, a person just needs a library card. In many libraries a helper checks the book out. He or she stamps the card. The mark shows the date by which the book must be returned. If the book is returned late, the person must usually pay money, called a fine. In some libraries a computer has taken the place of stamping. Books in a library are put into a certain order to help people find what they want. All books about animals may be placed together. Or all stories written by the same person may be placed together. A big set of cards lists all the library"s books in alphabetical order. It is called the card catalog. It tells where each of them can be found. People who live far in the country may find it hard to get to a library. For these people there are bookmobiles, which are large trucks filled with books. Each truck travels to many places. All the people have to do meet the truck and choose the books they would like to read.

单选题Can you do the task alone, or do you want anyone to assist you?

单选题The young man is too bashful to speak to strangers. A. shy B. haughty C. indifferent D. upset

单选题Cell Phones: Hang Up or Keep Talking? Millions of people are using cell phones today. In many places it is actually considered unusual not to use one. In many countries, cell phones are very popular with young people. They find that the phones are more than a means of communication--having a mobile phone shows that they are cool and connected. The explosions around the world in mobile phone use make some health professionals worried. Some doctors are concerned that in the future many people may suffer health problems from the use of mobile phones. In England, there has been a serious debate about this issue. Mobile phone companies are worried about the negative publicity of such ideas. They say that there is no proof that mobile phones are bad for your health. On the other hand, why do some medical studies show changes in the brain cells of some people who use mobile phones? Signs of change in the tissues of the brain and head can be detected with modern scanning (扫描) equipment. In one case, a traveling salesman had to retire at a young age because of serious memory loss. He couldn't remember even simple tasks. He would often forget the name of his own son. This man used to talk on his mobile phone for about six hours a day, every day of his working week, for a couple of years. His family doctor blamed his mobile phone use, but his employer's doctor didn't agree. What is it that makes mobile phones potentially harmful? The answer is radiation. High-tech machines can detect very small amounts of radiation from mobile phones. Mobile phone companies agree that there is some radiation, but they say the amount is too small to worry about. As the discussion about their safety continues, it appears that it's best to use mobile phones less often. Use your regular phone if you want to talk for a long time. Use your mobile phone only when you really need it. Mobile phones can be very useful and convenient, especially in emergencies. In the future, mobile phones may have a warning label that says they are bad for your health. So for now, it's wise not to use your mobile phone too often.

单选题She only needs a minute amount of moneyA. certainB. fairC. fullD. small

单选题I wasn't qualified for the job really, but I got it {{U}}anyhow{{/U}}. A. anyway B. somehow C. anywhere D. somewhere