A world-famous Canadian author, Margaret Atwood, has created the world’s first long-distance signing device(装置), the LongPen.

After many tiring book-signing tours from city to city, Atwood thought there must be a better way to do them . She hired some technical experts and started her own company in 2004. Together they designed the LongPen. Here’s how it works: The author writes a personal message and signature on a computer tablet(手写板) using a special pen. On the receiving end, in another city, a robotic arm fitted with a regular pen signs the book. The author and fan can talk with each other via webcams(网络摄像机) and computer screens。

Work on the LongPen began in Atwood’s basement(地下室). At first, they had no idea it would be as hard as it turned out to be. The device went through several versions, including one that actually had smoke coming out of it. The investing finally completed, test runs were made in Ottawa, and the LongPen was officially launched at the 2006 London Book Fair. From here , Atwood conducted two transatlantic book signings of her latest book for fans in Toronto and New York City.

The LongPen produces a unique signature each time because it copies the movement of the author in real time. It has several other potential applications. It could increase credit card security and allow people to sign contracts from another province. The video exchange between signer and receiver can be recorded on DVD for proof when legal documents are used.

“It’s really fun”, said the owner of a bookstore, who was present for one of the test runs. “Obviously you can’t shake hands with the author but there are chances for a connection that you don’t get from a regular book signing..

The response to the invention has not been all favorable. Atwood has received criticism from authors who think she is trying to end book tours. But she said, “It will be possible to go to places that you never got sent to before because the publishers couldn’t  afford it.”

21.Why did Atwood decide to invent the LongPen?

A. To set up her own company

B. To win herself greater popularity

C. To write her books in a new way

C. To make book signings less tiring

22.How does the LongPen work?

A. It copies the author’s signature and prints it on a book.

B. It signs a book while receiving the author’s signature.

C. The webcam sends the author’s signature to another city.

D. The fan uses it to copy the author’s signature himself.

23.What do we know about the invention of the LongPen?

A. It has been completed but not put into use.

B. The basement caught fire by accident.

C. Some versions failed before its test run.

D. The designers were well-prepared for the difficulty.

A new computer treatment is being used to deal with obesity (肥胖) in children.

Connected to a small dining set, consisting of scales and a plate, a mini computer teaches children how to eat and reminds them when to stop.

“In very fat people, hunger signals from the stomach to the brain stop functioning. But the new computer system teaches the children how to receive these messages again,” says Dr. Julian HamiltonShield, the Bristol University senior lecturer leading the treatment trials.

The computer, called a Mandometer, records and stores the weight loss from the plate when children eat. As the food is leaving the plate, a curve (曲线) is produced on the computer screen suggesting whether the child is eating too quickly.

“Children with weight problems often eat too quickly. We want them to eat steadily and slowly and the system teaches them to slow down. It’s a bit like retraining,” says HamiltonShield.

Obesity now represents one of the major threats to the future health of children. About one in five boys and one in four girls aged two to fifteen in England are overweight. But so far no treatments have proven effective in treating children.

The Mandometer was developed in Sweden, but at present is experiencing further development at the University of Bristol, with ＄224,400 in funds from BUPA—a global health and care organization. The system could be on the market in two years’ time. At first, it would be managed by medical clinics.

24.The text is mainly written to explain .

Ahow a new computer treatment dealing with obesity works

Bwhy child obesity becomes a topic of people

Chow to lose weight with the help of computers

Dwhy a computer is effective in dealing with child obesity

25.The word “functioning” in paragraph 3 probably means .

Aeating      Bworking                    Clasting                     Dlosing

26.Obesity threats the health of children, which .

Apeople have not cared about                 Bis nothing compared with other diseases

Chas led to many deaths                            Dis very serious

27.What can we learn from the text?

AThe Mandometer will be put into market once it proves effective.

BThe Mandometer is cheap enough for every family to afford.

CThe Mandometer is still not perfect.

DSlow eating is sure to make people lose weight.

 He says the problem with teachers is，“What will a kid learn from someone who chose to become a teacher?” He reminds the other dinner guests that it’s true what they say about teachers：Those who can，do；those who can’t，teach.

    I decide to bite my tongue instead of biting his and stop myself from reminding the other dinner guests that it’s also true what they say about lawyers—that they make money from the misfortune o f others.

   “I mean，you’re a teacher，Taylor，” he says to me.“Be honest.What do you make?’’

    1 wish he hadn’t asked hie to be honest，because now I have to teach him a lesson.

    You want to know what I make?

    I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.

    I can make a C⁺ feel like a great achievement and an A^― feel like a failure.

    How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best?

    I make parents tremble in fear when I call them：

    I hope I haven’t called at a bad time，

    I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today.

    Billy said，“Leave the kid alone.I still cry sometimes，don’t you?”

    And it was the bravest act I have ever seen.

    I make parents see their children for who they are and what they can be.

    You want to know what I make?

    I make kids wonder.

    I make them question.

    I make them criticise.

    I make them think.

    I make them apologise and mean it.

    I make them write，write，write.

    And then I make them read.

    I teach them to solve math problems that they once thought impossible.

    I make them understand that if you have brains then you follow your heart and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make，you teach them a lesson.

  Let me make this simple for you，so you know what I say is true：

  I make a great difference! What about you?

28.What do we know about the man that the author is speaking to?

 A.He is respectful to teachers.     B.He is in the author’s home.

 C. He is actually a lawyer.        D.He dislikes lawyers.

29.The underlined phrase“bite my tongue” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to______.

A.say something which is wrong  

B.speak out honestly but carelessly

C.keep silent about myself   

D.Stop myself saying what I really think

30.The author called Billy’s parents to_____.

A.let them tremble in fear   

B.ask why Billy cried that day

C.praise what Billy did that day

D.advise them to leave Billy alone

31.What is the tone of the passage?

 A.Angry and proud.                B.Upset and disappointed.

 C.Humourous and light-hearted.      D.Cheerful and positive.

Believe it or leave it: strange stories of 2005

●The authorities running a cemetery(墓地)near Tel Aviv were confused to find tourists beating a path to the grave of a 19 year old British soldier who died in fighting 66 years earlier.His name, engraved(雕刻)on the headstone, was Harry Potter.

●There were red faces in the office of Croatian President Stipe Mesic after a painting given to him as a gift turned out to have been stolen from a local art exhibition.

●Before setting off to rob a bank, a man in the west African state of Mali put on charms(符咒) that he believed would make him invisible.He was jailed with gunshot wounds after police guarding the place saw through him or rather failed to do so.

●After a row with his wife about money, a well off Israeli man opened the family safe, took out the equivalent(等量的) of 680,000 dollars in banknotes and burned it to ashes on the front lawn.

●A Japanese woman who paid a contract killer 136,000 dollars to murder her lover’s wife went to the police to complain when he failed to do the job.

●Emily, a one year old cat from the US state of Wisconsin, got lost and wandered into an air cargo container and before she knew it she was being unloaded in the eastern French city of Nancy.Unharmed, she was flown back in style.

32.Why did the cemetery near Tel Aviv receive so many visitors? ______

A.People wanted to show their respect for the brave young Soldier

B.Many people wanted to have a tomb built for themselves

C.People wanted to visit their relatives who were buried there

D.It is the name Harry Potter that attracted these visitors

33.What caused the “red faces” in the office of Croatian President Stipe Mesic? ______

A.The fresh red paint on the paintings   B.The loss of the painting from the office

C.The feeling of being cheated         D.The excitement at the beautiful painting

34.The underlined word “row” is closest in meaning to______.

A.quarrel     B.discussion      C.dialogue      D.meeting

35.The person who collected the stories wants to______.

A.suggest a truth in life           B.amuse the readers

C.warn people of some dangers    D.show some facts in 2005

How to Love Your Parents

     Even if you think that your parents are mean-spirited at times, loving your parents is a normal and fulfilling part of life. You love them for the fact that they created you, raised you, and are in part a source of who you are. Here are some ways to love your parents.

     ____36.___ A gentle “good morning” and “I love you” will warm a coldest heart. Remember that they brought you into this world. Without your  parents, we might still wander at an unknown corner in an unknown world.  Respect them more and cherish these moments. You can use these moments to learn from them when you're off on your own. It's OK to get angry but angry actions don't help you or your parents. Act calmly, cool off, journal about your feelings, or talk to a friend. ____37.___

     Obey their requests. It will make your attitude better and earn you more respect from them. It may seem like you are going through hell when you don’t get what you want or you have to clean. However, you had better remember they keep a roof over your head when it’s cold, raining, snowing, or too hot. Understand that parents are human beings and make mistakes.____38. ___ Since you can forgive your friends, why not forgive your parents?

     Keep company with them. Do things with your parents like watching TV, or go somewhere with them. ____39.___ Listen to their old stories and learn from them. You will find they are your teachers in this way or another. 

     Some people simply may not be able to love their parents. ____40.___  Seek help if you are being abused in any way. Parents do not have a right to harm you. 

 A. Forgiveness is the key. 

 B. Tell them you love them every morning. 

 C. Parents will in turn express their love to you. 

 D. After this, share your feelings with your parents.

  E. Anyway, spend as much time with them as you can. 

 F. Please remember parents are as important as friends. 

 G. There can be realistic reasons for this, family violence for example.