A British boy, Ayan Qureshi, is now a Microsoft Certified Professional after passing the tech giant’s exam at the age of five, becoming the youngest computer specialist in the world.

The test is usually taken by people who want to become IT technicians. When the boy arrived to take the exam, the invigilators were concerned that he was too young to be a candidate.

Ayan’s father is an IT consultant who was set up his own computer network at home. He introduced his son to computers when little Ayan was only three years old. He let his son play with his old computers, so he could understand hard drives and motherboards.

“I found whatever I told him, the next day he would remember everything I said, so I started to feed him more information,” Mr. Qureshi explained.

Ayan now has his own computer lab at home, containing a computer network which he built by himself. He spends around two hours a day leaning about the operating system and how to install programs.

Ayan says he hops to launch a U.K. –based IT center similar to America’s Silicon Valley one day, which he intends to call E-Valley. He also wants to start his own IT company.

Ayan’s mother is very happy and very proud of her son. “I don’t want to see him set a world record every day. But I want him to do his best whatever he does in his life,” she said

21. What does the underlined word probably refer to in the second paragraph?

   A. His parents         B. The watchers          C. IT experts          D. The CEOs

22. How did Ayan become such an excellent talent IT boy?

   A. Through his own talent for information technology

   B. Through his hard work on computers and good luch

   C. Through his good memory and father’s good instruction.

   D. Through his great interest in knowledge and effort in study.

23. What is Ayan’s dream?

   A. To work in Silicon Valley.

   B. To set up his own IT company

   C. To become a partner of his father.

   D. To become the youngest computer specialist.

24. What is the passage mainly about?

   A. The exam of a tech giant           B. A five-year-old British boy

   C. Avan’s computer learning           D. A little computer talent- Ayan..

Many people like to read. The Guinness Book of World Records. This year it will celebrate its 60^th anniversary.

The Guinness Book of World Records is a reference book, it is one of the most widely read books ever published. More than 100 million copies have been sold in almost 40 languages. A new edition is published every year.

The Guinness Book of World Records was first published in August 1955 in Britain. The idea came from Sir Hugh Beaver, then the managing director of the Guinness Breweries. He could not find the answer to what seemed like a simple from any books: what is the Europe’s fastest game bird? At that time, Beaver decided to create a book with facts numbers. In 1955, the first record book was born!

There are many kinds of records, like the most beautiful tattoo, the longest hair, the fastest talker, the biggest hand, etc. some records appear in almost every edition of the book, like the tallest and shortest people, the oldest man and woman in the world. However, as much as 80 percent of the content is new each year.

Since its first publication, the book itself holds a world record, as the best-selling book of all time. The new edition will be published in 20 languages and sold in 100 countries.

   Editor-in-chief Craig Glenday said, “We appreciate all of out loyal readers and invite every who longs for knowledge, fun and adventure to join us as we look forward to documenting everything that’s amazing during the next 60 years.

Have you ever thought about getting your name in The Guinness Book of World Records? Have you ever succeeded? May you succeed some day!

25. Which of the following is true about The Guinness Book of World Records?

   A. It covers famous people and big events.

   B. Half of its content changes every year.

   C. It sell the most copies all the time.

   D. It is updated and published yearly.

26. Why did Beaver come up with the idea of creating such a book?

   A. He aimed to help teachers with their teaching work.

   B. He intended to provide readers with some references.

   C. He wanted to help people acquire some knowledge and fun.

   D. He only wanted to find out some answers to simple questions

27. What’s the function of the last paragraph?

   A. Give the author’s best wishes to readers

   B. Call on readers to set a world record.

   C. Make readers interested n the book.

   D. Get more readers of buy the book.

28. Where is this passage probably taken from?

   A. A medical magazine.          B. A popular science book

   C. An advertisement             D. An amusement website.

Plastic bags haven’t always been Public Enemy No. 1 . Introduced in 1982, they soon occupied the grocery bag marker. By 1996, 80 percent of all bags were made from lightweight plastics. Customers loved them. They became thinner, lighter and able to contain more materials conveniently.

That restricting the distribution of plastic bags will have significant environmental benefits and reduce cost is mostly untrue. Banning plastic bags won’t bags are found to be a tiny part of all litter, so banning them has very little impact on the amount of litter generated. There’s no evidence that banning plastic bags has reduced litter removal costs, and it won’t do much in the way of reducing trash collection costs, either.

In the sea, the impact may be even smaller. Plastic bags have not caused a giant landfill(废弃物填埋场). Sure, plastics in the oceans have increased over the past four decades. Yet the idea that this has resulted in a big landfill at is contradicted by the evidence, which shows that most plastics in the oceans are widely dispersed(分散)and in the form of tiny pieces.

Surveys suggest that most people reuse their lightweight plastic bags, mainly for trash disposal, and on average each one is used 1.6 times, By contrast, paper bags are typically used only once. The thicker plastic bags now being promoted as “ reusable”, are typically used about 3.1 times.

It is unwise to introduce restrictions on the distribution of plastic bags, which is likely to result in an increase in the overall environmental impact of the bags we use to shop, not to mention that reusable bags are kind of disgusting, from the public health perspective. Putting food into bags that have previously been used to carry perishable(易腐烂的) items may cause a health risk.

29. The reason why plastic bags are popular with customers is that .

   A. they are easy to carry

   B. they are the only choice.

   C. they are cheap and affordable

   D. they are available in groceries.

30. Why does the author say banning plastic bags makes no difference to the quantity of litter?

   A. Because plastic bags take up a small part of the whole litter.

   B. Because banning plastic bags has increased litter removal costs.

   C. Because the banning plastic bags won’t necessarily make litter disappear.

   D. Because the banning of plastic bags hasn’t any environmental benefits.

31. The underlined part in Paragraph 3 implies that.

   A. most of the plastics can be well recycled at sea

   B. whether plastics gather at sea is controversial

   C. actually plastics don’t lend to large landfills at sea

   D. no evidence shows that plastics harm the sea.

32. What is the author’s attitude towards the use of plastic bags?

   A. Tolerant       B. Doubtful        C. Critical        D. Supportive

Winder Castle is the largest inhabited castle in the world, and has a history of over 900 years. It is one of the Queen’s three official residences (住宅), and is often said to be her favorite. The Royal Standard flies over the Round Tower of Windsor Castle when the Queen is in residence, at other times the Union Jack flag files in its place.

Windsor Castle was first built by William the Conqueror after he invaded England in 1066. The original structure was built from wood with earth fortifications (防御工事). The Castle held an obvious strategic position on a steep hill overlooking the River Thames, and was part of a ring of castles around London, with the Tower of London at its heart. The Castle was later rebuilt in stone and grew in importance over the years. Henry II constructed the Round Tower and the original stone outer wall. Following the English Civil War, the Castle became a royal place. The Castle has remained largely unchanged since the early nineteenth century.

    Windsor Castle is more than 12 acres in area, and it takes about two hours to visit. The Castle is open every day except Garter Day (one day in June every year), Easter, Christmas, and over or two other days during the year. Opening times and access may be restricted at certain times of the year due to state functions.

Admission prices (all include a multimedia tour and entry to the Drawings Gallery exhibition):

33. The second paragraph is mainly about_____.

   A. the history of Windsor Castle

   B. the position of Windsor Castle

   C. the function of Windsor Castle

   D. the construction of Winder Castle

34. If a couple take their thirteen-year-old son to Windsor Castle, they have to pay.

   A.￡ 38.4         B. ￡ 49.7    C. ￡ 55.9        D. ￡ 57.6

35. What is the author’s purpose of writing this passage?

  A. To call on people to visit Winder Castle.

  B. To declare the importance of Windsor Castle.

  C. To clarify some misconceptions about Windsor Castle

  D. To confirm what has long been believed about Windsor Castle.

 According to one definition, the word “supplement” means “something added to complete a thing, to extend or strengthen the whole.”

 Supplements can be very beneficial but you must be careful because, like any drug, all supplements pose potential risks.  __36___ 

__37___ Many, if not all, supplements have the potential to interact with prescription or over-the-counter drugs, cause harmful side effects if taken inappropriately, or even make existing medical conditions worse. __38__In a  study of University of Michigan one-third of the patients taking supplements were using ones that could interact with their heart medications. Be especially cautious if you’re taking the blood-thinning medication like aspirin, many supplements, such as garlic, vitamin E and fish oil, also have blood-thinning properties, and the combined effect could lead to dangerous bleeding.

 Also, the label may say “natural” but that doesn’t mean the supplements are any safer than medicinal drugs. They still include chemicals that have a bad impact on your body; that’s why they work.

___39___ If you are pregnant, be doubly sure to check with your doctor before taking any supplements.

In the next few years you’re bound to hear more and more about natural alternatives for protecting the heart. But before you jump on any bandwagons, take heed: __40___ The fact is that scientists will probably never be able to duplicate the complex effects and many health benefits of foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains with a pill. And of course, lowering your cholesterol with supplements while eating steak and ice cream with abandon, or taking hawthorn to lower your blood pressure while doing nothing to relieve the stress caused by your nerve-racking job, won’t do your heart much good in the end.

A. No supplement is a substitute for the lifestyle changes, particularly good eating habits.

B. A supplement may be natural but that doesn’t mean taking it is completely without risk.

C. The more supplements you take, the less healthy you will be.

D. So don’t take any supplement longer than that is advised.

E. That’s why it’s critical that you tell your health care providers about any supplements you take.

F. Doctors are always right, especially when you fall ill.

G. Before you start taking any, check with your doctor first.