綜合檢測卷

　　(限時：100分鐘　滿分120分)

　　Ⅰ.閱讀理解(滿分30分)

　　A

　　Most people believe future humans are going to outer space, rather than inner space. They don't realize that space is rapidly becoming an informational desert, and that there will be very few people interested in going into space for any reason whatsoever in the future.

　　In 2050 there will likely be a “Planet Channel” for every planet of the solar system, but most people will be very content to watch what the robots are doing rather than run down Olympus Mons on Mars in person, at 1/3 gravity, as fun as that may sound. By the middle of this century，our “eyes in space” will have run out of almost everything that might be interesting to find. As the astronomer Martin Harwit observed in the excellent and very underappreciated Cosmic Discovery,1981, we have been running out of unique astronomical features to discover for decades.

　　By the mid 21st century there will be a few areas of the physical spectrum (范圍), like gravity waves, which will remain underexplored. But virtually everything else will have been modeled well to a first approximation (概算), and our simulation science will be clearly more fruitful at that time than our data driven explorations. Already, Hubble sees to the edge of the universe. What more can we ask? That's like having a map of Earth. Once you get the first one, you pay a lot less for the next ones.

　　Unlike inner space, the range of possibility for probing (探測), combining and computing with ever more miniaturized (小型化的) matter, outer space rapidly becomes “computationally closed”. There is simply no compelling reason to go to outer space, and every reason to go to inner space, as we'll discuss more later.

　　1．According to the author, in 2050 most people would like to ________.

　　A．explore outer space themselves

　　B．keep robots working for them

　　C．go to Olympus Mons on Mars

　　D．watch robots exploring outer space

　　2．What does the author mainly discuss in the passage?

　　A．The reason why future humans should go into outer space.

　　B．The reason why we shouldn't make much effort in exploring outer space.

　　C．The history and the future of space exploration.

　　D．The difference in outer space exploration and inner space exploration.

　　3．The author holds the view that ________.

　　A．humans can survive in outer space in the future

　　B．much of outer space remains to be discovered

　　C．there remains very little for us to explore in outer space

　　D．we should keep a balance between the exploration of outer and inner space

　　4．What will the author talk about in the paragraph closely following the passage?

　　A．The need to explore inner space.

　　B．How to explore inner space.

　　C．The difficulty in exploring inner space.

　　D．What “computationally closed” means.

　　B

　　TOKYO — If you grow old in Japan, you may expect to be served food by a robot, ride a voice-recognition wheelchair or even possibly hire a nurse in a robotic suit — all examples of cutting-edge technology to care for the country's rapidly graying population.

　　With nearly 22 percent of Japan's population already aged 65 or older, businesses here have been rolling out everything from easy-entry cars to remote-controlled beds, fueling a care-technology market worth some $1.08 billion in 2006, according to industry figures.

　　At a home care and rehabilitation (恢復) convention in Tokyo this week, buyers crowded round a demonstration of Secom Co.'s My Spoon feeding robot，which helps elderly or disabled people eat with a spoon and a fitted swiveling (轉動的) arm.

　　Operating a joystick (操縱桿) with his chin, developer Shigehisa Kobayashi maneuvered the arm toward a block of soft tofu, deftly (靈巧地) getting the fork to break off a piece. The arm then returned to a preprogrammed position in front of the mouth, allowing Kobayashi to bite and swallow.

　　“It's all about empowering people to help themselves，” Kobayashi said. The Tokyo-based company has already sold 300 of the robots, which come with a price tag of $ 3,500. “We want to give the elderly control over their own lives，” he said.

　　The rapidly aging population here has spurred a spate of concerns: a labor shortage, tax falls, financial difficulties in paying the health bills and pensions of large numbers of the elderly.

　　Moreover, a breakdown of family ties in recent years means a growing number of older Japanese are spending their golden years away from the care traditionally provided by children and grandchildren.

　　That's where cutting-edge technology steps in.

　　5．The underlined word “maneuvered” in the fourth paragraph probably means “________”．

　　A．moved skillfully　B．turned carefully

　　C．lifted with effort

　　D．fixed quickly

　　6．My Spoon feeding robot is specially designed for ________.

　　A．those aged 65 or older

　　B．those who have difficulty in feeding themselves

　　C．those who have lost the ability of eating

　　D．those who can move their arms freely

　　7．With the special robots, the elderly in Japan can ________.

　　A．put their lives under the control of the robots

　　B．help themselves

　　C．save a lot of money for the government

　　D．have their medical bills reduced

　　8．We can conclude from the passage that ________.

　　A．the cutting-edge technology makes it easier for the young and old in Japan to keep ties

　　B．the cutting-edge technology has changed the traditional family system in Japan

　　C．the elderly in Japan usually live far away from their children and grandchildren

　　D．the rapidly aging population in Japan has caused many social problems

　　C

　　There were smiling children all the way. Clearly they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penang. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite relatives. This is the simple village people of Malaysia. I was moved.

　　I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this

　　was the first time I was on a train. I did not particularly relish the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train.

　　There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.

　　It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight.

　　Immediately I came alive; I decided to wave back.

　　From then on my journey became interesting.

　　I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.

　　The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3：00 pm. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrived with a smile, I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug.

　　I had never done this before.

　　He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car.

　　I looked forward to the return journey.

　　9．The author expected the train trip to be ________.

　　A．boring

　　B．pleasantC．exciting

　　D．adventurous10．What did the author remember most fondly of his train trip?

　　A．The mountains along the way.

　　B．The friendly country people.

　　C．The crowds of people in the streets.

　　D．The simple lunch served on the train.

　　11．Which of the following words can best replace the underlined word “relish” in the second paragraph?

　　A．Choose.

　　B．Carry on.C．Prepare for.

　　D．Enjoy.12．What can we learn from the story?

　　A．Comfort in traveling by train.

　　B．Smiles brighten people up.

　　C．Reading gives people delight.

　　D．Pleasure of living in the country.

　　D

　　If you think it is cold where you are at the moment, then a visit to the Russian village of Oymyakon might just change your mind.

　　With the average temperature for January standing at －50 ℃， it is no wonder that the village is the coldest inhabited settlement in the world. Known as the “Pole of Cold”， the coldest temperature recorded in Oymyakon is －71.2 ℃， which is the lowest recorded temperature for any inhabited location on earth.

　　Ironically, Oymyakon actually means “non-freezing water”due to a nearby hot spring. Most homes in Oymyakon still burn coal and wood for heat and enjoy few modern conveniences.

　　Nothing grows there so people eat reindeer (馴鹿) meat and horse meat. A single shop provides the town's bare necessities and the locals work as reindeer-breeders, hunters and ice-fisherman.

　　The village is located around 750 metres above sea level and the length of a day varies from 3 hours in December to 21 hours in summer. And despite its terrible winters, in June, July and August temperatures over 30 ℃ are not uncommon.

　　There are few modern conveniences in the village — with many buildings still having outdoor toilets and most people still burning coal and wood for heat. When coal deliveries are irregular, the power station starts burning wood. If the power ceases, the town will shut down in about five hours, and the pipes will freeze and crack.

　　Daily problems that come with living in Oymyakon include pen ink freezing, glasses freezing to people's faces and batteries losing power. Locals are said to leave their cars running all day for fear of not being able to restart them.

　　Even if there is coverage for mobile phone reception, the phones themselves could not work in such cold conditions.

　　Another problem caused by the frozen temperatures is burying dead bodies, which can take anything up to three days.

　　13．According to the text, Oymyakon ________.

　　A．is the coldest location on the earth

　　B．has got frozen water all over the year

　　C．gets its name because of a nearby hot spring

　　D．can enjoy quite a few modern conveniences

　　14．Mobile phones could not work in Oymyakon because ________.

　　A．the batteries are of poor quality

　　B．the extreme coldness makes them lose power

　　C．there is no coverage for phone reception

　　D．the phone reception is too far away to receive the signals

　　15．We can learn from the text that ________.

　　A．daily problems usually accompany the locals

　　B．the town often stops working because of no coal delivery

　　C．locals only live on reindeer meat and horse meat

　　D．locals have no awareness of saving their resources

　　Ⅱ.任務型閱讀(滿分10分)

　　How to Do Well in Exams

　　Do not underestimate the power of revision in the days and hours before an examination. The closer you are to the exam, the more chance you have of storing and retaining crucial information. But do not overdo it. 16.________An effective daily routine can help you through an exam period, so in the days leading up to your first exam, get into the habit of being up and ready to work by game. It can be a shock to the system after months of working to your own timetable to be mentally alert at that time if you have not prepared for it.

　　On the day of the exam, have a good breakfast, pack two of everything you need (pens, pencils, erasers, etc.), then make your way to the examination hall in good time. 17.________

　　Once in your seat, simply pause for a few seconds and collect your thoughts. Close your eyes and take in a few slow, deep breathes to help you relax. When you turn over the test paper, spend a short period reading through all the instructions and questions, paying particular attention to key verbs such as “discuss”， “compare” and “evaluate”. 18.________It is wise always to allow for 10 minutes at the end of the exam to give yourself time to go back over your answers. Once you have selected the questions you wish to tackle, begin by attempting the one you think is your strongest. It will give you more confidence when you see a well-answered question down on paper. Also remember to write clearly, and do not be afraid to express the unexpected: after all, examiners can get very bored marking stereotypical answers.

　　19．________If you do need something else to focus on to help collect your thoughts, choose a fixture in the room, such as the ceiling or anything else that will not allow you to be distracted.

　　Finally, once you have finished, never hang around outside afterwards to attend the discussion by other students.20.________

　　A．Do not arrive too early, though, as other people's anxiety can be infectious，and you may suffer from unnecessary panic.

　　B．Try not to be tempted to look at those around you, or at the clock.

　　C．When you get home, read the examination paper through and look up all the words you didn't understand.

　　D．Sleep, exercise and relaxation are all just as important.

　　E．Map out a quick plan of points you wish to make and how much time you should spend on each question.

　　F．Go and have a well-earned rest, then prepare for your next exam

　　G．Underestimate the test in your mind.

　　Ⅲ.完形填空(滿分30分)

　　It was a cold, wet day when 14-year-old Wasana Sanjeewa arrived at St. Anthony's College. Waiting outside his classroom for his classmates to __21__， Wasana looked at the __22__. Then he noticed enormous amounts of rainwater flowing down the hill behind the classroom. For a few minutes, Wasana __23__ the water, wondering why it looked so __24__.

　　Then it hit him — the scene was similar to the slides he was shown during Disaster Management classes.

　　__25__ an impending (即將發生的) disaster, Wasana swung into action. “Run, run, don't __26__ here! The rocks on the hill are going to fall on us！” he shouted and all the students ran to the open area.

　　Then Wasana ran over to __27__ Principal Nihal Gurauinghe what was happening.

　　After __28__ the hill, Gurauinghe knew the school was in __29__. He and some teachers __30__ to stop the waterflow, but they were too __31__： huge rocks fell down the hill with sand and mud, and the entire school was destroyed.

　　When Wasana __32__ home later that day, his white uniform covered in mud, he got the blame from his __33__. He tried to explain that he had __34__ two hundred schoolmates __35__ she didn't believe him.

　　His mother __36__ realized he was telling the truth when she saw a TV report about the __37__. Filled with pride, she hugged Wasana and said that he was indeed a __38__.

　　No one was hurt in the incident because of Wasana's __39__ action and careful observation.

　　“Wasana's action __40__ us that sometimes we cannot wait until something happens before we take action. It might be too late by then，” Gurauinghe said.

　　21．A.play　B．follow

　　C．arrive

　　D．start

　　22．A.sun

　　B．rain

　　C．snow

　　D．fog

　　23．A.picked up