Unit 1 Making a difference
I. Speaking
Task 1 Who are they?
Directions: In the form are the names of some famous scientists. Guess who they are and what they are famous for.
English names Chinese names What they’re famous for
Archimedes
Aristotle
Nicholas Copernicus
Marie Curie
Charles Darwin
Thomas Alva Edison
Albert Einstein
Ben Franklin
Galilei Galileo
Isaac Newton
Other:_________
Task 2 Do you really want to turn into a genius?
Directions: work in groups and discuss the following topic. Refer to other people’s opinions before you get down to work.
Topic 最近科学家研究发现人类大脑中有"天才按钮"，只要刺激特定区域，常人也能有非凡的算术、艺术等能力。你愿意开启这个"按钮"吗？
Your choice
Yes Reasons No Reasons
Shelly: I would just like to be a normal person. As far as I know, some talented people are strange. They may be good at one thing but not talented in other areas. For example, Einstein had a gift for physics but found it hard to communicate with others.
Eric: I'm willing to turn on such a "button" in my brain, if it really exists. I could become skilled at science, art or economics (经济). But I would make sure this "button" couldn't do me any harm before turning it on.
Marie: If more people became geniuses, it may lead to an increase in high-tech crime (犯罪), such as stealing money through the Internet and creating harmful computer viruses. It is hard to imagine what the world would be like if all the criminals were very clever.
Judy: In my opinion, such a "button" can do a lot of good. It may help us to develop our abilities so that we can make new discoveries. As a result, we could solve many problems and have a more comfortable life. If possible, I am eager to become a genius.
Helen: Although it is convenient, I don't think its right to become cleverer in this way. If someone wants to be successful in math or art, he or she should work hard. I believe success requires hard work as well as natural gifts.
Sam (teacher): Just imagine what it would be like to become a genius overnight. In my opinion, most of us would treasure such a chance to make our lives easy and interesting. However, at the same time, we should make good use of these abilities and contribute (贡献) to society and mankind.
II. Pre-reading activities
Directions: Here is a passage Stephen Hawking wrote about his disease and use the words in the form to complete the passage.
Not knowing what was going to happen to me, or how rapidly the disease would develop, I was bored. The doctors told me to go back to Cambridge and carry on with the research. But I was not making much (1) . And, anyway, I might not live long enough to (2) my PhD.
My dreams at that time were rather (3) . Before my condition had been diagnosed（诊断）, I had been very (4) with life. There had not seemed to be anything worth doing. But shortly after I came out of hospital, I dreamt that I was going to be put to death. I suddenly (5) that there were a lot of meaningful things I could do if I (6) longer. Another dream that I had several times, was that I would give up my life to (7) others. After all, if I were going to die anyway, it might as well do some good. But I didn't die. In fact, although there was a cloud (8) over my future, I found to my surprise, that I was enjoying life in the present more than before. I began to make progress with my research, and I got (9) to a girl called Jane Wilde, who I had met just about the time my condition was diagnosed. That engagement changed my life. It gave me something to live for. But it also (10) that I had to get a job if we were to get married. I therefore applied for a research fellowship（奖学金）at Cambridge. To my great surprise, I got a fellowship, and we got married a few months later.
III. Understanding the text
1. According to the 1st paragraph, a promising graduate student __________.
A. has an incurable disease which makes people disabled
B. is a man who never gives up his dreams and hopes for the future
C. is very likely to be successful or very good in the future
D. learns at one of the well-known universities in the world
2. The incurable disease mentioned in the text made Stephen Hawking __________.
A. stop working on a PhD B. lose the ability to walk and talk
C. engaged to a nice girl D. give up the way of life he dreamed of
3. ____________ made Stephen Hawking well-known in the world.
A. The research on the incurable disease
B. His book A Brief History of Time
C. His new discoveries about the universe
D. The lectures he gave all over the world
4. A Brief History of Time became a best-seller because ______________.
A. it’s about the Big Bang and black holes
B. it explains what it means to be a scientist and how science works
C. it includes answers to many questions about the universe
D. it was written in a way ordinary people could understand
5. According to Hawking, many people think that_________________.
A. science is often misunderstood
B. science is changing all the time
C. some science facts can be wrong
D. true science facts always stay unchanged
6. The basic steps of the scientific method do NOT necessarily include ________.
A. getting a model with which to test the theory
B. building a theory about how things happens
C. observing something with care and attention
D. trying to test the theory in a practical way
IV. Language focus
1. Usage of words
1. The most recent survey of rare birds was u___________ in 1991.
2. His disappointment was o___________ to everyone. Didn’t you see it?
3. The school is w__________ 5 minutes’ walk of my house; I go to it on foot everyday.
4. Don’t be so c___________--it’s got nothing to do with you.
5. The little boy climbed the tree and sat on a b_____________.
6. At the airports, machines s___________ all the luggage for bombs and guns.
7. Your plan sounds fine in t__________, but I don’t know if I’ll work in practice.
8. There must be some m___________. I ordered coffee, not black tea.
9. These shoes do not m___________; one is large and the other is small..
10. Scientists still cannot p___________ when earthquakes will happen.
2. Usage of phrases
1. Dad’s so tired; a week’s holiday will certainly _________ to his health.
2. - What if the computer _________?
- Don’t worry. You can call in experts to repair it.
3. - I’m not going to Paris then Tokyo--I’ll do it_________.
- Then I’ll meet you in Tokyo before you leave for Paris.
4. In western countries, most young children _________ Father Christmas.
5. With the temperature dropping rapidly, we couldn’t _________ the experiment.
6. The athlete will have to _________ getting fit before the game.
7. I _________ the post office on the way home and posted your letters.
8. The president said that he _________ the progress of the peace talks.
9. I’ve ________all my money, but it’s only a week after the payday（发工资日）.
10. Sometimes things don’t _________ the way we think they’re going to.
3. Multiple choice
1. It _________ no difference to the couple if the baby is a girl or a boy.
A. takes B. makes C. does D. seems
2. Peter’s forecast ________ to be quite wrong. The prices of the computer are much lower than he predicted.
A. broke out B. called out C. turned out D. went out
3. It _________ talent and devotion （热爱、投入）to become a top dancer.
A. takes B. undertakes C. costs D. spends
4. The weather looks so ____________; we’re looking forward to a picnic.
A. to promise B. promised C. promising D. promise
5. What’s the _________ of phoning her again? She won’t agree.
A. cause B. point C. interest D. use
6. If knowledge is power, ________ Sir Francis Bacon wrote in 1579, _______ perhaps creativity can be described the ability to use that power.
A. what/and B. as/then C. which/and D. that/then
7. The writer moved to London, hoping to meet some of the best _____ of her time.
A. tops B. heads C. minds D. friends
8. The hotel has improved facilities for _____________. There are new lifts and wheelchair ramps（轮椅用的坡道）.
A. a disable B. disables C. the disable D. the disabled
9. Many crimes _________ unreported, which made the police very worried.
A. went B. got C. came D. became
10. Readers were pleased _______ that a scientist could write about his research in a way ___________ ordinary people could understand.
A. to find/that B. finding/as C. to find/which D. finding/that
11. __________ we don’t want to spend too much money if we can avoid it.
A. Obvious B. Obviously C. Being obvious D. To be obvious
12. She will tell us why she feels so strongly that each of us has a role ______ in making the earth a better place to live.
A. to have played B. to play C. to be played D. to be playing
13. The boy wanted to ride his bicycle in the street, but the policeman told him ___________
A. not to B. not to do C. not do it D. do not to
14. The purpose of new technologies is to make life easier, ______ it more difficult.
A. not make B. not to make C. not making D. do not make
15. Rather than ____________ everything to the last minute, Lily always prefers to start early.
A. leave B. leaving C. to leave D. having left
4. Cloze
It was Christmas Day 1999. On CNN, talk show host（节目主持人）Larry King was interviewing Stephen Hawking.
"What, professor, (1) you the most?" King asked. "What do you think about the most?"
Hawking immediately replied, " (2) ."
It's a comfort to know that Hawking, one of the (3) men in the world, is puzzled by the opposite sex. But, that's not (4) , according to Satoshi Kanazawa. Bright people are (5) better than anyone else at making smart decisions in common things, he says. These (6) finding a mate, maintaining family relationships, raising children, finding the way home, and handling a variety of basic life needs.
That's (7) there are several kinds of formal "intelligence", Kanazawa argues. Being smart one way does not (8) mean smart in another way. This view is (9) to be controversial（有争议的）among scientists who think about thinking. That is because it (10) with the common view that general intelligence is a single thing. In that view, it is not, as Kanazawa and others say, a set of (11) mental areas.
Kanazawa says that some kinds of intelligence developed slowly over time. Many people have heard about (12) is called "emotional intelligence". Now, psychologists have discovered several (13) types of intelligence. These include the ability to learn a language, find a mate, recognize faces, and (14) oneself in a new environment.
But, is there evidence to (15) the theory that intelligence comes in many (16) ? Actually, there is quite a lot of evidence, Kanazawa says. If there were only one type of intelligence, he (17) , then people with (18) IQs should be "smart" in every way.
In one test, a psychologist took a group of subjects（受实验者）on a hike, walking into the forest. He then told them to find their way back. The high IQ people were no more likely to be able to find out (19) they were. In another experiment, a researcher asked people to find their way to a specific location in a computer maze（迷宫）. (20) , high IQ did not give them any edge（优势）.
1. A. shocks B. excites C. puzzles D. disappoints
2. A. Research B. Women C. Universe D. Science
3. A. disabled B. smartest C. weakest D. poorest
4. A. true B. new C. disappointing D. surprising
5. A. never B. even C. no D. not
6. A. refer B. contain C. deal D. include
7. A. because B. why C. what D. how
8. A. necessarily B. truthfully C. reliably D. reasonably
9. A. unlikely B. impossible C. sure D. certainly
10. A. argues B. concerns C. relates D. disagrees
11. A. independent B. single C. current D. complete
12. A. it B. which C. one D. what
13. A. similar B. equal C. else D. other
14. A. bore B. arm C. locate D. retire
15. A. reflect B. support C. reason D. guard
16. A. types B. sides C. forms D. kinds
17. A. adds B. thinks C. agrees D. doubts
18. A. equal B. similar C. high D. low
19. A. who B. what C. where D. why
20. A. For once B. All at once C. Once again D. Once in a while
V. Reading practice
限时 总字数 时 间 速 度
阅读 323w ____ m ____ wpm
SYDNEY: As they sat sharing sweets beside a swimming pool in 1999, Shane Gould and Jessicah Schipper were simply getting along well, chatting about sport, life and “ anything else that came up. ”
Yet in Sydney next month, they will meet again by the pool, and for a short time the friends will race against each other in the 50-meter butterfly（蝶泳）in the Australian championships at Homebush Bay.
Gould, now a 47-year-old mother of four, has announced she will be making a return to elite competition（顶级赛事）to swim the one event, having set a qualifying（合格的）time of 30.32 seconds in winning gold at last year’s United States Masters championships. Her comeback comes 32 years after she won three golds at the Munich Olympics.
Schipper, now a 17-year-old from Brisbane with a bright future of going to Athens for her first Olympics, yesterday recalled（回忆）her time with Gould fie years ago.
“ I was at a national youth came on the Gold Coast and Shane had come along to talk to us and watch us train, ” Schipper explained. “ It seemed as if we had long been god friends. I don’t know why. We just started talking and it went from there. ”
“ She had a lot to share with all of us at that camp. She told us stories about what it was like at big meets like the Olympics and what it’s like to be on an Australian team. It was really interesting. ”
Next time, things will be more serious. “ I will still be swimming in the 50m butterfly at the nationals, so there is a chance that I could actually be competing against Shane Gould, ” said Schipper, who burst onto the scene at last year’s national championships with second places in the 100m and 200m butterfly.
1. What is the passage mainly about?
A. Stories happening in swimming competitions.
B. Two women swimmers winning Olympic golds.
C. Lessons learned from international swimming championships.
D. Friendship and competition between two swimmers.
2. Gould and Schipper are going to _____.
A. talk about sport and life B. go back to elite competition
C. set a qualifying time and win gold D. take part in the same sports event
3. Gould won her three Olympic golds when she was ______.
A. 15 B. 17 C. 22 D. 30
4. The underlined word “ it ” in the fifth paragraph probably refers to ____.
A. the Olympics B. the youth camp
C. the friendship D. the Australian team
5. What Schipper said showed that she .
A. was no longer Gould’s friend
B. had learned a lot from Gould
C. was not interested in Gould’s stories
D. would not like to compete against Gould
Unit 2 News media
I. Speaking
Task 1 What do news media do for us?
Directions: The five main functions of news media are listed in the form and match them with their correct explanations. Which do you think is the most important and useful function? Why?
Functions Explanations Your Comments
The record-keeping function.
The economic function.
The social（社交）function.
The entertainment function.
The political watchdog function.
A. Journalists are responsible for monitoring（监督）the activities of the government.
B. Not everything in life is serious. We want comic relief （喜剧性调剂）. We want comic strips. We want sound advice. We want our MTV
C. Newspapers and broadcast news provide us with topics to talk about over the back fence, at the office, over coffee.
D. Advertising carried in the media helps to stimulate（刺激）the economy and provide with information about new products and services.
E. Through the records kept by the news media, we know who is born, gets married, gets divorced, dies, who won the game, etc.
Task 2 What are the advantages and disadvantages of different forms of news media?
Directions: Work in groups and discuss about advantages and disadvantages of different forms of news media. Tell your partners what’s your favorite and why you like it most/
Forms Advantages Disadvantages Your preference
TV
Radio
Magazines
Newspapers
Internet
Other: _______
II. Understanding the text
1. Editors and reporters do the following EXCEPT ______________.
A. switch their roles sometimes
B. tell readers what’s going on
C. decide how to report events
D. make informed decisions
2. How does a journalist decide what he’s going to write?
A. He has to do exactly as his editor tells him
B. He simply records what happens
C. He will ask his editor’s opinion before making a decision
D. He needn’t make his reports more balanced and interesting.
3. Which is the first thing a journalist does in writing a report?
A. To discuss with his editor
B. To prepare interview questions
C. To make an appointment with interviews
D. To think how to present his material
4. What makes the best article for an editor?
A. It must be the latest news.
B. It must be international news
C. It must be about famous people and things
D. It differs from person to person.
5. What does Chen Ying most want to write about?
A. About exploring the mysteries in life
B. About those who readers know little about
C. About people who are most unlucky
D. About the importance of spiritual fulfilment
III. Language focus
1. Usage of words
1. I’m surprised she didn’t phone back--she’s usually very r____________.
2. Six months after the accident, Tom still has d__________ in walking.
3. While painting the ceiling, she fell and i___________ her back.
4. I didn’t know how to f_________ my parents after I failed to pass the exams.
5. Newspapers can keep us well i___________ about what is happening all over the world.
6. Dangerous chemicals are p___________ in the polluted water. Don’t drink it.
7. Shelly could play the piano at the age of 4; she has a t_________ for music.
8. Someone s__________ the road signs round and everyone went the wrong way.
9. I said hello to Debby but she totally i____________ me and acted as if she hadn’t seem me.
10. Ann screamed; that’s because the noise was more than she could t__________.
2. Usage of phrases
1. The question is very interesting but it doesn’t really __________ the subject that we’re discussing.
2. She says she’s unable to give up smoking; she _______ completely _______ it.
3. __________ you disagree with Ann, she is worth listening to.
4. The small country is surrounded __________ by high mountains.
5. You’re a popular girl, Jane, and a lot of younger ones __________ you.
6. They __________ each other and were married within two months.
7. Emma is very young; she might __________ about what she wants to do.
8. __________ are political events and problems in society, which are discussed in the newspapers, and on TV and radio.
9. It would be nice, just __________, the two of you could get on with each other.
10. When you go abroad, you often have to ______ yourself _____ foreign habits and customs.
3. Multiple choice
1. There are a lot of spelling mistakes; ________ it’s quite a good essay.
A. as though B. even though C. even if D. even so
2. My eyes were ___________ to a painting hanging over the fireplace.
A. fixed B. taken C. drawn D. pulled
3. Dad likes this newspaper because it gives a ______________.
A. balance view B. balancing view
C. balanced view D. view in the balance
4. Boris is always so __________; he can arrange and plan his things very carefully and effectively.
A. organized B. controlled C. fixed D. arranged
5. Mrs. Smith was ______ of her 3,000 designer watch at her West London home.
A. taken B. stolen C. cheated D. robbed
6. The clock struck nine. Isn’t it the time that children _________ to bed?
A. went B. go C. should go D. had gone
7. The old photographs _____________ memories of his childhood.
A. took back B. brought back C. held back D. got back
8. The workers demonstrated and wanted more _________ in the running of the company.
A. minds B. views C. voice D. opinion
9. The solders walked a whole day in the snowstorm, ________________.
A. cold and hungry B. cold and hungrily
C. coldly and hungrily D. coldly and hungry
10. The president said the report did not _________ his own views.
A. balance B. update C. reflect D. locate
11. The ________ look on her face suggested that Michelle _________ the birthday gift from her boyfriend.
A. exciting/like B. excited/like C. exciting/liked D. excited/liked
12. -My computer has broken down.
-Why not ask Nick for advice? He’s an expert in the _________.
A. field B. land C. subject D. topic
13. There’s a rumor going around _______ the firm is going to close very soon.
A. what B. which C. as D. that
14. What _______ the experts most is the increasing level of pollution in our cities.
A. faces B. concerns C. bores D. relates
15. Helen isn’t a _________ girl and she doesn’t enjoy being with other people.
A. reasonable B. disable C. social D. reliable
4. Cloze
Rupert Murdoch, the Australian-born American media owner was voted best of British by the Sunday Express in London last week.
He is the most famous (1) owner in the world and (2) newspapers and TV channels across the world. (3) now he has been called the greatest (4) in Britain by one of his biggest rivals.
The paper, which competes for (5) with Murdoch's own papers, called him "the man who made modern Britain" and it (6) Murdoch for his willingness to take risks. (7) said he had brought a "revolution（革命）" to television and newspaper production.
Rupert Murdoch was born in Melbourne, (8) , in 1931. Today he is better (9) as the owner of News Corporation Ltd., a media group that owns many different (10) of media: television, films, books, and the Internet.
(11) becoming the success he is today, Murdoch studied at Oxford University in Britain. He returned to Australia in 1952, when he (12) The Adelaide News from his father. His life since then can be seen as a series of international jumps in which he's (13) more and more newspapers and TV stations.
In the 1960s, it was The Mirror in Sydney and The Sun in London; in the 1970s, he bought the New York Post; in the 1980s, he took on Hollywood when he bought 20th Century Fox and Fox TV. At this time he also bought the Times and the Sunday Times in London. And most (14) in the 1990s, he bought Star Television in Asia.
His company has also formed a joint-venture (合资的) television company with the Chinese Government, Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings Ltd. (凤凰卫视). It (15) six channels - Xingkongweishi, Channel [V], Star Movies, National Geographic, Star Sports and ESPN - to millions of Chinese (16) .
One (17) how Murdoch could have found the time for love and relationships since he owns such a big business. In 1967, he married Anna Troy, whom he met (18) she was a reporter on the Sydney Daily Mirror. The couple got (19) in 1998. The next year, he married Chinese-born Wendy Deng. Deng, Murdoch's third wife, is 37 years younger than Murdoch and used to work (20) Star TV in Hong Kong. The 71-year-old Murdoch is now father of five children after Deng gave birth to a baby daughter last year.
1. A. media B. TV C. radio D. newspaper
2. A. edits B. buys C. controls D. updates
3. A. However B. Until C. And D. Since
4. A. editors B. businessmen C. reporters D. telegraphers
5. A. readers B. media C. headlines D. journalists
6. A. elected B. debated C. praised D. matched
7. A. He B. It C. Everyone D. Who
8. A. England B. America C. Australia D. China
9. A. known B. received C. reflected D. informed
10. A. ways B. areas C. forms D. fields
11. A. Until B. After C. Since D. Before
12. A. took out B. took up C. took over D. took in
13. A. created B. sold C. published D. bought
14. A. recently B. immediately C. newly D. early
15. A. faced B. related C. demonstrated D. introduced
16. A. readers B. listeners C. viewers D. media
17. A. bores B. concerns C. knows D. wonders
18. A. while B. because C. till D. once
19. A. married B. separated C. disappointed D. tolerated
20. A. on B. among C. for D. within
IV. More language input
限时 总字数 时 间 速 度
阅读 301w ____ m ____ wpm
A letter to Edward, a columnist（报刊专栏作家）
Dear Mr. Expert:
I grew up in an unhappy and abusive home. I always promised myself that I’d get out as soon as possible. Now, at age 20,I have a good job and a nice house, and I’m really proud of the independence I’ve achieved.
Here’s the problem: several of my friends who still live with their parents wish they had places like mine - so much so that they make mine theirs.
It started out with a couple of them spending the weekends with me. But now they seem to take it for granted that they can show up any time they like. They bring boyfriends over, talk on the phone and stay out forever.
I enjoy having my friends here sometimes- it makes the place feel comfortable and warm- but this is my home, not a party house. I was old enough to move out on my own, so why can’t I seem to ask my friends to respect my privacy (隐私)?
Joan
Edward’s reply to Joan
Dear Joan:
If your family didn’t pay attention to your needs when you were a child, you probably have trouble letting others know your needs now.
And if you’ve gathered your friends around you to rebuild a happy family atmosphere(气氛),you may fear that saying no will bring back the kind of conflict you grew up with- or destroy the nice atmosphere you now enjoy. You need to understand that in true friendship it’s okay to put your own needs first from time to time.
Be clear about the message you want to send. For example, “I really love your company but I also need some privacy. So please call before you come over.”
1. We can learn from the first letter that Joan Edward .
A. lives away from her parents
B. takes pride in her friends
C. knows Mr. Expert quite well
D. hates her parents very much
2.We can infer from the first letter that .
A. Joan considers her friends more important than her privacy
B. Joan’s friends visit her more often than she can accept
C. Joan doesn’t like the parties at all
D. Joan dislikes the boyfriends her friends bring over
3. According to Mr. Expert, why can’t Joan tell her friends her feelings?
A. She is afraid of hurting her friends.
B. She does not understand true friendship.
C. Her family experience stops her from doing so.
D. She does not put her needs first.
4. The underlined word “conflict” in the second letter means .
A. dependent life B. fierce fight
C. bad manners D. painful feeling
5.The second letter suggests that Mr. Expert .
A. is worried about Joan’s problem
B. warns Joan not to quarrel with her friends
C. advises Joan on how to refuse people
D. encourages Joan to be brave enough
Unit 1
II. 1. progress; 2. finish; 3. disturbed; 4. bored; 5. realized;
6. lived; 7. save; 8. hanging; 9. engaged; 10. meant
III. 1-5 CBCDD 6 A
IV. 1. Usage of words
1. undertaken 2. obvious 3. within 4. curious 5. branch
6. scan 7. theory 8. misunderstanding 9. match 10. predict
2. Usage of phrases
1. make a difference; 2. breaks down; 3. the other way round;
4. believe in; 5. go on with; 6. work on; 7. went by;
8. was satisfied with; 9. used up; 10. turn out
3. Multiple choice
1-5 BCACB 6-10 BCDAA 11-15 BBABA
4. Cloze
1-5 CBBDC 6-10 DAACD 11-15 ADDCB 16-20 CACCC
V. 1-5 DDACB
Unit 2
II. 1-5 ACCDB
III. 1. Usage of words
1. reliable 2. difficulty 3. injured 4. face 5. informed
6. present 7. talent 8. switched 9. ignored 10. tolerate
2. Usage of phrases
1. relate to; 2. is addicted to; 3. Even if; 4. on all sides;
5. look up to; 6. fell in love with; 7. change her mind;
8. Current affairs; 9. for once; 10. adapt to
3. Multiple choice
1-5 DCCAD 6-10 ABCAC 11-15 DADBC
4. Cloze
1-5 ACCBA 6-10 CBCAC 11-15 DCDAD 16-20 CDABC
V. 1-5 ABCBC