Passage 1

As is often the case, reading involves looking at illustrative symbols and expressing mentally the sounds and ideas they represent. Concepts of reading have changed  (1)  over the centuries. During the 1950’s and 1960’s especially, increased attention has been devoted to  (2)  the reading process. Although experts agree that reading   (3)  a complex organization of higher mental  (4)  , they disagree about the exact nature of the process. Some experts, who regard language primarily as a code using symbols to represent sounds,  (5)  reading as simply the decoding（解码）of symbols into the sounds they stand for.

These authorities  (6)  that meaning, being concerned with thinking, must be taught independently of the decoding process. Others maintain that reading is unexplainably related to thinking, and that a child who pronounces sounds without   (7)  their meaning is not truly reading. The reader,   (8)  some, is not just a person with a theoretical ability to read but one who  (9)    reads.

Many adults, although they have the ability to read, have never read a book in its  (10)  . By some experts they would not be  (11)  as readers. Clearly, the philosophy, objectives, methods and materials of reading will depend on the definition one use. By the most  (12)  and satisfactory definition, reading is the ability to  (13)  the sound-symbols code of the language, to interpret meaning for various  (14)  , at various rates, and at various levels of difficulty, and to do so widely and enthusiastically.   (15)  , reading is the interpretation of ideas through the use of symbols representing sounds and ideas.

Mobile phones are everywhere in big cities. It seems that   41   can survive without one. Mobile phones are a great   42    to stay connected with friends and family.   43   , it is important to remember that there are certain times  44   you should not be using your phone, especially as a student, during school.

    45    you are in class, you should not be sending your friends text messages  46  taking phone calls. Your classmates and teacher should not have to deal with this rude    47    Aren’t you at school to learn?

In the United States, students would never be allowed to   48    their mobile phones during class. If you were to send or  49  a text message you would probably be kicked  50   class. It is very disturbing to hear a lot of tones and ringing during  51  . There are many more rules for mobile phone use in America and it is to   52    respect for those around you.

As a teacher in China, I have to  53  students using mobile phones every day. I have told my class to 54 their phones, but many students do not listen. The  55  to be connected all the time seems to be more  56  than the desire to learn.

It’s easy to understand  57  it is so tempting(诱惑人的) to have your phone on during class. It seems so easy just to send a short text message; it’s not hurting anyone, is it? But you may actually be hurting  58  when you do this. Your teacher knows when you use your phone and may give you a   59   grade. Sending a text message also takes your attention away from what’s going on in class, you may  60  something important.

Every day，the news of the world reaches people by over 300 million copies of daily papers，over 400 million radio sets，and over 150 million television sets.Additional news is __41__ by motion(动作) pictures，in theatres and cinemas all over the world.As more people learn what the important events of the day are，__42__ still only care for the events of their own household.Nearly four hundred years ago the English writer John Donne said，“No man is an island.”This __43__ is more appropriate(恰当的) today than it was __44__ Donne lived.In short，wherever he lives，a man __45__ to some society；and we are becoming more and more aware(清楚的) that __46__ happens in one particular society affects，somehow，the life of mankind.

Newspapers have been published in the __47__ world for about four hundred years.Most of the newspapers __48__ today are read in Europe and North America.However，__49__ they may be read in all parts of the world，__50__ to the new inventions that are changing the techniques of newspaper __51__.

Electronics and automation(自动化) have made it __52__ to produce pictures and texts far more quickly than before.Photographic copying doesn’t __53__ to use type(铅字) and printing machines.And fewer specialists, __54__ typesetters，are needed to produce a paper or magazine by the __55__ method.

Therefore，the publishing of newspapers and magazines can __56__ more money.Besides，photocopies can be sent over great __57__ now by means of television channels and satellites such as Telstar.Thus，__58__ can be brought to the public more quickly than before.

Machines that prepare printed texts for photocopies are being used a great deal today.Film，__59__ light and small，can be sent rapidly to other places and used to print copies of the text __60__ they are needed.Film pictures can also be projected easily on a movie or television screen.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Have you ever seen a movie in which a building was burnt down or a bridge was destroyed? Have you seen films in which a train crashed or a ship   (1)   into the ocean? If so, you may have wondered how these things could happen without   (2)   the people in the film.

  The man who knows the   (3)  is the “special-effects” man. He has one of the most important jobs in the film   (4)  . He may be   (5)  to create a flood or to make a battlefield explode. But he may also be told to create a  (6)   effect which is much less exciting, though just as important to the success of the film. In a   (7)   for one movie there was a big glass bowl   (8)  with water in which small fish   (9)   swimming. The director of the movie  (10)   the fish to stop swimming suddenly  (11)   they seemed to stare at an actor. Then the director wanted the fish to stop staring and swim away. But fish suddenly   (12)   be ordered to do anything. It was quite a  (13)  .

   The special-effects man_  (14)   about this problem for a long time. The result was an idea for  (15)   the fish with a harmless use of electricity.  (16)  he applied electricity to the fish bowl causing the fish to be totally still (静止的). Then he rapidly reduced the   (17)   of electricity allowing the fish to be free.   (18)  he got the humorous effect the director wanted.

  (19)   in other parts of movie making there are those who have developed  (20)  skill in creating certain kinds of effects. Jim White, who has been a special-effects man for thirty-two years, is best known for work with ships and airplanes.

 Nowadays, Millions of people use computers for many different things — communication, study and so on. Of course, computers are great and have   (1)   some people’s lives for the better.   (2)  , they can cause problems too. Many people who use computers a lot can develop   (3)   problems. They find that their eyesight gets   (4)  , for example, if they look at the screen for too long. Users’ hands and arms can become   (5)   from making the same movements thousands of times, while using a keyboard and a mouse. People who have computers are also spending more   (6)  sitting down, and less time   (7)  , so many of them are becoming overweight.

Other problems are psychological (心理上的). Computers, the Internet and e-mail have made people’s lives much   (8)  . This can be very exciting,   (9)   it also means that people feel under a lot of pressure (压力) to do everything more quickly.

Addiction (上瘾) is also a   (10)   with more and more young people. Many of them spend hours and hours   (11)  different websites, sometimes until very late   (12)  . This means they can’t work or study   (13)  and can have problems keeping friends. Some studies in the United States have   (14)   that young children and teenagers who spend many hours at computers can easily get   (15)  .

“Computers can be a really   (16)   part of children’s lives because they can be   (17)   for research, finding pictures and reading the latest news. But parents and teachers need to   (18)  children to learn how to use computers in   (19)   ways,” says teacher Jane Shields. “And children need to learn when it’s time to   (20)   and do something different.”

The first KFC opened in Beijing in 1982. Three years later, the first McDonald’s restaurant opened in Shenzhen, a major city in Southern China. In just a few decades, they have become part of Chinese people’s   (1)   life. Why?

In recent years, Western fast food is more   (2)   to common people. But in the past, they were very expensive, but   (3)   people still crowded into the stores. Why? In fact, the high price there might have partly worked in the fast food chains’   (4)  . Western fast food was considered   (5)   of a luxury at the time. The image made Western fast Food something special and  (6)  .

Just as Chinese consumers are   (7)   Western foods, Western fast food chains are   (8)  

changed from their original ones to better meet Chinese   (9)  . Food items at KFC all taste   (10)   or mild in order to   (11)   Chinese people’s favor of spicy foods. Western fast food chains are not simply   (12)   foreign foods to the Chinese market.   (13)  , Western chains integrate(整合) aspects of Chinese foods into traditional Western fast food.

The differences between Western and Chinese food indicate some   (14)  . Though Chinese tastes have changed Western fast food, Chinese still   (15)   the food to be new and different. As was said by a young female customer of KFC, “Chinese food, that’s all I ever ate when I was growing up … I want something   (16)  .”

Western fast food chains not only sell Western food, but sell a dining   (17)   that did not exist in China before. In contrast to Pizza Huts in the US, which mainly   (18)   pizzas to customers, Pizza Hut in China offers a casual dining experience. Pizza Huts are said to be favored by Chinese customers for its comparably friendlier   (19)   and cleaner setting in comparison to local   (20)   restaurants.

Do you ever feel like you are studying hurriedly of one subject after another? When things happen at such a  (1)  pace, it is easy to lose sight of what you are learning. It is important to  (2)   every now and then to think about what you have been learning.

Self reflection(反思)means stopping the mad hurry and  (3)  yourself, so your brain can evaluate what it has already （4） . Some people prefer to do their self reflections  (4)  , while others keep a journal. Either method can work, depending on what your own personal  (5)  is.

School textbooks are often divided into units. This can make it  (6)  for someone to begin the process of self reflection. Watch for the times when you complete a unit of study. Sometimes you are reminded that the unit is  (7)  because there is some kind of test or quiz. Use these natural  (8)  as opportunities to stop and reflect.

You should find a  (9)  place---anywhere without noise is OK. This can even be sitting at your desk at school when you finish something  (10)  and the other students are still working. If you are going to take notes, take out your journal, write down some notes on things that you  (11)  learned in this unit. Let your mind think about the notes you have written and make some  (12)  .

Sometimes just stopping to think deeply allows your brain to make connections  (13)  new information can quickly appear when you  (14)  it again. Next, think about things that you still wonder about.  (15)  , maybe you learned about a certain body system, but you don't  (16)  how it works with the other body systems. Maybe you learned a new way to solve a math problem, but you are not sure when to use it. Writing down your  (17)  will help you remember to continue seeking answers the next time you  (18)  the same topic.

Self reflection is a necessary skill for a  (19)  student. If you have never taken the time to reflect, try it now.

In America, where labor costs are so high, “do it yourself” is a way of life. Many people repair their own cars, build their own garages, even   (1)  their own houses. Soon many of them will   (2)  be writing their own   (3)  . In Hollywood there is a company that   (4)  __ children’s books with the help of   (5)  . Although other book companies also publish   (6)  , this company is not like  (7)  . It allows the   (8)   to become the leading   (9)   in the  (10)   with the help of computers. Here is  (11)   they do it. Let us suppose the child is named Jenny. She lives in New York, and has a dog   (12)   Hody. The   (13)   uses this information to   (14)  a story with pictures. The story is then  (15)   up. A child who   (16)  such book might say, “This book is   (17)  , ” so the company calls   (18)   the “Me-Books Publishing Company”.

Children like the me-books because they like to see in print their own names and the names of their friends and their pets. But more important,   (19)   readers aremuch more interested in   (20)   the stories. Me-books are helping a child to learn how to read.

In the past, man  (1)   not have to think about the protection of the environment. There were few people on the earth, and natural resources seemed to be  (2)  . But things are  (3)   today, the world has become too   (4)  .

We are using up our natural resources too quickly, and at the same time we are   (5)  our environment with dangerous chemicals. If we   (6)   to do this, human life on the earth will not survive.

Everyone   (7)  that if too many fish are taken from the sea. there will soon be none left. Yet, with modern fishing   (8)   , more and more fish are caught. We know that if too   (9)  trees are cut down ,   (10)  will disappear and nothing will grow on the land. However, we still continue to use bigger and more powerful machines to  (11)   more trees.

We realise that if rivers are  (12)   by waste product from factories, we will die.   (13)   , in most countries wastes are still put into rivers or sea, and there are   (14)   laws to limit this.

There are also too many people on the earth . We know, too, if the   (15)   of the world keeps rising too quickly, in a few years, there will not be enough food, many people will be in hunger. what can we do to   (16)  these problems?

If we eat more vegetables and less   (17)   , there will be more food available for everyone. Our natural resources will   (18)  longer if we learn to recycle them. The world population will not rise so quickly   (19)  people use modern methods of birth control. If we educate people to think about the problems, we shall have a   (20)   and clearer planet in the future.