You can’t always predict a heavy rain or remember your umbrella. But designer Mikhail Belyaev doesn’t think that forgetting to check the weather forecast before heading out should result in you getting wet. That’s why he created lampbrella, a lamp post with its own rain sensing umbrella.
The designer says he came up with the idea after watching people get wet on streets in Russia. “Once, I was driving on a central Saint Petersburg street and saw the street lamps lighting up people trying to hide from the rain. I thought it would be appropriate to have a canopy（伞蓬）built into a street lamp.” he said.
The lampbrella is a standard-looking street lamp fitted with an umbrella canopy with a built-in electric motor which can open or close the umbrella on demand. Sensors（传感器）first ensure that it starts raining and the motors open up in response to their sensors and then people can protect themselves from the rain under the canopies.
In addition to the rain sensor, there’s also a 360° motion sensor on the fiberglass street lamp which detects whether anyone’s using the lampbrella. After three minutes of not being used, the canopy is closed.
According to the designer, the lampbrella would move at a relatively low speed, so as not to cause harm to the pedestrians. Besides, it would be grounded to protect from possible lightning strike. Each lampbrella would offer enough shelter for several people. Being installed（安装）at 2 meters off the ground, it would only be a danger for the tallest of pedestrians.
While there are no plans to take lampbrella into production, Belyaev says he recently introduced his creation to one Moscow Department, and insists his creation could be installed on any street where a lot of people walk but there are no canopies to provide shelter.
【小题1】What do we know from Belyaev’s words in Paragraph2?

A．His creation was inspired by an experience.

B．It rains a lot in the city of Saint Petersburg.

C．Street lamps are protected by canopies.

D．He enjoyed taking walks in the rain.

【小题2】Which of the following shows how the lampbrella works?

A．Motor→Canopy→Sensors.	B．Sensors→Motor-Canopy.
C．Motor→Sensors→Canopy.	D．Canopy→Motor→Sensors.

【小题3】What does paragraph 5 mainly tell us about the lampbrella?

A．Its moving speed.	B．Its appearance.
C．Its disadvantages.	D．Its safety.

【小题4】What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．The designer will open a company to promote his product.

B．The lampbrella could be put into immediate production.

C．The designer is confident that his creation is practical.

D．The lampbrella would be put on show in Moscow.

What’s your favorite type of music? Most people may prefer rock and roll, pop or jazz. These types are most publicized by television and the radio. Country music now would seem to mistakenly belong to the category of rock or pop. Publicity of this category started to drop only after the year 2000; however, it did have its peak years just before falling down.
What people may not know is that this type of music inspired (促成) rock and roll especially with one of the most important figures in music history - Elvis Presley—who is known as the “King of Rock and Roll”. Elvis used to be very famous at a radio program which broadcast country music back in the late l940’s. Country music is influenced by jazz and blues. Rode music too is influenced by jazz and blues but is also heavily influenced by country music so that they may even seem similar.
Nowadays, country music is closely related to pop music due to artists’ preference and popular demand. Starting from the 1980’s it slowly divided itself into New and Old Country Music. Legends like Johnny Cash began to slip away because the new understanding of country music actually contains pop and his music just doesn’t fit the category. Fortunately, country music is still heavily promoted through websites and reviews.
Certain types of music nowadays are linked with different age groups. Classical for the people in the mid 19th century, pop in the 1920’s, and then there’s country music. All these types continue to grow and modernize while still appealing to certain age groups. More modem country music tends to become different in their own ways which makes it even harder to identify them as country music while, again, remain appealing only to certain age groups. Active promoters of country music videos, however, seem to appeal to a large number of age groups especially those active in Australia. For as long as country music isn’t mixed with other types, it will eventually regain its charm as music for all ages.
【小题1】It can be learned from the first paragraph that country music        .

A．is most publicized by television and the radio

B．used to be liked by more people compared to jazz

C．has become less popular since the year 2000

D．should be included in the category of rock or pop

【小题2】What is the relationship between rock music and country music?

A．Both types influenced the format ion of rock and roll.

B．Presley turned pop music into country music.

C．They are both influenced by jazz and blues.

D．The use of the same instruments makes them sound similar.

【小题3】Some legends of country music began to slip away because        .

A．their songs totally changed the style of country music

B．they began to work on pop music for more profits

C．there is no marketing space for country music anymore

D．they can’t meet the popular demands on country music

【小题4】The writer seems to believe that        .

A．country music should keep its own style to attract more listeners

B．it’s necessary for country music to be mixed with other types

C．only a certain age group of people will like country music in the future

D．common characteristics can be found in all modem music

How old is “old”? 【小题1】 Two hundred years ago, you were old at 35. That was the average life then. At the turn of this century, as medical knowledge advanced, the average life span(长度) increased to 45. In 1950, 70-year-olds were really old. Today, a healthy 70-year-old is looking forward to many more active years.
So, how old is old? The answer is one you’ve heard many times, from all sorts of people. “You are as old (or young) as you feel!” The calendar(日历) simply tells you how many years you have lived.   【小题2】
Once an unknown author wrote,“  【小题3】. Nobody grows old by living a number of years; people grow old by giving up their goals.”
【小题4】. Alice Brophy, when she was with the New York City commission for the Aging, said, “It upsets me when people say, ‘Gee, you look young for your age!’ What does that mean? Is there some model that you’re supposed to look a certain way at 65 and 75 and 85? You know you can die old at 30 and live young at 80”
There are many wrong ideas about aging.  【小题5】. Here are some of the more common ones. For example, most older people are in poor health, or older people are unable to change.

A．It’s extremely terrible to be grown old.

B．Youth is not a time of life but it is a state of mind.

C．These ideas stereotype(固化) people on the basis of age.

D．Old is a point of view.

E. Older people are stubborn, unable to change.
F. The answer has changed over the years.
G. Your body tells you how well you’ve lived.