语篇专练与基础写作：Unit 4 Making the News

语篇专练与基础写作
Ⅰ.阅读理解
When you have a question about something，where do you go？For many people the answer is simple.They go online to a search engine like Google or Yahoo.But what about people in rural or under­developed areas who may have no way to get on the Internet？Luckily，Rose Shuman，a business and international development consultant in California，has found a way for them.Her amazing solution is “Question Box”．
Question Box is a service that provides answers free of charge—for people who cannot search the Internet directly.They might not be able to read，or they simply have no access.
Question Box began two years ago in India.People use a metal call box with a push­to­talk button to connect to a live operator，as Rose Shuman explains，“You just push a button，a big green button，and that will connect you directly to our operators who are sitting in front of computers，and speak your language.And you can ask them any sort of question you want，and they’ll look it up in English or in Hindi，or whatever the main language is，and translate the answer right back for you.”
The service is currently offered in two villages.The latest version of the box uses mobile phone technology and solar panels in case the electrical power fails.Rose Shuman says the aim was to make the box as easy as possible for users.
“Rather than try to bring a lot of infrastructure(基础设施) to them and expect them to learn how to use the Internet，the idea was to make a technology that even Grandma could use，figuring that Grandma could probably walk up to a box and push a button，” added Shuman.
In April，Question Box expanded to Uganda.Forty community workers with mobile phones connect villagers to call center operators in Kampala.The community workers go around telling people about the service.They wear T­shirts that say “Ask Me.”
But Internet service in Uganda proved slow and undependable.So Question Box teamed up with a local technology company to store information on a local server.That way，the researchers in Kampala can quickly search the database for answers when users ask about current events and many other subjects.
Rose Shuman continued，“When was Mahatma Gandhi born and how long is the Nile River？What’s the tallest mountain？The funniest one I think we got was，‘did the pyramids ever move to another place？’，which we found pretty funny.But we did look it up，and they haven’t moved.”
1．According to the passage，“Question Box” is a service intended to .
A．help improve the living standard of the people in poor areas
B．promote the computer technology
C．provide answers raised by the people who have no access to the Internet
D．enrich the local people’s life
答案C
解析细节理解题。

根据第二段可知Question Box是为不能上网的人提出的问题做解答的。

2．Which of the following is TRUE about Question Box according to the passage?
A．Uganda is the original place where the service started.
B．Some modern technologies have been used for improving the service.
C．Question Box won’t be able to work if there is no electrical power.
D．It was impossible for a grandma to use Question Box.
答案B
解析推理判断题。

根据第四段第一句“The latest version of the box uses mobile phone technology and solar panels in case the electrical power fail.”可知C项错误，B项正确；A选项与第三段第一句“Question Box began two years ago in India.”不符；D选项与第五段中的“...the idea was to make a technology that even Grandma could use...”不符。

3．We can learn from the passage that in Uganda .
A．forty call center operators helped make Question Box known to villagers
B．it was very convenient for villagers to have access to Internet service
C．users are very interested in current events
D．a local technology company cooperates with Question Box
答案D
解析推理判断题。

根据倒数第二段第二句“So Question Box teamed up with a local technology company to store information on a local server.”可知D项正确。

4．What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A．All the questions asked by people are pretty funny.
B．Workers of Question Box know the answer to any question.
C．Question Box always tries to answer the questions，no matter how strange.
D．Those who asked questions wanted to make progress in their studies.
答案C
解析推理判断题。

A、B两项太绝对；D选项不能根据文章推断出来；根据最后一句可知C选项正确。

Ⅱ.完形填空
Once a man was exploring some caves by the seashore.In one cave he found a bag with a 1
of clay balls.It seemed that someone had 2 up some clay balls and left them there to harden.They 3 him and he took the bag out of the cave with him.As he 4 along the beach，to pass the time，he would 5 the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could.He thought little about it 6 he dropped one of the balls and it cracked open on a 7 .Inside that clay ball was a beautiful，precious 8 .The man started breaking open the remaining clay balls，9 .Each contained a similar treasure.He found thousands of dollars 10 of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls that remained，and then it 11 him.He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their 12 treasure into the ocean.Instead of thousands of dollars in 13 ，he could have had tens of thousands，but he just threw it away. Sometimes it’s like that with 14 .When we look at someone，we usually only see “the 15 clay vessel (容器)”．It isn’t always beautiful or shining，so we 16 him; we see that person is less important than someone more beautiful or wealthier.But we haven’t spent time looking for the treasure 17 that person.If we spend time getting to know that person，the clay will 18 off and the brilliant jewel will shine forth.We are 19 made.Not only our physical bodies，but also our 20 selves，which are sometimes hidden from others by the “earthen vessel”．In fact，believe it or not，there is treasure hidden in every one of us. 1．A.score B．couple
C．dozen D．bunch
答案D
解析由下文“He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls...”可知，他扔掉了五六十个粘土球。

因此可知，他发现了一个包，里面有很多粘土球。

a bunch of意为“大量的，大批的”。

2．A.rolled B．brought
C．made D．dried
答案A
解析好像有人做了一些粘土球，留在那里让它们变硬。

roll...up使……成球状。

3．A.threatened B．interested
C．fooled D．excited
答案B
解析由“...he took the bag out of the cave with him.”可推知，那些粘土球让他感兴趣。

4．A.ran B．drove
C．looked D．wandered
答案D
解析由“to pass the time”可知，他当时很放松，故应该是沿着海滩溜达。

5．A.drop B．pick
C．throw D．catch
解析由下文“He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls...”可知答案。

6．A.until B．once
C．unless D．since
答案A
解析由语境可知，他一直都没怎么在意，直到一个粘土球掉了下来……
7．A.sand B．rock
C．shoe D．hole
答案B
解析由“cracked open”可知，粘土球是掉在岩石上裂开的。

8．A.ring B．necklace
C．jewel D．coin
答案C
解析由下文“jewels in the 20 or so clay balls that remained”可知，在粘土球里面是漂亮、珍贵的宝石。

9．A.thrilled B．scared
C．confused D．surprised
答案A
解析他意外地在粘土球中发现了宝石之后，必然是兴奋地去打开其余的粘土球查看，故选thrilled激动的，兴奋的。

10．A.price B．cost
C．worth D．amount
答案C
解析由“thousands of dollars”和“jewels”可以猜测出此处说的是宝石价值上千美元。

11．A.moved B．influenced
C．struck D．interrupted
答案C
解析结合上下文可知，这件事给他很大触动。

故选“struck”。

strike意为“打动；触动”。

12．A.hidden B．unknown
C．buried D．shared
答案A
解析结合上文可知，宝石是藏在粘土球中的，故选hidden。

13．A.private B．treasure
C．secret D．future
解析根据语境可知此处选“treasure”。

他本应得到上万美元的财富，而不是几千美元。

14．A.things B．life
C．friends D．people
答案D
解析根据下文可知，下面是由事及人，谈论看待人的问题，故选people。

15．A.terrible B．great
C．outside D．unexpected
答案C
解析结合上文和此处的“only”可知，选outside。

当我们看待某人时，我们往往只是看到“粘土容器的外表”。

16．A.value B．hate
C．notice D．ignore
答案D
解析由“It isn’t always beautiful or shining...”可推知此处说的是，“其外表并非总是美丽、耀眼的，因而我们会忽视他”。

17．A.of B．inside
C．on D．from
答案B
解析根据上文可知，此处强调要寻找人的内在财富，故选inside。

18．A.peel B．take
C．keep D．fall
答案A
解析由“...the brilliant jewel will shine forth.”可知此处说的是，粘土剥落。

19．A.normally B．gradually
C．rapidly D．wonderfully
答案D
解析由文章最后一句“In fact，believe it or not，there is treasure hidden in every one of us.”可知，我们每个人都有其内在的财富，都是被“极佳地”创造出来的。

因此，此处选wonderfully。

20．A.religious B．spiritual
C．actual D．perfect
答案B
解析由“Not only our physical bodies...”可以推断出此处选spiritual，与physical相对应。

强调整体都是被“极佳地”创造出来的。

Ⅲ.基础写作
第一节按要求改写或合并句子
1．To his surprise，the little girl knows so many things.
→(用名词性从句)What surprises him is that the little girl knows so many things.
2．I realized the importance of English when I entered senior high school.
→(强调时间状语从句)It was when I entered senior high school that I realized the importance of English.
→(用not until倒装句)Not until I entered senior high school did I realize the importance of English.
3．(1)He fell asleep.
(2)The lights were still on.
→(用with 复合结构)He fell asleep with the lights still on.
4．They carried out a survey among 260 students.
→(用被动语态)A survey was carried out among 260 students.
5．(1)I will be given another chance.
(2)I will succeed.
→(用状语从句)If I am given another chance，I will succeed.
→(用虚拟语气)If I were given another chance，I would succeed.
→(用非谓语动词)Given another chance，I will succeed.
→(用并列句)Give another chance，and I will succeed.
第二节运用恰当的语言表达手段，整合表达所给信息
1．信息点：
人物：理查德·阿维斯(Richard Avis)
事件：2011年开始在世界各地寻找同年同月同日出生的人(time twin)
目的：理解不同文化中成功人生的含义
词数：30词左右。

信息整合与表达：In order to understand the real meaning of successful life in different cultures，Richard
Avis，from 2011，began to search for time twins around the world.
2．信息点：
主题：自习课是否可以自由讨论问题
观点：60%认为不能讨论问题
理由：利用自习课自己可以好好地整理一下所学的知识，这需要一个安静的环境
词数：40词左右。

信息整合与表达：60 percent of the students expressed the opinion that they would like to make use of the self­study class to sort out what they have learned recently，so they are in great need of quiet surroundings.。