Passage 1

For anyone who doubts that the texting revolution is upon us, consider this:
The average 13- to 17-year-old sends and receives 3,339 texts a month—more
than 100 per day, according to the Nielsen Co., the media research firm. Adults
are catching up. People from ages 45 to 54 sent and received 323 texts a
month in the second quarter of 2010, up 75% from a year ago, Nielsen says. 

Behind the texting explosion is a fundamental shift in how we view our mobile
devices. That they are phones is increasingly beside the point. 

Part of what's driving the texting surge among adults is the popularity of social
media. Sites like Twitter, with postings of no more than 140 characters, are
creating and reinforcing the habit of communicating in micro-bursts. 

Economics has much to do with texting’s popularity. Text messages cost

carriers less than traditional mobile voice transmissions, and so they cost users
less. Sprint Nextel has reconceived its Virgin Mobile brand to cater to heavy
texters in a difficult economy. For $25 per month, users get unlimited texting,
email, social networking and 300 talk minutes; for another $15, they get an
additional 900 talk minutes. The name of the brand's new wireless plan:
“Beyond Talk.” 

Texting’s rise over conversation is changing the way we interact, social

scientists and researchers say. We are now inclined to text to relay difficult
information. We stare at our phone when we want to avoid eye contact.
Rather than make plans in advance, we engage in what research have named
“micro-coordination”—” I’ll txt u in 10mins when I know wh/ restrnt.” 

Texting saves us time, but it steals from quiet reflection. “When people have a
mobile device and have even a little extra time, they will communicate with
someone in their life,” says Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and
American Life Project. 

And the phone conversation will never be completely obsolete. Deal makers
and other professionals still spend much of the day on the phone. Researchers
say people are more likely to use text-based communications at the
preliminary stages of projects. The phone comes into play when there are
multiple options to consider or important decisions to be made. 

1. At the beginning of the passage, the author uses figures for the purpose of
________. 

A. introduction B. comparison C. explanation D. transition 

2. According to the context, which of the following is closest in meaning to

“beside the point”? 

A. Unimportant. B. Unacknowledged. C. Underestimated. D. Undeniable. 

3. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a cause for texting’s

popularity? 

A. Promotion of cheaper wireless packages.

B. Increase in the number of adult texters. 
C. Redesign of mobile devices.
D. Rise of social media. 

4. According to the passage, texting can help people to ________. 

A. face difficult situations B. make appointments in advance

C. communicate wish strangers D. avoid awkward situations 

5. What is the passage mainly about? 

A. Texting’s popularity and effect. B. Role of texting in business. 

C. Preference to texting over thinking. D. Innovation of mobile devices. 

Passage 2
 The Western Roman Empire in the Fifth Century

Paragraph 1：Shortly after the death of emperor Theodosius in 395 A.D., the
Roman Empire was permanently divided into Eastern and Western empires. By
the fifth century A.D., the power of the Western Roman Empire had declined
衰落 considerably 相当地, though the Eastern Roman Empire centered in 集中
在 Byzantium continued to flourish 繁荣. Various problems contributed to 导
致 this undermining of the West. contribute to + sth

Paragraph 2：The accessions of Arcadius and Honorius, sons of Theodosius, as

emperors in the East and West, respectively, illustrate the unfortunate pattern
of child heirs that had unfavorable effects for both empires. When Arcadius
died in 408, he was succeeded by his seven-year-old son, Theodosius II.
Reigning until 423, Honorius was succeeded by his nephew Valentinian III, who
was only five. Because of their young ages, Theodosius' sons and grandsons
could not rule without older advisors and supervising regents upon whom
they naturally became dependent and from whom they were unable to break
away after reaching maturity. As powerful individuals vied for 竞争 influence
and dominance at court, the general welfare was often sacrificed to private
rivalries and ambitions. Moreover, it was the women of the dynasty who were
the more capable and interesting characters. Holding the keys to succession
through birth and inheritance, they became active players in the political
arena.

1. The word unfavorable in the passage is closest in meaning to

O negative A
O uncontrollable
O unexpected
O long lasting

2. According to paragraph 2, which of the following was one result of the

pattern of rule by child emperors？
O The common people lost respect for the position of emperor.
O Regents and advisors attempted to put an end to traditional rivalries for
dominance within the court.
O Women within the dynasty gained increased influence and power.C
O Traditional rules of succession by inheritance were changed.
3. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in
the highlighted sentence in the passage  Incorrect choices change the meaning
in important ways or leave out essential information.

O As young rulers, the sons and grandsons of Theodosius necessarily depended

on older advisors, and as adults, they were unable to rule independently of
these advisors. A
O The sons and grandsons of Theodosius were too young when they came to
power to rule without the assistance of older advisors.
O On reaching maturity, the sons and grandsons of Theodosius attempted to
break away from the older officials who had advised them since childhood.
O Because the sons and grandsons of Theodosius were young when they
became rulers, older advisors were able to prevent them from breaking away.

Paragraph 3：Compared with the East, however,但是 the West faced a

greater number of external threats 外部威胁，这些威胁可以直接渗透。。。
along more permeable frontiers. Whereas 然而， the East could pursue war
and diplomacy more effectively with their enemies on the long eastern
frontier, the West was exposed to the more volatile tribal Germanic peoples on
a frontier that stretched along the Rhine and Danube rivers for 1,000 miles.
The East, however, only had to guard the last 500 miles of the Danube. In
addition, the East had many more human and material resources with which to
pursue its military and diplomatic objectives. The East also had a more deeply
rooted unity in the Greek culture of the numerous Greek and Near Eastern
cities that Rome had inherited from earlier Grecian empires. Latin culture had
not achieved comparable penetration of the less urbanized West outside of
Italy. The penetration of Germanic culture from the north had been so
extensive along the permeable Rhine-Danube frontier that it was often difficult
to distinguish between barbarians (speakers of German and other languages
unrelated to Latin) and Romans in those regions by the fifth century anyway.

4. In describing the frontiers of the Western Empire as "more permeable" the

author means that these frontiers 
O had more places where crossings could occur A
O were more distant from the center
O were more likely to be changed
O were more poorly equipped
5. The word pursue in the passage is closest in meaning to
O expand
O engage in B
O control
O avoid

6. The word comparable in the passage is closest in meaning to

O similar
O desirable
O necessary
O noticeable D

7. Which of the following is NOT identified in paragraph 3 as a factor

contributing to the greater stability and success of the Eastern empire？
O A shorter border subject to invasion by Germanic tribes
O Greater cultural unity among the inhabitants
O More resources available for achieving political goals
O Lower population densities outside of urban areas D

8. In paragraph 3, why does the author discuss the Germanic culture？

O To compare the less urbanized West outside of Italy to the more urbanized
East
O To explain why Roman military and political objectives necessarily changed
in the fifth century 
O To emphasize that the Romans had more of a cultural disadvantage in the
West than in the East C
O To explain why there were as many speakers of German as there were
Romans on the western frontier

Paragraph 4：One of the most outstanding features at the beginning of this

period was the prominence of Germanic generals in the high command of the
Roman Imperial army. The trend became significant, and several practical
reasons can explain it. The foremost probably was the sheer need for military
manpower that made it attractive to recruit bands of Germanic peoples for the
armies, which, in turn, gave able chieftains and warlords the opportunity to
gain Imperial favor and advance in rank. Second, one way to turn Germanic
chieftains from potential enemies into loyal supporters was to offer them a
good position in the Roman military. Third, although Theodosius had risen to
power as a military leader, he was also a cultured aristocrat 贵族 and
preferred to 偏爱 emphasize the civilian role of the emperor and to rely for
protection on Germanic generals whose loyalties were primarily to him, their
patron.赞助人

9. Which of the following is NOT identified in paragraph 4 as a reason the

practice arose of making Germanic chieftains generals in the Roman high
command？
O It helped reduce the number of possible enemies against the empire.
O It helped make it possible to maintain an imperial military force of sufficient
size.
O It was cheaper than recruiting and training Roman generals. C
O It gave Theodosius confidence that his generals would remain loyal while he
focused on other matters.

10. According to paragraph 4, by becoming generals in the Roman army,

Germanic chieftains were given a chance to 
O obtain benefits from the emperor A
O influence Roman civilian life
O help shape military policy
O attract Germanic recruits into the Roman army
5.10 -------------------------------------------------------------------

Paragraph 5：Unfortunately, the high positions achieved by Germanic officers

often aroused the jealousy and hostility of high-ranking Roman military and
civilian officials. Such positions also gave their Germanic holders a chance to
act on（行动） both personal and tribal animosities in the arena of Imperial
politics. Internal Roman rivalries and power struggles 纠结 aggravated 加重
the situation. Rival factional leaders often granted 授予，同意
Imperial 帝国 titles and conceded territory to one Germanic leader or another
in return for help against fellow Romans. While the Romans were thus
distracted by internal conflict, other tribes seized the opportunity to cross into
Roman territory unopposed.无对手 When the Romans could not dislodge 驱
赶 them, peace was bought with further titles and territorial concessions as
allies.
In the midst of it all, alliances and coalitions between Roman emperors or
powerful commanders and various tribes or tribal kings were made, unmade,
and remade so often that it is nearly impossible to follow their course.顺其自
然 Accordingly, all of these situations proved dangerous to the peace and
safety of the West. 

11. Which of the following is identified in paragraph 5 as a negative

consequence of making Germanic chieftains high-ranking officers in the Roman
army？
O Romans no longer sought achievement through the military.
O Germanic generals sometimes used their military power to advance their
own and their tribes' interests.B
O Germanic soldiers focused on achieving imperial titles rather than
（not）military success. x
O Greater divisions developed between the Western Empire and the Eastern
Empire, which lacked military leadership. x

12. According to paragraph 5, what is one way that internal conflict in Rome
endangered 危害 the peace and safety of the West？
O The conflict made it more difficult to make peace through the process of
granting imperial titles and territorial concessions. x
O The conflict made it easier for invaders to cross the frontier and enter
Roman territory. B
O The conflict discouraged /prevent Roman leaders from creating alliances 联
盟 and coalitions with Germanic tribes. x
O The conflict made it nearly impossible to track the activities of enemy tribes
outside Roman territory. x

Paragraph 5：Unfortunately, the high positions achieved by

Germanic officers often aroused the jealousy and hostility of high-
ranking Roman military and civilian officials. Such positions also gave
their Germanic holders a chance to act on both personal and tribal
animosities in the arena of Imperial politics. Internal Roman rivalries
and power struggles aggravated the situation. Rival factional leaders
often granted Imperial titles and conceded territory to one Germanic
leader or another in return for help against fellow Romans. While the
Romans were thus distracted by internal conflict, other tribes seized
the opportunity to cross into Roman territory unopposed. OOnce
within Roman borders, they proved difficult to remove. When the
Romans could not dislodge them, peace was bought with further
titles and territorial concessions as allies.O In the midst of it all,
alliances and coalitions between Roman emperors or powerful
commanders and various tribes or tribal kings were made, unmade,
and remade so often that it is nearly impossible to follow their
course.O Accordingly, all of these situations proved dangerous to
the peace and safety of the West.  O

13. Look at the four squares that indicate where the following sentence could
be added to the passage.
Once within Roman borders, they proved difficult to remove.  
Where would the sentence best fit. Click on a square to add the sentence to
the passage.

Passage 3
 Photography and the Pictorial Weeklies

Paragraph 1：In the 1840s a new type of publication arose in Britain and the
United States: the pictorial weekly. Early pictorial weeklies were large-size
news magazines that included plentiful illustrations, often based on news
events. These magazines owed their rise in part to the development of new
and better printing technologies, such as electrotype, an electrical process that
used a wax mold of a page, covered in graphite, to create a metal plate for
printing. Other methods had previously been used to create plates for printing,
but the electrotype process was easier, faster, and more precise. It enabled the
pictorial weeklies to have a distinctive large format.

1. The word plentiful in the passage is closest in meaning to

O popular
O wonderful
O numerous  c
O complex

2. According to paragraph 1, the rise of pictorial weeklies in the 1840s was

made possible in part by
O the discovery that electricity could be used to power printing presses
O the discovery that plates could be used to print magazines faster than before
O the development of new printing technologies C
O the development of new methods for carving woodblock designs

3. Paragraph 1 supports all of the following statements about the new pictorial
weeklies of the 1840s EXCEPT:
O They were larger than earlier magazines. A
O They were the most popular type of mass publication.
O They included a large number of illustrations.
O They carried articles about news events.

Paragraph 2：A second development of the early 1840s also influenced the
nature of the illustrations in pictorial weeklies worldwide. If the arrival of the
electrotype had made the high-volume printing of large, finely engraved
illustrations possible, the emergence of photography gave many of these
images a distinctive character. Soon after the daguerreotype (the earliest
photographic process) had swept the world in the early 1840s, artists for
pictorial weeklies began to use these early photographs as sources for their
illustrations. The growing presence of woodblock-engraved portraits in the
weeklies in the 1840s and 1850s arose directly from the popularity of portrait
photographs, any of which could easily be mailed or shipped anywhere in the
world. In 1857 the artist Winslow Homer in Boston copied onto a woodblock
a daguerreotype portrait of a sea captain who lived in California, thereby
allowing the captain's likeness to reach publication in the Companion
without the subject's having been within a few thousand miles of the artist
who had drawn him. Nothing quite like this had been possible so routinely or
with such ease before the introduction of the daguerreotype in France in 1839
and its rapid spread elsewhere.

4. The word emergence in the passage is closest in meaning to

O improvement A
O prestige 
O influence
O rise

5.Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the
highlighted sentence in the passage   Incorrect choices change the meaning in
important ways or leave out essential information.

O By copying a daguerreotype portrait onto a woodblock, Winslow Homer was

able to create a portrait for publication even though he had never been near
the person depicted in the portrait. A
O In 1857 the artist Winslow Homer used a daguerreotype portrait to produce
a woodblock likeness of a sea captain from California for publication in a
Boston weekly.
O In 1857 the Boston-based Companion published a likeness of a sea captain
even though the sea captain lived far away in California.
O The portraits that were published in the Companion and other weeklies
were produced by artists such as Winslow Homer who copied daguerreotype
portraits onto woodblocks.

6. The word routinely in the passage is closest in meaning to

O efficiently
O regularly B
O quickly
O cheaply

7. According to paragraph 2, how did the emergence of photography affect

pictorial weeklies？
O Photographs began to replace other types of illustration.
O The use of photographs helped increase the worldwide popularity of
weeklies.  
O Photographs made it possible to produce weeklies faster and more easily.
O Artists began using photographs as sources for the illustrations they made
for weeklies. D

Paragraph 3：Beyond supplying them with subjects, photography also

influenced what some illustrators drew and how they drew it. As
daguerreotypes and, later, other photographic processes became increasingly
common in the 1850s, illustrators began to imitate (as best they could in their
linear medium) the distinctive tonality, the blend of light and dark areas, of
early photographs. This was not easy to do in woodblock engraving, but an
interest in tonal effects is nevertheless evident in the work of many wood
engravers. Their efforts lent an aura of documentary realism to a magazine's
pages, at least for that part of the public that believed that a photograph
captured more truth than an artist could. In a tour through the pages of
European and American weeklies of the 1840s and 1850s, one encounters in
many illustrations the various pictorial qualities that were common in early
products of the camera. The stillness of many illustrations for weeklies, such as
views of the dawn, echoed the static character of subjects photographed
before lenses were fast enough to stop motion. It was surely to provide a
welcome contrast to this stillness that some magazine illustrators drew scenes
full of depicted movement, such as scenes of people ice-skating.

8. The word distinctive in the passage is closest in meaning to

O delicate
O attractive
O heightened
O characteristic D

9. Why does the author mention that the efforts of some woodblock engravers
lent an aura of documentary realism to a magazine's pages？
O To explain why woodblock engravers believed they could succeed in
imitating pictorial elements of photography beyond tonal effects
O To suggest a consequence caused by the fact that such artists were
interested in creating tonal effects even though their medium was not well
suited for creating tonal effects B
O To suggest a reason why European and American pictorial weeklies became
so popular in the 1840s and 1850s
O To show that illustrators could portray more realistic images than early
photographers could

10. According to paragraph 3, why was so little motion depicted in many

illustrations for weeklies？
O It was more difficult to illustrate scenes depicting movement.
O Representations of still scenes were thought to be more truthful.
O Static representations like the dawn were the most popular.
O The illustrations imitated the stillness of early photographs. D

Paragraph 4：The influence of photography can also be felt in a shift in the

general character of popular illustration that occurred during the early years of
the pictorial weeklies. The move was one from humor to greater formality and
dignity. Many of the leading book and magazine illustrators of the 1820s and
1830s had invested their work with an essentially comic outlook. Even when
they illustrated serious subjects, the artists of this generation trusted
imagination at least as much as observation. Their work reflected the high-
spirited mood of the times in England and America. This spirit never entirely
disappeared from the work of many of the most respected illustrators in the
succeeding decades. But with the growth of a culture of greater propriety
beginning in the 1840s, humor became dislodged from a central to a marginal
position in the mainstream of the popular book and magazine illustration.
Humorous writing survived nicely in comic journals, but those publications
never had the prestige of serious publications.

11. According to paragraph 4, what was part of the explanation for the shift
away from humor toward greater formality in popular illustration？
O Many of the comic journals of the earlier period had either failed or cut back
on the number of illustrations they published.
O Mainstream popular magazines had begun including articles on serious
subjects.
O The mood of the times had become less lighthearted and more concerned
with respectability. C
O The most respected illustrators had become unwilling to use imagination as
a basis for their work.

12. Paragraph 4 supports which of the following statements about humorous

illustration beginning in the 1840s？
O It began to appear less frequently in mainstream publications.A
O It began to reflect the attitudes of magazine owners rather than of artists.
O It generally became more imaginative.
O It was more influenced by photography than were other types of illustration.

Paragraph 2：A second development of the early 1840s also influenced the
nature of the illustrations in pictorial weeklies worldwide. This was
photography. 
If the arrival of the electrotype had made the high-volume printing of large,
finely engraved illustrations possible, the emergence of photography gave
many of these images a distinctive character.  Soon after the daguerreotype
(the earliest photographic process) had swept the world in the early 1840s,
artists for pictorial weeklies began to use these early photographs as sources
for their illustrations.  The growing presence of woodblock-engraved
portraits in the weeklies in the 1840s and 1850s arose directly from the
popularity of portrait photographs, any of which could easily be mailed or
shipped anywhere in the world.  In 1857 the artist Winslow Homer in
Boston copied onto a woodblock a daguerreotype portrait of a sea captain who
lived in California, thereby allowing the captain's likeness to reach publication
in the Companion without the subject's having been within a few thousand
miles of the artist who had drawn him. Nothing quite like this had been
possible so routinely or with such ease before the introduction of the
daguerreotype in France in 1839 and its rapid spread elsewhere.

13. Look at the four squares that indicate where the following sentence could
be added to the passage.
Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square to add the sentence to
the passage.