A computer actually understands assembly language.

(课外选材)

When computer servers operate a complex program, they can get very hot. Cooling the servers can be costly. So researchers asked what would happen if the heat created by the servers could be captured and used？

Data centers of large Internet companies such as Google and Microsoft have thousands of computer servers. As these servers process information, they create large amounts of heat, so they need huge cooling systems. These systems send the heat into the air. The Dutch company Nerdalize thinks paying for electricity to operate the servers and then paying again to cool them is a waste of energy. So it developed a device called the e-Radiator. It is a computer server that also works as a heating source. Boaz Leupe is the chief executive officer of Nerdalize. He says the e-Radiator saves money because companies don't have to pay to cool their servers.

"The kilowatt(千瓦)hour you are using is used twice -- once to heat the home and once to compute the client's task without the cooling overhead." He says five homeowners in the Netherlands are testing the heating device in their homes. "We reimburse the electricity the server uses, and that we can do because of the computer clients on the other side, and, in that way, homeowners actually get heating for free, and computer users don't have to pay for the overhead of the data center.

Jan Visser is one of the participants in the year-long experiment. He says the amount of heat produced by the e-Radiator depends on the work being done by the computer server. He says it cannot be used as the primary source of heat. But he is ready to try it.

He says if it provides enough warmth, he will be able to use his home's heating system less, which will save him money. Nerdalize says e-Radiators create heat temperatures of up to 55℃. It says the devices could save users up to $440 in heating costs a year.

1.Why did researchers ask what would happen if the heat created by the servers could be captured and used？{A; B; C}

A. Because computers can get very hot.

B. Computer servers is a complex program.

C. Cooling computer servers costs a lot of money.

2.The computer servers in large Internet companies such as Google and Microsoft can {A; B; C}.

A. create large amounts of information

B. create large quantity of heat

C. manage the huge cooling systems

3. Nerdalize developed the e-Radiator because {A; B; C}.

A. e-Radiator cost less energy

B. e-Radiator can cool the servers for free

C. e-Radiator can create cold air for free

4.According to Jan Visser, the amount of heat produced by the e-Radiator {A; B; C}.

A. depends on the work being processed by PC

B. cannot be used as the home's heating system

C. cannot be used as the main source of heat

5.The best title for this passage is {A; B; C}

A. The New Way to Heat Homes

B. The New Way to Cool Homes

C. Hot Computers Could Be Used for Free

alized expert, or person in the street—encounters a complex issue and forms an opinion, often within a matter of seconds, how thoroughly has he or she explored the implications of the various courses of action？ Answer: not very thoroughly. Very few people, no matter how intelligent or experienced, can take inventory of the many branching possibilities, possible outcomes, side effects, and undesired consequences of a policy or a course of action in a matter of seconds. Yet, those who pride themselves on being decisive often try to do just that. And once their brains lock onto an opinion, most of their thinking thereafter consists of finding support for it.

A very serious side effect of argumentative decision making can be a lack of support for the chosen course of action on the part of the "losing" faction. When one faction wins the meeting and the others see themselves as losing, the battle often doesn't end when the meeting ends. Anger, resentment, and jealousy may lead them to sabotage the decision later, or to reopen the debate at later meetings.

There is a better way. As philosopher Aldous Huxley said, "It isn't who is right, but what is right, that counts."

The structured-inquiry method offers a better alternative to argumentative decision making by debate. With the help of the Internet and wireless computer technology, the gap between experts and executives is now being dramatically closed. By actually putting the brakes on the thinking process, slowing it down, and organizing the flow of logic, it's possible to create a level of clarity that sheer argumentation can never march.

The structured-inquiry process introduces a level of conceptual clarity by organizing the contributions of the experts, then brings the experts and the decision makers closer together. Although it isn't possible or necessary for a president or prime minister to listen in on every intelligence analysis meeting, it's possible to organize the experts' information to give the decision maker much greater insight as to its meaning. This process may somewhat resemble a marketing focus group; it's a simple, remarkably clever way to bring decision makers closer to the source of the expert information and opinions on which they must base their decisions.

From the first paragraph we can learn that______.

A．executive, specialized expert, are no more clever than person in the street

B．very few people decide before they think

C．those who pride themselves on being decisive often fail to do so

D．people tend to consider carefully before making decisions

听力原文：M: Oh, hello, Li Li. Come on in, and how've you been keeping recently？

W: Quite all right. Thanks, Dr. Francis. How's your project going？

M: Very smoothly, I should say. I'm playing a consultancy role, really. I've only been here in China for a month, but I'm already on very good terms with my colleagues in the Department of Computer Science. Well, I'm happy that you could come. Do sit down, please.

W: Dr. Francis, do you know I've got a chance to go to Cambridge in August？ I wonder if you could tell me something about Britain.

M: Certainly. Well, I was actually brought up in Scotland. Er...in fact, I've never been to Cambridge. But well...yes, I'm sure I can give you some useful tips. Now, what do you want to know, Li Li？

W: Things like weather. What's the usual temperature there？

M: Mmm, the temperature in Scotland is 22 or 23 degrees centigrade, on average, I think. But Cambridge would be warmer, around 25, I would guess, because it's down south.

W: Oh, that's nice. Do you know it is 34 here？ Last year it reached 39. By the way, where do you think I should stay？

M: Oh, that's important. You can, er... I suppose, stay in the college-owned fiats, which are often near where you have your classes, and some are even on the campus. That would certainly be convenient.

W: Yes, it would.

M: But it can also be a disadvantage because you are, in a sense, separated from ordinary society. You're a language teacher, and I think learning from society is a valuable experience.

W: Yes, yes, exactly. So what's the alternative？

M: Maybe finding an English host family. I know of a student Ali from the Middle East. He told me that he had learnt a lot by staying with a British family.

W: Thank you. I think it's quite a good suggestion. By the way, Dr. Francis, do you think I could...

(29)

A．He is a teacher of English in Cambridge.

B．He is a consultant to a Scottish company.

C．He is a specialist in computer science.

D．He is a British tourist to China.

mething with you.

M: Sure. I'll be there in a minute. What is the matter？

W: (22)Many of our elderly customers have never tried to use our computerized banking services. Could you tell me why？

M: (23)Hmm. it could be that they might find it strange to use those computers or machines and they didn't like to ask for help. (24)Maybe we should offer some programs to show them how easy and convenient it is to use such devices as ATM.

W: It's a good idea. It will help those senior citizens to know better about the bank computers, to understand how it will save them from waiting in line during regular banking hours.

M: We could also arrange some of our staff to help those who might do their business with a computer while waiting in line. The customers would be happy to find that they could enjoy a more efficient service.

W: (25)We could do that. How about a pamphlet or something to distribute on a Seniors' Day？ A beautiful booklet will enable them to learn how to handle the machines quickly.

M: Sounds good. Actually the elderly need more assistance and instruction in such modern matters.

W: (25)Let's go forward with it right now．I want our customers to know just how convenient the computers are and how much we care about their concerns．

M: Ok. I'll make some arrangements for that soon.

(23)

A．She wants Michael to check about the ATM service.

B．She wants to know why the elderly avoid using computerized banking services.

C．She wants Michael to have a try with their automatic banking services.

D．She wants more information about modern machines in banks.

A Census Bureau (人口调查局) survey released Thursday shows a college graduate can expect to earn $ 2. 1 million working full-time between 25 and 64, which demographers (人口学家) call a typical work-life period. A master' s degree-holder is projected to earn 2.5 million, while someone with a professional degree, such as a doctor or lawyer, could make even more--$ 4.4 million. In contrast, a high school graduate can expect to make $ 1.2 million during the working years, according to the bureau report that tracked the influence of education on lifetime earnings.

Not all students look at college as an investment, "but I am sure parents do," said Jacque line King, policy analyst with the American Education Council, a higher education advocacy (拥护) group. "The college is to convince those high school students on the margins that it is really worth their time to go to college." Kevin Malecek, a graduate student in American poli tics at American University in Washington said most of his classmates find higher education to be worth the time and financial promise. "They go to every single class, and they are trying to get the most out of their own dollar," he said. The survey was conducted between March 1998 and March 2000. All estimates are based on 1999 salaries and probably will increase as salaries rise over time, Census Bureau analyst Jennifer Day said. The estimates do not account for inflation (物价上涨) or for differences in the earning potential of various fields of study. For example, people with computer science degrees tend to earn more than those with social work degrees.

The phrase "students on the margins" in Line 3 of Paragraph 2 most probably refers to ______.

A．students Who actually regard higher education as an investment

B．students who can't afford the money to go to college or university

C．students who can't go to college because they have failed in the college entrance examination

D．students who don' t know whether higher education can have great influence on their earnings

听力原文：M：Well，(22) today's personality guest is Sally Gladwin．Sally's only sixteen years old．Well，it's a rather incredible success story，isn't it，Sally？

W：It is，yes，really．

M：You see，Sally invents games，but video games，and she's a very successful inventor indeed．Can you give us an idea of how much you do earn？

W：Well, I get a basic salary of 17，000 pounds a year，and the company pays me bonuses of about 1，500 pounds a month．

M：What do you spend all that money on？

W：Well，I haven't got expensive habits，and I pay my mother 20 pounds a week for，you know，to help with the housekeeping．I think it helps because my dad doesn't earn all that much money．

M：Your dad's a bus driver，in fact，isn't he？

W：Yes，on the city buses，on route 36 usually．

M：And what does he think of all this？

W：Well，at first when I started to play these games in the amusement places，(23) he'd say, "Come on, you're wasting your money and your time"．

M：Did he give you pocket money to play on them，maybe？

W：Yes，at one time，I earned 8 pounds a week so that way I Was able to pay for myself．

M：And now what does your father think？

W：(23) Actually he's got mixed feelings. I mean, from them．He simply can't believe it．

M：(24)The computer will disappear in the future？

W：Oh，no，(24) they're here to stay．

(23)

A．In a studio.

B．In a store.

C．At the fashion show.

D．At the park.

hat many fisheries were being over-harvested, toxic wastes were being dumped in the sea, and developers were beginning to seriously disrupt coastlines. In those days, the magnitude of the problems was small, even though it was obvious that if the trends Continued people would face severe economic and personal hardship in the future. People just didn't understand, nor did they care. Unfortunately many of our concerns were realized, but the situation could have been much worse, had we, and others, not taken action to inform. people about the ocean and the need to protect it.

During our campaign to share the wonders of the sea and alert the public about the need to protect it, we have used every medium available--personal appearances, the printed word, and television. Now there is a new medium that is even more effective than its predecessors. Thanks to the Internet and computers, people can not only receive linear stories, but they can actually participate in them, exploring and learning at their own pace and as their curiosity dictates.

I am tremendously impressed with the personalization of what had been labeled by skeptics as the most impersonal medium yet developed. For these reasons I have made a major commitment of time and resources to dive into this sea of electronic marvels. I'm swimming hard to keep up, but when I look around I find I'm not alone. We are all learning together and it is an adventure I am finding immensely rewarding. I have been encouraged by our first modest dunking in this new world: Cities under the Sea--Coral Reefs. A couple of months ago I was in Fiji to celebrate the 1997 International Year of the Reef and presented our Cities under the Sea CD-ROM to a group of children. I was impressed to see how quickly they grasped our concepts and how they directed their own learning process, thanks to the flexibility of the medium.

It was particularly exciting to see kids squeal with delight as they responded to questions and the computer rewarded there when they got the correct answers. I want young people to experience the mystery and wonder of our oceans. I want them to understand how precious and vulnerable our environment is. Young people need to be taught to take responsibility for ensuring that their heritage will be protected and used wisely. Hopefully the next generation will do a better job than mine has. I believe individuals must be personally involved and I am counting on the Internet to be the medium through which people can experience, learn, and take action. I am counting on young people with their idealism and energy to create a better future--it is too important to be left to bureaucrats and politicians.

Forty years ago people were indifferent to the health of the ocean because ______.

A．the ocean was immune to any pollution then

B．they didn't know what would come of if the ocean was deadly disrupted

C．there was no computer then

D．there wasn't any problem with the ocean at that time

听力原文：M: Hi. Lisa. Have you registered for the courses yet？

W: yes, I have, Max.

M: Oh, sorry, but...can you tell me...what is your major again？

W: Sure. I major in computer science.

M: Why did you choose it？ As far as I know, most gifts do not like that.

W: That's true, but not in my case. I am crazy about computers. Besides, computers are very popular and it will be easier td find a job after graduation and also computer-related jobs are well paid.

M: Yes, I agree. Information technology does have a very big effect on our lives. It allows us to store very large amounts of information, transmit a lot of information quickly and process a lot of information as soon as we receive it. But, don't you think the Arts are quite interesting and creative？

W: Yeah, I have nothing against the Arts. I just don't have talent in that area. Well, actually, many arts can be played, produced, and enjoyed through computers and the internet, for example, you can watch movies online and even receive TV programs from another country. Isn't that fantastic？

M: It sure is. It seems that fewer people nowadays can appreciate traditional and fine art.

W: I don't see anything wrong about that. Time is changing. Everything is developing. Why can't we have arts in a new way？

M: Reasonable. But I still prefer the good, old things.

W: Come on, Max. Don't you think it is much too expensive to study fine arts？ And it is much less likely to be financially secure after graduation？

M: Yeah...but many people choose arts to study in spite of that.

(23)

A．Because it is interesting and creative.

B．Because it has a big effect on our lives.

C．Because she can make big money with it.

D．Because she can graduate more easily.

听力原文：Michael: Hi! I saw you yesterday with John. We room together. I'm Michael.

Jane: Oh, hi, Mike. How are you doing？

Michael: I'm okay, but school has been really mad since I came. I haven't even had a chance to breathe!

Jane: I know. It's especially crazy when you're a freshman. Hey, what's your major？

Michael: Travel and tourism.

Jane: Well, what do you plan to do after graduation？

Michael: Uh...I really haven't decided. I think I'd like to work for a travel agency in this area. What about you？

Jane: Well, when I first started college, I majored m physics, but later I realized I might have a hard time finding a job in that field. I ended up changing to computer science. Finding a job in the IT industry shouldn't be as difficult.

Michael: Have you got a part-time job to support yourself through school？

Jane: Well, I'm on a four-year scholarship that pays my tuition.

Michael: Wow, lucky you!

Jane: Yeah, how about you？ Are you paying for school yourself？.

Michael: Sort of. I work weekends at a travel agency.

Jane: A travel agency？ That seems like a perfect experience for you ! What do you do there？

Michael: I'm a tour guide. I show tour groups around the city.

Jane: Wow, your English must be pretty good then.

Michael: Actually, they're all Chinese tourists. That's why I got the job.

Question : What are the two speakers talking about？

(23)

A．How to learn well in college.

B．How to find a roommate.

C．Their major and college funding.

D．How to find funding for college.