D） it is a form of demonstration of the value being the representative of their schools
Passage Two
Questions 16 to 20 are based on the following passage。
In the 16th century； Venetian and French glassmakers perfected a technique of coating glass with an alloy of silver to produce an effective mirror。 Mirrors soon proliferated in public spaces and private homes； and owning a pocket or hand mirror became a marker of status。 The mirror； you might say； was an early personal technology — ingenious； portable； effective — and like all such technologies； it changed its users。 By giving us； for the first time； a readily available image of ourselves that matched what others saw； it encouraged self…consciousness and introspection and； as some worried； excesses of vanity。
By the 19th century； it was the machines of the Industrial Revolution — the power loom； the motor； the turbine — that prompted concern about the effects of technology on the person。 Karl Marx argued that factory work alienated the worker from what he was toiling to produce； transforming him into “a cripple； a monster。” Men were forced to become more like machines： efficient； tireless and soulless。
Today’s personal technologies； particularly the cellphone and the digital video recorder； have not provoked similar worries。 They are marvels of individual choice； convenience and innovation； they represent the democratization of the power of the machine。 Our technologies are more intuitive； more facile and more responsive than ever before。 In a rebuke to Marx； we have not become the alienated slaves of the machine； we have made the machines more like us and in the process toppled decades of criticism about the dangerous and potentially enervating effects of our technologies。
16。 The word “coat” （Line 1； Para。1） means 。
A） to cover sth。 with a layer of sth。 B） to combine two different things
C） to make sth。 into the shape of a coat D） to put a coat on sth。
17。 Which of the following statement is true acomording to the text？
A） Soon after being invented； mirrors became unpopular among people。
B） Mirrors were first invented by French and Vietnamese。
C） Karl Marx criticized that factory work had turned the workers into thoughtless monsters。
D） The motor is among the machines of ancient inventions。
18。 Why did some people worried that the mirror might be excesses of vanity？
A） Because pocket and hand mirror became a marker of status。
B） Because mirrors were extremely expensive during that time。
C） Because only wealthy people can afford buying a mirror。
D） Because mirrors were invented for important figures。
19。 The author’s purpose of writing this article is 。
A） to give a definition on modern technology
B） to give evidence to the statement that today’s personal technologies are marvels of individual choice
C） to prove the rebuke of Karl Marx
D） to illustrate how modern technologies of different times affect people’s life
20。 Compared with technologies in the 16th and 19th century； technologies today are more 。
A） ingenious and portable B） marvelous and effective
C） intuitive and unreliable D） facile and responsive
Passage Three
Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage。
BMW’s efforts to harness the creativity of its customers began two years ago when it posted a toolkit on its website。 This toolkit let BMW’s customers develop ideas showing how the firm could take advantage of advances in telematics and in…car online services。 From the 1；000 customers who used the toolkit； BMW chose 15 and invited them to meet its engineers in Munich。 Some of their ideas （which remain under wraps for now） have since reached the prototype stage； says BMW。 “They were so happy to be invited by us； and that our technical experts were interested in their ideas；” says Mr Reimann。 “They didn’t want any money。”
Westwood Studios； a game developer now owned by EA； first noticed its customers innovating its products after the launch of a game； “Red Alert；” in 1996： gamers were making new content for existing games and posting it freely on fan websites。 Westwood made a conscious decision to embrace this phenomenon。 Soon it was shipping basic game…development tools with its games； and by 1999 had a dedicated department to feed designers and producers working on new projects with customer innovations of existing ones。 “The fan community has had a tremendous influence on game design；” says Mr Verdu； “and the games are better as a result。”
Researchers call such customers “lead users。” GE’s healthcare division calls them “luminaries。” They tend to be well…published doctors and research scientists from leading medical institutions； says GE； which brings up to 25 luminaries together at regular medical advisory board sessions to discuss the evolution of GE’s technology。 GE then shares some of its advanced technology with a subset of luminaries who form an “inner sanctum of good friends；” says Sholom Ackelsberg of GE Healthcare。 GE’s products then emerge from collaboration with these groups。
21。 Why does BMW post a toolkit on its website？
A） Because it wants to interest more customers。
B） Because it wants to improve their website。
C） Because it wants their customers to give advices or ideas on theirs products。
D） Because it wants to see if the customers’ ideas match their prototype。
22。 We may conclude from the text that 。
A） EA is a computer game producer
B） EA is the largest hi…tech company in the world
C） “Red Alert” made its first appearance before 1996
D） Westwood Studios used to be owned by EA for many years
23。 Which of the following behavior does not reflect that we are now in a customer…driven market？
A） BMW posts a toolkit to collect customers’ ideas。
B） GE brings up 25 luminaries to discuss the evolution of GE’s technology。
C） Westwood establishes a department to deal with customers’ innovations。
D） GE’s healthcare division calls some of the well…published doctors and research scientists “luminaries”。
24。 Which of the following can replace the word “customer…driven”？
A） customer…centered B） customer…satisfied
C） customer…analyzed D） customer…evaluate
25。 Customers invited by BMW didn’t want any money； instead； they just want 。
A） to be invited in a conference
B） their suggestions and ideas to be acomepted by the company and be of use in the cars’ upgrade
C） take a look at BMW’s newest models
D） get together and exchange experience on driving the BMWs
Passage Four
Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage。
Half of literature concerns the perils of falling for a soul mate： the Victorian heroine runs off with the gardener； Romeo decides he can’t live without the daughter of a family with whom his is feuding。 And these tales always end badly； with disgrace and death； so that the normal order of society can be soberly restored。
The new matchmakers take a traditional approach。 They believe that people do and should marry within their tribes。 The count’s daughter is not going to be happy as a gardener’s wife； no matter how mad she was for him at first； whereas a person from an affluent neighborhood will find comfort in a spouse who grew up in a similar area and went to the same tennis camp。 They will speak the same dialect。 They will move back to their hometowns and send their kids to that same tennis camp。 The matchmakers themselves need not necessarily speak their — or any of their clients’— languages。 Rather； matchmakers are like linguists who recognize the sounds and structure of many languages and then get the natives together。 And if the clients protest that their hearts aren’t beating fast enough （That town？ Near my parents？）； the matchmakers will insist that the pairing is right。 Once they commit and start building that long…delayed life； they’ll be happy — or happier； at least； than when they were single。
Of course； you wonder if these kinds of matches actually last； or whether a few months or years after that hefty wedding bonus has been paid； one of them starts saying： Do we really communicate？ Sometimes I wonder if you really understand me。 Does the man think； What about all that money I paid for you？ Does the woman wonder； should I have a profitable divorce and marry for love the next time？
26。 The sentence “…the normal order of society can be soberly restored。” （Line 4； Para。1） indicates that 。
A） Romeo should marry Juliet even though she is the daughter of the family with whom his is feuding
B） it is totally OK for heroines run off with the gardener
C） Victorian heroine should fall in love with a hero
D） Romeo should marry a gardener’s daughter
27。 The phrase “tennis camp ” in paragraph 2 means 。
A） some certain place where poor people often go
B） the actual tennis court
C） a place where lovers like to go
D） certain places； especially places rich people often go
28。 The sentence “their hearts aren’t beating fast enough” in paragragh 2 means 。
A） there is something wrong with their hearts
B） their hearts should have been beating faster
C） the two people are not so attracted to each other
D） the two people fall in love with each other so passionately that their heart beats slow down a little
29。 The writer claimed mainly in this article that 。
A） The normal order of society should be soberly restored