How can social media influence the presidential elections in the USA according to the latest research?We have all witnessed the power of social media. It helped elect Barack Obama president in two thousand eight. It also helped to support popular revolutions in two thousand ten and eleven that forced several long-time rulers from office. Now, research suggests that social networks could have an even greater effect on elections, helping to increase the number of people who vote. It can help voters to choose their president. It can help to ensure the fairness of the elections. It can help to increase the number of voters.

What traffic accident are the speakers talking about?M: Did you hear about that kid who was knocked down on Junction Road the other day? W: Yes, it was awful, wasn’t it? Still it’s hardly surprising, is it? M: What do you mean? W: Well, there’re always accidents down there, aren’t there, especially with the speed cars go at. And, well, basically, the crossing’s in the wrong place, isn’t it? I don’t know why they’ve never moved it. I mean, it’d be better if it was exactly opposite the shops, wouldn’t it? M: Yes, I know what you mean. They could do something to slow the traffic down, couldn’t they? Maybe they could put sleeping policemen there or something like that. W: Yeah, maybe—maybe one every so often would help, but what would be really great is if they had one of those speed cameras. M: Big Brother, you mean! W: No, they really make a difference. You should see how they’ve slowed the traffic down where my parents live. M: Yeah, I suppose you’re right. I’m only against them because I got caught by one last month. W: You’re kidding! M: No. A hundred and fifty pounds it cost me! A fine and six penalty points! A kid was knocked down by a car. Two cars crashed into a shop. A car ran into a wrong place.

Why is the expert opposed to the view that memory aids make your memory worse?W: Do you have trouble remembering people’s names? Do you tend to forget where you put your door key? Then fear not—help is at hand! Today we have with us well-known psychologist Gavin Bonet. Gavin, is there really a way of improving our memories and if so, what are the steps we can take? M: The first thing to remember is that we can all help ourselves remember effectively by doing quite ordinary things like writing things down, using a diary, a calendar, a notebook, a notice-board, and checking these things regularly. You can use coloured highlighter pens to pick out really important bits of information. Bather than making your brain lazy, as some people think, scientific studies have proved that these aids encourage a very organised and methodical approach , which helps the brain to function effectively. W: Now, I’ve heard people say, you know, if they want to remember to buy fish for supper they carry around a mental picture of a huge fish flapping on a line. Is there any truth in this? It all sounds a bit strange to me. M: Centuries ago, the Ancient Greeks developed the system of mnemonics or memory aids. Isolated and fragmented bits of information are very difficult to remember. A mnemonic is a way of linking what you wish to remember with something that means something to you. It could be a mental image, a word, a short poem, and so on. For example, imagine I want to remember the number 1843465. I could link these numbers to personal experiences. 18 is easy—that’s the age I went to university, 4 is the number of children I have, 34 is the number of my house and 65 is the age at which I’m going to retire! Linking things we want to remember with rhymes or colours or visual images is helpful as well. Our lifestyle plays a part in memory too. Eating a healthy diet and taking plenty of exercise and having fresh air all help us to be more clear-headed and less absent-minded. W: So it’s mind and body together, is that it? M: Yes, I think so. Scientists are gradually finding out more and more about how the brain works and what we can do to assist its functioning. When taking notes, for example, it has been shown that mapping out notes from a central sphere with lines radiating out in different directions is worth adopting because it reflects the way we link information in the brain. Using different coloured pens for note-taking, not just black, helps the brain too. W: Are there any differences between men’s and women’s recall ability, do you think? M: Ah, men are good at remembering directions and phone numbers: women are better at names and appointments. Why, we don’t really know. You have to take into account upbringing as well as innate differences. Factors that seem to be bad for men and women equally are anxiety and worry. These definitely decrease your thinking ability. There is no evidence showing that memory aids are invalid. Human beings’ brain functions mainly through memory aids in an effective way. Memory aids encourage an organised approach which helps the brain function effectively.

[*] If you【D1】______smooth skin that glows with youth, the chances are that at some point you will have heard the exhortation to drink lots of water in order to【D2】______ those evil toxins and keep your skin healthy. The exact amount people suggest varies. US-based advice 【D3】______ eight glasses a day, while in hotter climates people are advised to drink more to【D4】______ higher rates of sweating. But regardless of the exact volume of water suggested, the principle behind the advice remains the same—taking extra water on board will keep your skin hydrated. In other words, water acts like a moisturiser, but from the inside out. This is such a common idea you might be surprised at the【D5】______to back up. You might expect there to be countless studies where people are【D6】______two groups, one assigned to sip water all day, the other to drink a normal amount. Then the smoothness of the skin could be【D7】______ a month or so later to establish whether sipping more led to smoother skin. In fact such studies are rare, partly because water can’t be patented, so it is hard to find anyone to fund such research when there will be no new【D8】______or cosmetic to sell that could repay the costs. A review by the dermatologist Ronni Wolf at the Kaplan Medical Centre in Israel found just one study looking at the effect of long-term water intake on the skin. But the results were 【D9】______. After four weeks, the group who drank extra mineral water showed a decrease in skin density, which some believe suggests the skin is retaining more moisture, while those who drank tap water showed an increase in skin density. But regardless of the type of water they drank, it made no difference to their【D10】______or to the smoothness of their skin.If you yearn for smooth skin that glows with youth, the chances are that at some point you will have heard the exhortation to drink lots of water in order to flush out those evil toxins and keep your skin healthy. The exact amount people suggest varies. US-based advice tends to recommend eight glasses a day, while in hotter climates people are advised to drink more to compensate for higher rates of sweating. But regardless of the exact volume of water suggested, the principle behind the advice remains the same—taking extra water on board will keep your skin hydrated. In other words, water acts like a moisturiser, but from the inside out. This is such a common idea you might be surprised at the lack of evidence to back up. You might expect there to be countless studies where people are separated into two groups, one assigned to sip water all day, the other to drink a normal amount. Then the smoothness of the skin could be assessed a month or so later to establish whether sipping more led to smoother skin. In fact such studies are rare, partly because water can’t be patented, so it is hard to find anyone to fund such research when there will be no new medication or cosmetic to sell that could repay the costs. A review by the dermatologist Ronni Wolf at the Kaplan Medical Centre in Israel found just one study looking at the effect of long-term water intake on the skin. But the results were contradictory. After four weeks, the group who drank extra mineral water showed a decrease in skin density, which some believe suggests the skin is retaining more moisture, while those who drank tap water showed an increase in skin density. But regardless of the type of water they drank, it made no difference to their wrinkles or to the smoothness of their skin.

The new star said to the journalists that she ______the opportunity to show that she could play a serious film role. greeted rejoiced welcomed cheered

During examinations candidates are always supposed to stay in seats, keep their eyes on the work, ______to anyone. and not speak but could not speak rather than speak instead of speaking

While many people may refer to up-to-minute news, it is unlikely that television and the Internet ______the newspapers completely. will replace replace are replacing have replaced

She married a very nice young architect from Belfast, ______she met on a bus during her journey to Northern Ireland. who when which where

—How do you feel about countries that don’t try to reduce global warming? —______, those countries care more about money than saving the planet. As far as I’m concerned It’s none of our business We’re not to blame Things are under control

According to recent surveys, 72% of all Americans believe that the United States government is【C1】hi______information about UFOs. Almost 68% of people think that the government has secret knowledge of extraterrestrial life. It is not【C2】______(surprise)that the government has come under more and more【C3】pr______ to declassify its UFO records and make them public. A variety of different groups have been involved in these efforts. One group to become involved is called CFI, the Coalition for Freedom of Information. John Podesta, who was White House Chief of Staff during Bill Clinton’s【C4】______(president), is one of the many high-powered people active in this group. CFI’s aim is not to prove the【C5】______(exist)of extraterrestrial life, but to make it easier for scientists in general to study unexplained aerial phenomena. Podesta and his group have asked the Pentagon to declassify its UFO records and therefore provide scientists【C6】______data that will help in the study of UFOs. CFI has requested the release of information on several UFO cases, starting with the Kecks-burg, Pennsylvania, incident. This incident took【C7】______ in 1965 when a large acornshaped object, the size of a small car, crashed in Pennsylvania. Some analysts say it could have been the spacecraft Kosmos 96 that had been launched towards Venus by the Soviet Union, but failed to escape Earth’s【C8】g______. Others say the object did not look anything like spacecraft built on Earth in 1965. 【C9】Add______, the people of Kecksburg want to know what happened. On that【C10】 af______, hundreds of eyewitnesses watched a fiery streak of light descend from the sky towards Earth. Officials explained that nothing was found or recovered and that maybe the fireball in the sky was a meteor. But many witnesses say they saw a number of military personnel from the Army and the Air Force search the woods, and later that evening, saw a large military tractor-trailer coming from the area carrying a large object under a tarp.

Seed catalogues feature hundreds of different flowering species. For the person just beginning a garden this can be bewildering, and below are the details of some popular choices, nearly all of which should be sown in the spring. With the exception of busy lizzies, which need a little care, they are all very easy to grow from seed. Dahlias These are sturdy plants bearing showy flowers in a wide range of rather gaudy colours. Sow in a frame in April and plant the seedlings out when frosts are over. Dahlias flower throughout the summer and into the autumn. When autumn frosts begin to make them look unhappy, you should dig up the tuberous roots and save them. A frost-free loft, shed or garage is the ideal place. The following spring you plant the tubers instead of sowing seed again. Lupins Lupins are hardy perennials. This means that the plants will stay in your garden and carry on flowering year after year. Seed sown in April will usually give you some spikes of colours in the first summer, and year by year the plants get bigger and the flowering stems get taller and grander. Selective breeding has led to the introduction of some fine, bicoloured varieties in some dazzling shades. The short-lived flowers make a real midsummer spectacle. [*] Busy lizzies Like dahlias, busy lizzies need to be started off under glass, as they cannot stand frost and planting out is best done in May. Outdoor flowering ends in September, so beat the frosts and bring your favourite specimens indoors to give your home some sinter colour! Indoors they will carry on flowering indefinitely, though you may like to plant them out a-gain when spring returns. Like pansies(below)they do very well in sun or shade, but the soil must be moist. Most varieties grow to a height of only 20 cm or so. Potentillas Potentillas are hardy shrubs. In other words, the woody branches spring from ground level— there is no central trunk. The seed is probably best sown in autumn, in which case you should keep the plants in a sheltered spot until April offers favourable conditions for planting out. Once flowering begins in early summer the best varieties(such as Melton Fire)will stay in bloom almost ceaselessly for years on end while at the same time spreading out to provide ground cover or a low hedge. Pansies Pansies have a good long flowering season year after year, and some varieties can be sown in spring to give truly splendid results the first autumn. Unlike dahlias and lupins, which can easily grow a metre tall, pansies grow no higher than 10 or 20 cm. Their soil, position and moisture requirements are just like those of busy lizzies but pansies differ in being hardy. Give them a try!

Alaska is disappearing slowly but surely. Since the 1950s, it is estimated that as much as 15 percent of Alaska’s area has disappeared. But how can a whole state be disappearing? One reason for Alaska’s gradual disappearance is the melting of its glaciers. According to one geologist at the US Geological Survey, about 98 percent of Alaska’s glaciers are either unmoving or diminishing. This diminishing seems mainly due to the increase in global temperatures. Since the 1960s, the average year-round temperature has increased by 5℉. Furthermore, the average winter temperature has increased by 8℉. Presently, an estimated 24 cubic miles of ice is disappearing from Alaskan glaciers every year. It may be even more in the near future, as some scientists predict that the average world temperature could go up 2. 5 to 10°F by the year 2100. Another problem contributing to Alaska’s gradual disappearance is its thawing permafrost.(74)Much of the land in Alaska was permanently, frozen for most of the year, thus maintaining its integrity. Now, the thawing permafrost is causing a number of problems on land. Roads and utility poles are collapsing. Also, the hard permafrost which originally prevented beaches from eroding during violent storms is now melting. Affected villages are forced to relocate. For villages on small low islands, one terrible storm could wipe out the entire community. The melting permafrost and increasing temperature are also having a negative impact on the forests of Alaska. As the permafrost under the forests melts, insects that normally don’t turn up until the warmer seasons are appearing sooner. The spruce-bark beetle, for example, is increasing in numbers as a result of global warming. It usually takes about two years for these beetles to grow and reproduce in very cold weather. However, due to the increase in temperatures, spruce-bark beetles are damaging as many trees in one year as they previously damaged in two. At this rate, Alaska’s forest won’t survive the turn of the century. Some scientists believe that human activity is linked to a global increase in weather temperature. Whether the rising temperatures are caused by human activity or natural changes, the fact remains that Alaska is warming. Some others argue that global warming may be a normal trend on the Earth’s temperature chart.(75)One theory argues that we are near the end of a so-called “ Little Ice Age“ , and the retreat of the glaciers is a natural result of this cycle. Whether natural or produced by humans, there is little hope for the immediate future of glaciers as we know them. Horribly, this could be a preview of what will happen to the rest of the world in the next century.

If we read English language newspapers or listen to newsreaders who use English in all different parts of the world, we will quickly develop 【M1】______ the impression that one form of English is so widely used that will 【M2】______ soon unite all the different varieties of English which exist. Is there enough evidence to support this impression? It is in fact misled in several 【M3】______ ways since a version of English which is exactly the same everywhere and 【M4】______ has the same high status throughout the world do not yet exist. 【M5】______ For one thing, people who’s first language is English value their linguistic 【M6】______ identity. Therefore, they try to preserve it from the influence of other forms of English. New Zealanders, for example, do not want to speak like Australians. In addition, there are too much regional differences in 【M7】______ vocabulary of the language to be the same everywhere. People need 【M8】______ specialised words in order to discuss locally politics, business, culture 【M9】______ and natural history. Lastly, there is the fact that learners of English may be teaching in either American or British forms. 【M10】______

充足的睡眠不仅能使我们的身体得到休息，还能提高我们的智力。(倒装)

教授告诉我们，这次面试者将优先考虑有实际经验的学生。(priority)

Which shape completes the larger square? [*]

We haven’t really______a solution to the problem yet, which makes the boss really frustrated. built up fallen back on brought over come up with

Personally, I am______banning cigarette smoking completely, especially in public areas. in touch with apart from in favour of regardless of

The government is making every effort to______an economic crisis, but it seems nothing could help. eliminate avert impede swerve

______a serious crime, what exactly should you do? Unless you witness If you were to witness If only you witness Since you witness

The average automatic teller machine(ATM)is not very smart. It will give money to anyone who has the right card and punches four or five keys in the right order. Some analysts estimate that as many as 30% of ATM transactions worldwide are cases of theft. To increase security at cash machines , some banks have tried to make their ATMs a little smarter. A small camera on the machine looks directly into the eye of every customer. It scans one iris and compares the tiny patterns of ridges, dots, and other features to a code in its computer. If there is a match, the ATM will start counting out cash. If not, a message is automatically sent to the nearest police station. Iris-scanning is one fast-growing form of biometric identification—determining who someone is by examining features of the body. One of the earliest biometric techniques was fingerprinting. The lines on fingertips are unique to each person, so not even identical twins have the same fingerprints. Fingerprinting has become famous as a way of finding out who committed a crime, but it very often fails. A careful criminal can wear gloves, avoid touching things, or even alter his fingerprints by burning, cutting, or scraping them. In the search for a more reliable system, security experts have focused on the eye. Like a fingerprint, every iris is, for all practical purposes, unique. Each person’s right iris is e-ven different from his or her left one. A low-cost digital camera, like the kind installed at ATM machines, can easily detect hundreds of different features in the iris. The chance of two irises having the same features is close to zero. Tests have shown that iris-scanners are very hard to fool. They can tell the difference between a real iris and a false one. They can see right through coloured contact lenses, eyeglasses, and even mirrored sunglasses. Although many criminals are willing to burn or cut their fingers in pursuit of the perfect crime, few would be willing or able to alter their irises. To make iris-scanning work, a computerized database has to match certain iris features with certain people. This means that each ATM customer has to allow a bank to photograph his or her iris and keep that highly personal information in a computer. Some people have worried, however, that an increased use of iris-scanning will lead to a dangerous loss of privacy. By mounting iris-scan cameras in public places, governments could track a private citizen all day long without the person’s knowledge. This would be a great advantage to the police, but it could also give corrupt officials a new way to control their opponents. The military’s development of tiny robots suggests that government iris-scanners could even invade private homes! ATM transactions are often cases of theft, where an unauthorized user takes【A1】______. To decrease insecurity, some banks have installed iris-scanning machines at ATMs. These small cameras scan the user’s iris, recording its features and【A2】______them to a digital fde. Every person has a【A3】______iris, making iris identification highly reliable. Earlier efforts at bio-metric identification often relied on fingerprints. However, fingerprints can easily be【A4】______through cutting, burning or scraping. Iris scanners are so effective that they can even see through contact lenses and mirrored sunglasses. Use of iris scanners would provide great ad-vantages to the police. However, others worry about a loss of【A5】______