●Swimming pool in the high street

My personal favorite is “Swimming pool in

the high street” from Brussels, which is about

a woman relaxing in a swimming pool-----a swimming

pool sunk into the middle of the street, that is!

Along with an introduction about his background, Beever includes a description of the techniques he used and the challenges he overcame with every drawing. He shares information about his time at home in the UK. and abroad; there is a fun story to back up each piece of art.

Beever’s artwork is truly jaw drooping. You’re sure to spend ages turning the leaves back and forth, surprised at how one man can create what looks like a three-dimensional design on a flat surface with just a bit of chalk. From animals to superheroes to famous buildings, the paintings are a wonder to lay eyes on.

*Payment chalk artist: The three-dimensional drawings of Julian Beever is surely worth a look. And another look. This 112-page hardcover book is available now from Firefly Books at a list price of $ 29.95

29. What do we know about the book mentioned in the text?

A. It has a paper cover.               B. It hasn’t been published.

C. It includes some drawing techniques.   D. It’s a biography of Julian Beever.

30. What does the underlined part “ jaw dropping” most probably mean?

A. Romantic.    B. Amazing.     C. Frightening     D. Depressing.

31. We can infer that the text is ______.

A. a book review.                    B. a description of street art.

C. an advertisement for a new book.    D. an introduction to an artist.

D

People are being lured (引诱) onto Facebook with the promise of a fun, free service without realizing they’re paying for it by giving up large amounts of personal information. Facebook then attempts to make money by selling their data to advertisers that want to send targeted messages.

Most Facebook users don’t realize this is happening. Even if they know what the company is up to, they still have no idea what they’re paying for Facebook because people don’t really know what their personal data is worth.

The biggest problem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules. Early on, you keep everything private. That was the great thing about facebook — you could create your own little private network. Last year, the company changed its privacy rules so that many things — your city, your photo, your friends' names—were set, by default (默认) to be shared with everyone on the Internet.

According to Facebook’s vice-president Elliot Schrage, the company is simply making changes to improve its service, and if people don’t share information, they have a “less satisfying experience”.

Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money. Its original business model, which involved selling ads and putting them at the side of the page, totally failed. Who wants to look at ads when they’re online connecting with their friends?

The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington. In April, Senator(议员) Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy. He also urged the Federal Trade Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites. “I think the senator rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them,” Schrage admits.

I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy is only the beginning, which is why I’m considering deactivating(撤销) my account. Facebook is a handy site, but I’m upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don’t know. That’s too high a price to pay.

32. What do we learn about Facebook from the first paragraph?

A. It is a website that sends messages to targeted users.

B. It makes money by putting on advertisements.

C. It provides loads of information to its users.

D. It profits by selling its users’ personal data.

33. Why does Facebook make changes to its rules according to Elliot Schrage?

A. To provide better service to its users. 　  B. To follow the Federal guidelines.

C. To improve its users’ connectivity.   　  D. To expand its scope of business.

34. What does Senator Charles Schumer advocate?

A. Setting guidelines for advertising on websites.

B. Banning the sharing of users’ personal information.

C. Removing ads from all social-networking sites.

D. Formulating(制订) regulations for social-networking sites..

35. Why does the author plan to cancel his Facebook account?

A. He is dissatisfied with its current service.      B. He doesn’t want his personal data abused.

C. He finds many of its users untrustworthy.   D. He is upset by its frequent rule changes.

第二节 (共5小题;每小题2分，满分10分)

根据下列短文内容，从文章后的选项中选出能入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Investing in yourself

Figuring out how to invest your money can be a difficult task. This is something that you will want to learn how to do.

_36_ Things that will improve your knowledge, skills or health are all great investments. However, before you start, you need to be clear about what you will gain out of doing all of these things.

You may think investing in yourself means investing in your education. ___37___. There are some other things you can do as well as buying a gym membership or learning a new skill.

So what are some specific things you can do? ____38___. Reading books can really expand your mind and allow you to learn different skills and gain knowledge. I’m talking about the books where you will actually learn a new skill, not fiction books.

You can also take courses and attend seminars. These programs are taught by people with a high level of knowledge or skill. ____39____. Only in this way can you avoid being fooled by some sales presentation.

Moreover, investing in yourself is a safe way to keep your money. Although a savings account is seen as the most secure investment, that isn’t 100% safe. Even if you never experience your bank closing down, the return is little when inflation(通货膨胀) is taken into consideration. ____40____. But over time, they will show up in terms of your happiness level as well as your level of success.

A. The benefits will stay with you.

B. This is just one way. ]

C. If you aren’t a reader, you should start with that.

D. The more you do this, the more valuable you will be.

E. The best way to invest your money is to invest it in yourself.

F. Of course, you need to do some research before investing.

G. When you invest in yourself, you may not see gains right away.