An important advance in the philosophy of NC of machine tools was the shift toward the use of controller units instead of computers in NC systems.

The single greatest shift in the history of mass-communication technology occurred in the 15th century and was well described by Victor Hugo in a famous chapter of Notre-Dame de Paris. It was a Cathedral. On all parts of the giant building, statuary and stone representations of every kind, combined with huge widows of stained glass, told the stories of the Bible and the saints, displayed the intricacies of Christian theology, adverted to the existence of highly unpleasant demonic winged creatures, referred diplomatically to the majesties of political power, and in addition, by means of bells in bell towers, told time for the benefit of all of Pairs and much of France. It was an awesome engine of communication.

Then came the transition to something still more awesome. The new technology of mass communication was portable, could sit on your table, and was easily replicable, and yet, paradoxically, contained more information, more systematically presented, than even the largest of cathedrals. It was the printed book. Though it provided no bells and could not tell time, the over-all superiority of the new invention was unmistakable.

In the last ten or twenty years, we have been undergoing a more or less equivalent shift—this time to a new life as a computer-using population. The gain in portability, capability, ease, orderliness, accuracy, reliability, and information-storage over anything achievable by pen scribbling, typewriting, and cabinet filing is recognized by all. The progress for civilization is undeniable and, plainly, irreversible. Yet, just as the book's triumph over the cathedral divided people into two groups, one of which prospered, while the other lapsed into gloom, the computer's triumph has also divided the human race.

You have only to bring a computer into a room to see that some people begin at once to buzz with curiosity and excitement, sit down to conduct experiments, ooh and ah at the boxes and beeps, and master the use of the computer or a new program as quickly as athletes playing a delightful new game. But how difficult it is—how grim and frightful! —for the other people, the defeated class, whose temperament does not naturally respond to computers. The machine whirrs and glows before them and their faces twitch. They may be splendidly educated, as measured by book-reading, yet their instincts are all wrong, and no amount of manual-studying and mouse-clicking will make them right. Computers require a sharply different set of aptitudes, and, if the aptitudes are missing, little can be done, and misery is guaranteed.

Is the computer industry aware that computers have divided mankind into two new, previously unknown classes, the computer personalities and the non-computer personalities? Yes, the industry knows this. Vast sums have been expended in order to adapt the computer to the limitations of non-computer personalities. Apple's Macintosh, with its zooming animations and pull-down menus and little pictures of life folders and watch faces and trash cans, pointed the way. Such seductions have soothed the apprehensions of a certain number of the computer-averse. This spring, the computer industry's efforts are reaching a culmination of sorts. Microsoft, Bill Gates' giant corporation, is to bring out a program package called Microsoft Bob, designed by Mr Gates' wife, Melinda French, and intended to render computer technology available even to people who are openly terrified of computers. Bob's principle is to take the several tasks of operating a computer, rename them in a folksy style, and assign to them the images of an ideal room in ideal home, with furniture and bookshelves, and with chummy cartoon helpers ("Friends of Bod") to guide the computer user over the rough spots, and, in that way, simulate an atmosphere that feels nothing like computers.

According to this passage, which of the following statements is NOT True?

A．It is because the Cathedral of Norte-Dame in Paris had many bell-towers and could tell time to people that the writer regards it as an engine of mass communication.

B．From Cathedrals to books to computers the technology of communication has become more convenient, reliable and fast.

C．Every time when a new communication means triumphed over the old, it divided mankind into two groups.

D．Computer industry has been trying hard to make people accept computers.

In recent years, the Chinese auto industry has seen rapid growth, with the demand on private cars rising sharply in Chinese cities since 2002.

By 2009, China has replaced the U.S. to become the world's largest auto market. As an important part of the world car industry, the global auto industry will shift further to China. This brings historical opportunity to China's auto market.

Currently, both the development of China's auto market and the changes in consumer demand for vehicles are ever -increasing. China's auto industry will continue to grow in the next decade. It means there is still huge room for its development. China has an urban population of more than 600million. It also has a huge agricultural vehicle market in the rural areas. Hence, there is no doubt for China's development of auto industry. That is also the reason why the world's auto producers are paying more attention to the Chinese market.

()26. The demand on private cars increased greatly in Chinese cities since 2002.

()27. China has become the world's largest auto market.

()28. China's auto industry tends to decrease in the next decade.

()29. China has an urban population of less than 600 million.

()30. The reason why the world's auto producers are paying more attention to the Chinese market is that China's auto industry developed very quickly.

According to the text, the shift in the method of holiday booking in UK is associated with ______.

A．the popularity of electronics

B．the costly licences

C．car rental firms

D．the traditional ideology

Which sentence below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 4? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information．

A．Before the age of five, children think the longer line has more coins because they are incapable of understanding conservation．

B．Five-year-old children do not understand the value ofmoney, so they do not care if one line of coins is longer than another．

C．Because of the five-seven shift, children can understand why the longer row of coins is a better example of conservation．

D．Even if two rows of coins are different in length, very young children will say that both rows have the same number of coins．

听力原文：M: Oh, I must be sitting in the same position too long. My legs have fallen to sleep.

W: Shake them a little before you get up.

Q: What does the woman suggest the man do?

(17)

A．Keep his leg in the same position.

B．Cross his legs a different way.

C．Shift his weight to the other leg.

D．Move his leg around.

The shift in the nature of consumer decision is revealed in the fact that

A．people employ internet to learn about products in advance.

B．consumers generally seek advice from salesmen.

C．people visit a store and make their choice at the same time.

D．consumers took business steps separately.

Imagine you are a left-hander. Suddenly everything in the world is changed. The door locks are on the wrong side of doors. The shift gear (变速器) in your car is in the wrong place. Handles on tin openers are on the wrong side and turn the wrong way.

Twenty-five million Americans wake up every day in just such a sorry situation. They are one in ten of us who are left-handed and must face the world designed for the right-handed majority.

Why we are left or right-handed remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of science. We know that nearly two out of three lefties are men and that left-handedness runs in families. According to one study almost half of the children of two left-handed parents will be left-handed. The Scots-Irish family Kerr produced so many left-handers that in 1470 the family built its house stairway with a reverse twist.

On the other hand, heredity (遗传) alone cannot explain lefties. At least 84 percent of them are born of two right-handed parents. And in 12 percent of twins, one will be right-handed, the other left.

Perhaps the greatest puzzle of all is not why some people are left-handed, but rather why so few are. In fact, almost equal numbers of individuals will favour either the right or the left. However, scientists are trying to set things right and they are beginning to study the many ways left-handers differ from right-handers by considering how their brains work.

How many of the Americans are left-handers?

A．10%.

B．12%.

C．50%.

D．84%.

". . . this is hard to match" in the second paragraph suggests that

A．the acquisition by Tate Motors is different from that of Salons.

B．Indian companies are developing so fast that others can't compare with them.

C．traditional economic theory doesn't work in explaining the shift in economic power.

D．it's hard to explain why there has been a shift in economic power.

Other things the same, an increase in taxes shifts aggregate demand to the left. In the short run this makes output fall which makes the interest rate rise.()

The sudden vowel shift in the history of English helped to shape ________ English.

A.Old

B.Middle

C.Early Modern

D.Late Modern