Telecommuting(远程办公) will have major effects on the worlds of work and family life. However, its biggest effect will be in the area of individual freedom, responsibility and time management.
Work and workplaces will change greatly. Offices may become smaller, as fewer desks are needed. There will be greater need for high-speed Internet connections to link the office and the home, and even homes to other homes, as other employees also begin working at home. Hours spent in traffic jams, and fights for parking should diminish(减少), as workers travel less.
Family life will also change. Both husbands and wives will be able to arrange their work around family commitments such as taking children to school, cooking, spare time activities, and so on. However, households(家人) will also have to set aside areas for work-particularly if more than one person is telecommuting.
However, although the ideas of more time at home and less time traveling are attractive, there are some drawbacks to telecommuting. People may feel that they cannot escape from work, work longer hours, or become less social. The quality of work may suffer because of fewer face-to-face interactions with other employees, and there may be delays if other workers are not immediately available. Telecommuters may also feel isolated. A major change will be in the way people think about work as a place or an institution. Instead, they will focus on the task or the product. Workers may feel less loyal to a company.
In conclusion, the effects are difficult to predict because they depend on the extent to which telecommuting becomes popular. At the same time, however, telecommuting could be the start of a major societal shift, possibly as big as the Industrial Revolution which created our present ideas of work.
49. This passage was mainly written to tell us _____.
A. about the advantages of telecommuting B. how telecommuting will change the world
C. that telecommuting will affect family life D. how to telecommute in the future
50. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?
A. The disadvantages of telecommuting. B. Setting aside areas for work.
C. The future of telecommuting. D. The employees’ focus on work.
51. With telecommuting in the future, which of the following will be reduced?
A. Working hours and family time. B. Face-to-face communication.
C. Spare time and individual freedom. D. Spending time with friends.
52. What can we infer from the passage?
A. Telecommuting will change the world completely.
B. There will be no traffic jams because of telecommuting.
C. Work efficiency will increase through telecommuting.
D. Telecommuting workers will likely change their jobs.
As the population of the planet increases, so does the number of homes, businesses, parking lots, schools, airports and roadways. All these structures use electricity and need to be lighted. Humans demand these lights. They want their homes more comfortable and they want their streets sage. The problem is that researchers are finding that all the light is having a negative effect on humans and wildlife as well.
Less than 10 years ago I drove to a thinly populated section of my town, lay down in the middle of the road and watched an attracted meteor shower(流星雨). The area was short of homes, street lights and traffic. If I did that today, I wouldn’t be able to see the meteor shower as well, and I would surely be run over by a car.
Nowadays scientists are finding light pollution can be almost as bad as carbon dioxide pollution. If you’ve ever taken a flight at night, the view is beautiful, but you must remember that all the light you see is wasted electricity. The crew of the space shuttles see an even bigger picture of ho
w extensive the wasted electricity is worldwide.
Additionally, electricity needs to be generated, and the generation of electricity creates pollution by giving off greenhouse gases. This affects the air we breathe and our quality of life.
Scientists are also studying the effects of light pollution on wildlife. Thousands of birds die each year when they crash into highly lighted buildings, as they become puzzled by the light. It has been long known that tiny sea turtle hatchlings become lost and follow lights on the shore instead of heading towards the sea.
Fortunately, light pollution is one of the easiest sources of pollution that can be corrected without a negative effect. Following some guidelines and a little searching on Google can give you many ideas on how to reduce your contribution to light pollution.The author tells the story in the second paragraph mainly to _________.
| A．remember the past beauty of the town. |
| B．stress the advantages of less pollution |
| C．show the great changes of the town |
D．prove the bad effects of li ght pollution |
In the passage the author advises people _________.
| A．to try to reduce unnecessary light. |
| B．not to ignore the beauty around. |
| C．to set proper light for animals |
| D．not to destroy the animal’s living conditions. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Light pollution is difficult to deal with. |
| B．Light pollution is a threat to some animals. |
| C．Light pollution has nothing to do with global warming |
| D．Astronauts can’t see clearly in space due to light pollution. |
What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph which follows the last par
agraph?
| A．The author’s contribution to light pollution |
| B．Other sources of light pollution |
| C．Ways of reducing light pollution |
| D．More bad effects of light pollution |
RINGSTEAD B
AY, DORSET
A picturesque 210 ft crescent (弦月状) of pebbles with clean water--- that’s a perfect escape from some of the busier beaches around Weymouth. You reach it by passing through the village of Upton, then along a narrow country road. Next to the car park is a well-stocked shop. The cliffs behind RINGSTEAD Bay are an excellent place for fossil hunting.
Accommodation: Glenburn Hotel (01305 832318, www. Glenburnhotel.com) with doubles from ￡79 including breakfast.
BRANSCOMBE, DEVON
Lying on the East Devon Heritage Coast, Branscombe has good facilities with t
oilets and a car park close to the beach, as well as a small picnic area. A well-stocked shop sells the most attractive dairy ice cream. Next to the shop is the Sea Shanty restaurant—open every day until 5 pm during the summer.
Accommodation: The Mason’s Arms, Branscombe Village (01297 680300, www. Masonsarms. Co.uk) with doubles from ￡65 pp with breakfast.Which beach is the most wonderful place for summer bathing?
| A．COMPTON BAY. | B．BRANSCOMEBE. |
| C．KINGSGATE BAY. | D．RINGSTEAD BAY. |
If you want to know more information about Fayreness Hotel, you’d better refer to the following website_____________.
| A．www. Masonsarms. co. uk | B．www. Fayreness. Com |
| C．www. Glenburnhotel.com | D．www. Sandpipershotel.com |
What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To attract more tourists. |
| B．To describe some beautiful beaches. |
| C．To tell us the most beautiful places in UK are beaches. |
| D．To tell us where to spend summer. |
Andrew Carneigie, known as the King of Steel, built the steel industry in the United States, and, in the process, became one of the wealthiest men in America. His success resulted partly from his ability to sell the product and partly from his policy of expanding during periods of economic decline, when most of his competitors were reducing their investments. Carnegie believed that individuals should progress through hard work, but he also felt strongly that the wealthy should use their fortunes for the benefit of society. He opposed charity, preferring instead to provide educational opportunities that would allow others to help themselves. “He who dies rich, dies disgraced”, he often said. Among his more noteworthy contributions to society are those that bear his name, including the Carnegie Institute of Pittsburgh, which has a library, a museum of fine arts, and a museum of national history. He also founded a school of technology that is now part of Carnegie-Mellon University. Other philanthropic(慈善的) gifts are the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace to promote understanding between nations, the Carnegie Institute of Washington to fund scientific research, and Carnegie Hall to provide a center for the arts. Few Americans have been left untouched by Andrew Carnegie’s generosity. His contributions of more than five million dollars established 2,500 libraries in small communities throughout the country and formed the nucleus of the public library system that we all enjoy today.The author quoted(引述) “he who dies rich, dies disgraced” in the passage to show______.
| A．He felt strongly that the wealthy should use their fortunes for the benefit of society. |
| B．He opposed charity. |
| C．The wealthy die from their fortunes |
| D．The wealthy die from not contributing to society. |
Carnegie’s success includes following aspects EXCEPT_____.
| A．his policy of expanding. |
| B．his ability to sell the product |
| C．his ability to produce the product |
| D．his hard work |
Which of the following may NOT be philanthropic gifts to society according to the passage?____
| A．the Carnegie Institute of Washington. |
| B．the Carnegie Institute of Pittsburgh. |
| C．the steel industry. |
| D．the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. |
What is the meaning of “Few Americans have been left untouched by Andrew Carnegie’s generosity.” in the passage?________
| A．Few Americans have touched Andrew Carnegie’s generosity. |
| B．Many Americans have touched Andrew Carnegie’s generosity. |
C．we all enjoy Andrew Carnegie’s generosity today. |
| D．Many Americans were given Andrew Carnegie’s generosity. |
My wife passed away a few years ago, and I went through the worst time in my life. I even wanted to kill myself. Just for kids, I had to continue to live and work as small-town doctor at my medical clinic in Hawaii. My kids
had gone to live on the mainland, and I was alone. Then they asked me to have a family trip.
On our trip, we turned on the TV at the motel and saw the second plane crash into the World Trade Center. Seeing it falling down, I said to my kids: “I’m going to Afghanistan”. And a few weeks later, international Medical Corps sent me to set up 20 clinics in provinces where people had no health care. In these field clinics surrounded by frightening shoots or deadly bombs, we were eventually serving 27,000 patients a month in a very busy schedule. Tired and nervous, I gradually had a sense of achievement, a sense of purpose, and my depression went away.
In the years to follow, I went to Indonesia after the tsunami, Pakistan after the earthquakes, Sudan after the civil warm and Iraq after more and more bombs. Each time after disasters one after another, hundreds of people were killed, wounded and many more had to flee. We once set up movable clinics in an area with 19,000 refugees, and it was supposed to hold 13,000 originally. Flu broke out, one of the biggest killers of kids in refugee camps, and it spread like
wildfire. Water and food were also serious problems. “Adventures or not?” I often asked myself.
When my wife passed away, I thought my life was done. But in reality, it was just getting started. At the end of her life, she went unconscious. I held her head in my hands and told her of all the places we would visit and the exciting adventures we would have.
I think about the moment many times during my “adventures”. I didn’t know how predictive those words would be. But I know that she is still with me.Where has the doctor been in the past few years?
| A．Some countries where he could set up clinics. |
| B．Some African countries where flu broke out. |
| C．The places where the earthquakes happened. |
| D．The places that the horrible disasters struck. |
How would the doctor describe his life after he had worked in Afghanistan?
| A．Tired and troublesome. |
| B．Busy and risky. |
| C．Meaningful and helpful |
| D．Frightening and depressing. |
The underlined word “refugees” means people_______________.
| A．who are robbed, killed, or wounded |
| B．who suffer from flu in movable clinics |
| C．who like to take adventures |
| D．who have lost homes because of disasters. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．the doctor’s wife encouraged him to work in foreign countries. |
| B．What the doctor said to his wife before her death became reality. |
| C．The doctor’s adventures made him understand the love of his wife. |
| D．With the true love of his wife, the doctor started to change his life. |
Read the following advertisements and then choose the correct answers．
| （China Daily, March 3, 1996） the biggest shopping center will open on March 8． Every body with today's China Daily will get a small present that day． You are welcome． Telephone: 38990688; address: No． 6 Xidan Road …… |
| （ENGLISH NEWSPAPER, March 19） English Newspaper needs a foreign editor． He （She ） must have worked in China for more than 2 years． British nationality is necessary． The salary is $ 100,000 a year． The term is 3 years． In ten days this piece of advertisement will not be useful． Telephone: 3890666; addreses: No． 6 Xinling Road … |
| （CHINA FOOTBALL, February 3, 1996） Shanghai Shenhua Team Vs Beijing Guo'an Team TIME: February 8． Sunday （3:00） PLACE: Hongkou Stadium TICKET PRICE; RMB 25 yuan （for adults ） RMB 1  5 yuan （for students）NAME: China Cup Football Contest COACHES: Xu Genbao, Jin Zhiyang … |
If an Englishman who has worked in China for 3 years comes to English Newspaper office to ask for the job in April, he will _____．
| A．get the job | B．not get the job |
| C．be a good editor | D．not be useful |
If three adults and six students went to watch the match, the tickets would cost them _____ yuan．
| A．165 | B．135 | C．196 | D．255 |
Which of the following is NOT TRUE?
| A．The shopping center is at NO． 6 Xidan road． |
| B．The telephone number of English Newspaper is 3890666． |
| C．The match was between Beijing Team and Guo'an Team． |
| D．Xu Genbao is a coach． |