Recently a Beijing father sent in a question at an Internet forum (论坛) asking what "PK" meant. "My family has been watching the 'Super Girl' singing competition TV program. My little daughter asked me what 'PK' meant, but I had no idea," explained the puzzled father.
To a lot of Chinese young people who have been playing games online, it is impossible not to know this term. In such Internet games, "PK" is short for "Player Kill", in which two players fight until one ends the life of the other.
In the case of the "Super Girl" singing competition, "PK" was used to refer to the stage where two singers have to compete with each other for only one chance to go up in competition ranking.
Like this father, Chinese teachers at high schools have also been finding their students' compositions using Internet jargons (行话) which are difficult to understand. A high school teacher from Tianjin asked her students to write compositions with simple language, but they came up with a lot of Internet jargons that she didn't understand.
"My 'GG' came back this summer from college. He told me I've grown up to be a 'PLMM'. He always took me to the 'KPM'," went one composition.
"GG" means Ge Ge (Chinese pinyin for brother). "PLMM" refers to Piao Liang Mei Mei (beautiful girl). "KPM" is short for KFC, Pizza Hut and McDonald's.
Some specialists welcome Internet jargons as a new development in language. If you do not even know what a Kong Long (dinosaur, referring to an ugly looking female) or a Qing Wa (frog, referring to an ugly looking male) is, you will possibly be regarded as a Cai Niao!
40. By writing the article, the writer tries to ________.
A. expose some Internet language B. suggest common Internet language
C. laugh at the Beijing father D. draw our attention to Internet language
41. What does the writer think about the term "PK"?
A. Fathers can't possibly know it. B. The daughter should understand it.
C. Online game players may know it. D. "Super Girl" shouldn't have used it.
42. The examples of the Beijing father and the Tianjin teacher are used to show
that Internet jargons ________.
A. are used not only online B. can be understood very well
C. are welcomed by all the people D. cause trouble to our mother tongue
43. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. A puzzled father B. Do you speak Internet-ish?
C. Keep away from Internet-ish D. Kong Long or Qing Wa?
Restaurants in Europe, the United States and Japan are testing technology to let diners order their food direct from a screen at their table instead of depending on a fellow human being to note their choice.
Besides cutting costs, companies that sell the “e-menus” argue the bytes-for-bites way has a new value that can attract younger customers, and various photographs of steaks and gooey desserts attract diners to order more. It also could extend the TV dinner. How about a computer game dinner?
“It's about impulse-buying,” said Adi Chitayat, Conceptic’s CEO. “If a person starts looking at pictures of chocolate cake, the chances are he'll order it.” Frame, a restaurant in Tel Aviv with the system, is said to have its sales on tables with the e-menu increased by about 11% . Customers often call ahead to reserve （预定）spots equipped with screens, manager Natalie Edry told Reporters.
At one of the e-menu tables, IT worker Gil Uriel and his young family were enthusiastic as they checked out pictures of the dishes on offer and squabbled（争吵）overdesserts. “It’s more visual,” says Uriel, as his children clicked away furiously on a games function between courses. “We can still choose, we can still argue —but it’s much easier when we can all see it.”The following are the advantages of “restaurants with” EXCEPT that .
| A．eating in them is more comfortable |
| B．the restaurants can save a lot of money |
| C．they can attract more youngsters to the restaurants |
| D．customers can see the pictures of their ordered foods |
The underlined word “impulse—buying” in the 3rd paragraph means.
| A．having no idea in buying things |
| B．being uninterested in buying things |
| C．having no patience in buying things |
| D．being encouraged in buying things |
According to the last paragraph, we know that.
| A．customers feel little interest in the e-menus |
| B．e-menus only attract a small number of customers |
| C．it still takes time for e-menus to be widely accepted |
| D．restaurants of this kind are refused by customers |
This passage might be taken from .
| A．a food guide | B．a website |
| C．a traveling magazine | D．classic advertisements |
Prison Break is a huge hit thanks to its handsome star, Wentworth Miller. His character, Michael Scofield, is the engine that drives the show.
Having committed a crime to get into prison and break out with his innocent brother, Michael Scofield is one of the most interesting personalities on TV today. But what about the man behind the character?
Miller,35, is a hard guy to figure out. He does not come from a normal background and has never lived his life in a typical way.
Miller didn’t take direct path to fame and fortune. He graduated from Princeton University in 1995, not with a degree in theatre of film, but in English. He didn’t even act when he was in college. His only performance experience was in his university’s singing group. Yet , at graduation Miller still decided to make the move to Hollywood.
Miller has always been different. Although he is American, he was in Britain when his father was studying there. His family background is also a special mix of cultures. “My father is black and my mother is white. That means I have always been caught in the middle. I could be either one, which can make you feel out of place,” Miller says.
Following his unusual path, Miller did not start trying out for films and TV shows when he
first went to Hollywood. Instead, he worked as a lowly production assistant. Not what you would expect from a Princeton graduate. However, it all paid off for Miller in the end.
In 2002, Miller played a role in the drama Dinotopia（《恐龙帝国》）. He starred as a thoughtful and shy man. Producers remembered his performance when they were casting Prison Break two years later. With a golden globe nomination（提名）and another season of Prison Break on his resume, Miller seems ready to take over all of Hollywood.What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Michael Scofield in Prison Break . |
| B．Hollywood’s recent big hit—Prison Break. |
| C．Miller’s unusual path to fame and fortune. |
| D．The man who will take over all of the world. |
The writer thinks “Miller is a hard guy to figure out” because.
| A．it’s difficult to tell him from others |
| B．he is a shy man and hard to cooperate with |
| C．he always has ideas hard for people to understand |
| D．his family background and life experience are very special |
Which is the closest in meaning to the underlined sentence “it all paid off for Miller in the end”?
| A．Miller put a lot of extra work for his final success. |
| B．Miller gained fame and fortune at last with his first film. |
| C．Miller finally succeeded even if he has been in low position. |
| D．Miller managed to pay off his debts with his small income in the end. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about Miller?
| A．He is chosen to play the Michael Scofield due to his interesting personality. |
| B．His performance in Dinotopia makes some contributions to his success. |
| C．He has the same experience with the character Michael Scofield. |
| D．He is angry about his being born into a mixed-cultural family. |
There’s been a lot of talk about white-and-blue collar workers, and you may have even heard of gold collar workers, but lately a new color of collar is making its way into China’s urban vernacular（土话）—green. Green collars say no when work is life and life is work. They choose to get out of the fast lane（车道）, and explore new ways of living “green”.
Living green doesn’t mean someone is working as an environmentalist, biologist or scientist. Instead it is more of a lifestyle choice. A typical green collar is well educated like a white-collar but physically tough like a blue-collar, likely born in the 70s or 80s of the last century and living in one of China’s big cities, with a monthly income well above 5,000 yuan （about US $700）.
The life of a green collar may go something like this; Turn off the mobile phone after work, eat only healthy food rich in vitamins, go on hikes every weekend, and like to help the underprivileged.
Green collars even have their own club. In Beijing, the Green Collar Club is for people who share a “be happy, healthy and helpful” spirit. The club often holds charity parties and uses the donations for environmental protection and poverty relief（摆脱贫困）projects in China.
“They are successful in their careers, but do not miss the pleasures in life. They have a lot of money, but do not fall slave to it.” said Zuo Shiguang, one of the founding members of the club.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Differences between white-and-blue collars and green collars. |
| B．The increasing awareness of environmental protection. |
| C．New trends of life in China’s big cities. |
| D．The lifestyle of green collars. |
Green collars willafter work.
| A．prefer to be left alone |
| B．have fun with old friends |
| C．think nothing about work and more |
| D．do a lot of extra work at home |
What ’s Zuo Shiguang’s attitude towards green collars?
| A．Appreciative. | B．Doubtful. | C．Negative. | D．Neutral. |
The underlined part “the underprivileged” probably refers to those who are .
| A．in heavy polluted areas | B．in faraway places |
| C．in a poor state of education | D．in unfavourable conditions |
Dear Sirs，
Your shipment(装运)of twelve thousand“Smart”watches was received by our company this morning．However，we wish to make a number of complaints concerning the serious delay in delivery and your failure to carry out our instructions．
It was stressed from the beginning that the delivery date had to be less than six weeks. While we appreciate that delays in production are occasionally unavoidable．We must point out that the major reason why the order was placed with your company was that we were assured by you that your existing stocks ensure immediate shipment．Late delivery of the goods has caused us to disappoint several of our most valued customers．and is sure to have a negative effect on future orders．
The second complaint concerns the difference in colour．Only half the watches in the delivery received are of the colours we ordered．Our Hong Kong agent assures us that she stressed to you the importance of following our instructions．Since we consider there to be only a limited market in this country for watches of other colours．Any watches that are not of the specified colours will , of course, be returned to you．
We are also somewhat concerned about the rather poor quality of the goods received．since it is obvious that the watches that finally arrived have been produced from inferior materials and have been made to a lower standard than those in the sample．We have also found that a number of the watches do not appear to be functioning．We should like to point out that we feel this matter to be entirely your responsibility．
As a result of the above problems，therefore，we feel that the most suitable course of action is to return to you unpaid any of the goods considered unsatisfactory，and to deduct(扣除)any costs from our final settlement．We shall also be forced to reconsider whether any further orders should be placed with your company.
We look forward to your immediate reply．
Yours sincerely，
John SmithHow many complaints does John Smith make with the“Smart”watch producer?
| A．Five． | B．Four． | C．Three． | D．Two． |
The producer of“Smart”watches were given the order because_________
| A．they produced the best watches of its kind in the world |
| B．the watches would be easy to make and the designs were already prepared |
| C．they promised they could produce enough stocks quite quickly |
| D．they claimed the order would be easy since the watches were already in stock |
Receiving watches in the wrong colours is a problem because_______
| A．the Hong Kong agent stressed the need to fulfill the order exactly |
| B．these watches will be difficult to sell． |
| C． these watches will not be able to get into the limited market |
| D．people will not buy the watches at present |
LONDON (AP) — England joins on Sunday the growing list of places that ban smoking in public buildings, taxis and other places including even Buckingham Palace with a tough law.
Pubs, clubs and restaurants will all be smoke-free. Taxi and delivery drivers have been warned that they too could be fined 50 pounds, or about $100, if caught lighting up inside work vehicles.
Experts say the bans have become an irreversible (不可逆转的) tread because of greatly rising health costs and public uneasiness over second-hand smoke. Some of the strictest smoking bans are in the United States, even though there is no federal anti-smoking policy. New York and Florida have strict bans, while California has certain outdoor smoking bans.
Spain, Italy, Iran, Norway, Sweden, Singapore, South Africa, Uruguay and new Zealand have passed legislation(立法) to restrict smoking. France banned smoking in many public places in February and plans to extend the ban to cafes and restaurants next year. Finland is introducing a ban in 2009.
Despite the spread of bans, the World Health Organization predicts a steady rise in tobacco sales. In its Tobacco Atlas, the WHO said that by 2030 there will be “at least another two billion smokers in the world” and an expected decrease in male smokers “will be offset by an increase in female smoking rates, especially in developing countries.”
In advance of the English ban, anti-smoking ads have coated bus stops and the British government has subsidized(资助) programs to help people quit. The rest of Britain—Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland —already have smoking bans in place.The first two paragraphs mainly tell us_______
| A．Buckingham Palace bans smoking |
| B．smoking ban comes into force in England |
| C．there’s no smoking in Buckingham Palace |
| D．smoking is against the law in England |
Which of the following places may still be smoking areas in England?
| A．Private houses | B．Taxis. |
| C．Restaurants. | D．London clubs |
The underlined word “offset” in paragraph 5 probably means “________”.
| A．decreased | B．raised | C．encouraged | D．balanced |
What do we know from the passage?
| A．Smoking has strictly been forbidden in cafes in France. |
| B．There is an extremely strict smoking ban everywhere in America. |
| C．Smoking situation is still serious across the world. |
| D．Related ads didn’t appear in England until the English ban was lifted.（解除） |