Professor Barry Wellman of the University of Toronto in Canada has invented a term to describe the way many North Americans interact (互动) these days. The term is “networked individualism”. This concept is not easy to understand because the words seem to have opposite meanings. How can we be individuals (个体) and be networked at the same time? You need other people for networks.
Here is what Professor Wellman means. Before the invention of the Internet and e-mail, our social networks included live interactions with relatives, neighbors, and friends. Some of the interaction was by phone, but it was still voice to voice, person to person, in real time.
A recent research study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project showed that for a lot of people, electronic interaction through the computer has replaced this person-to- person interaction. However, a lot of people interviewed for the Pew study say that’s a good thing. Why?
In the past, many people were worried that the Internet isolated (孤立) us and caused us to spend too much time in the imaginary world of the computer. But the Pew study discovered that the opposite is true. The Internet connects us with more real people than expected — helpful people who can give advice on careers, medical problems, raising children, and choosing a school or college. About 60 million Americans told Pew that the Internet plays an important role in helping them make major life decisions.
Thanks to the computer, we are able to be alone and together with other people — at the same time!
45. The underlined phrase “networked individualism” probably means that by using computers people ________.
A. stick to their own ways no matter what other people say
B. have the rights and freedom to do things of their own interest
C. do things in their own ways and express opinions different from other people
D. are able to keep to themselves but at the same time reach out to other people
46. According to the Pew study, what do many people rely on to make major life decisions?
A. Networks. B. Friends. C. Phones. D. Parents.
47. It can be inferred from the Pew study that _______.
A. people have been separated from each other by using computers
B. the Internet makes people waste a lot of time and feel very lonely
C. the Internet has become a tool for a new kind of social communication
D. a lot of people regard the person-to-person communication as a good thing
48. Which would be the best title for this passage?
A. We’re Alone on the Internet.
B. We’re Communicating on the Internet.
C. We’re Alone Together on the Internet.
D. We’re in the Imaginary World of the Internet.
Television is an important part of modern life, one we can hardly imagine living without it. If I were forced to live without television, I would seek other interests, socialize（参加社交活动） with my friends and family and exercise more often.
Without TV in my home, I would have time to seek other interests. For example, I love to play the piano and without the fun of TV, I would have more time to practice. At other times, I could paint portraits of my family and friends.
Not only that, but also I could find much more time to socialize with my friends and family if my TV disappeared. At my house, the TV is a
lways on during dinner. Without TV we might have time to tell each other about what happened to us that day. In addition, we could more easily find more time to talk with old friends on the telephone. Thus, social time would increase without TV.
Most importantly, lacking a TV would give me a big increase in the available time for exercise in my life. With extra time, I could make the long journey to Bowen Island and go on an enjoyable hike in the mountains. Another exercise would be to go swimming or to an aerobics（有氧运动） class at Bonsor Community Centre. Watching more TV will only develop my bottom muscle.
Seeking other interests, socializing with friends and family, and exercising frequently would be the benefits of having no TV at my home. Just think how much more time I would have if I got rid of my computer, too!
62. According to the passage, we can infer that the author _________ too much.
A. takes exercise B. plays the piano
C. watches TV D. talks with his family
63. The passage mainly tells us ________.
A. we can’t live without TV
B. TV does harm to the author’s life
C. what the author could do without TV
D. why the author dislikes TV
64. The author thinks that he could do the following EXCEPT _____ without TV.
A. playing computers
B. doing outdoor sports
C. make conversations with family and friends
D. doing social activities
65. What’s the most suitable title for the passage?
A. We can’t live without TV. B. TV benefits us a lot.
C. Disadvantages of TV. D. Living without TV.
In the early 80’s, I walked across the Burrard Bridge in Vancouver. Not alone, however. With me were more than 50,000 persons, mostly of my generation, on the Walk for Peace. Loving peace, I think, is one of three important qualities of my generation.
That desire for peace has been an important char
acteristic of my generation for a long time. I grew up in the 60’s and early 70’s. At that time, many of us took part in demonstrations（示威游行） against the Vietnam War. Many people of my generation have devoted their lives to world peace, and lately we have seen success: US and Russian nuclear weapons are half their 1980 levels and nuclear disarmament（裁减军备） is agreed upon worldwide.
Another characteristic of my generation is our participation in the “marriage revolution”. We were the first generation that had access to safe and reliable birth control. The idea of “free love” made it easier for men and women to safely express their love before marriage. The marriage revolution gave us power, especially to women, and the world was changed forever.
The most important characteristic, however, is that many of us are deeply concerned about the environment. The results of my generation’s activities can be seen everywhere.
Although not all of us have participated, it is sure that we will continue to have a large impact on North America. We are nearing 50 years old, an age where people of my generation will become successful in politics and then, who knows what changes will come.
59. Which of the following does not belong to the characteristics of the author’s generation?
A. Travelling peacefully. B. The wish for peace.
C. Belief in the idea of “free love”. D. Protecting the environment.
60. “My generation” may be people born between ________.
A. the 50s and 60sB. the 60s and 70s
C. the 70s and 80s D. the 80s and 90s
61. The passage implies that ________.
A. most of the author’s generation died for world peace
B. all the countries agreed to remove the nuclear weapons
C. the demonstrations against the Vietnam War achieved success
D. some of the author’s generation may have greater influence on the country
We learned that fossil fuels were formed before and during the time of the dinosaurs（恐龙）. We are using up the fuels. We can save fossil fuels by protecting and finding ways to use energy from “endless sources”, like the sun and the wind. Some people suggest that we should start using hydrogen（氢）.
Hydrogen is a colorless, smell-less gas that takes up 75 percent of the whole universe. Hydrogen is found on earth only in mixture with other elements such as oxygen, carbon and nitrogen. To use hydrogen, we must separate it from these other elements.
Hydrogen can be used in NASA’s space program as fuel for the spaceships, and in fuel cells that provide heat, electricity and drinking water for astronauts. Fuel cells are devices that directly change hydrogen into electricity. In the future, hydrogen could be used to fuel vehicles and aircraft and provide power for our homes and offices.
Hydrogen can be made from natural gas. An electrical current can also be used to separate water into its elements of oxygen and hydrogen. Some plants in the sea and bacteria（细菌） give off hydrogen through sunlight under certain conditions.
Hydrogen as a fuel is high in energy. Yet a machine that burns pure hydrogen produces almost zero pollution. NASA has used liquid hydrogen since the 1970s to drive rockets and spacecraft into orbit. Hydrogen fuel cells power the spacecraft’s electrical systems, producing clean by-product-pure water, which the crew drinks.
56. We can get hydrogen from the following EXCEPT ______ according to the passage.
A. natural gas B. water C. creature in the sea D. bacteria
57. Why could the hydrogen be used widely in the future?
A. Because it is of high quality.
B. Because it has no pollution.
C. Because it is easy to get it from all kinds of ways.
D. Because there are much hydrogen existing in the universe.
58. The passage mainly tells us ________.
A. the usage of a new energy source B. the future energy sources
C. a new energy source －hydrogenD. how to get the energy source
The bee，like the ant，is a social insect（昆虫）.Bees live in large groups in box-like houses called hives or beehives.Every bee does a certain job that helps the other members of th
e group.In a beehive there live three kinds of bees:the queen bee，the male bees and the worker bees.The worker bees are born to be hard-working，flying from flower to flower collecting nectar（花蜜），which is made up mostly of sugar mixed with water.Bees draw this nectar into their honey bags where some sort of liquid in their bodies turns the nectar into honey.The newly made honey flows slowly from the bees’ underside and then is stored in small cells in the hive.When the weather turns cold，and there are no flowers for them to collect nectar，the stored honey will see them through the winter months.People who raise bees and depend on bees for a living are thought of as beekeepers.A bee-keeper usually keeps hundreds of hives，and removes honey from hives and keeps it in glass bottles or jars.Honey usually appears as a clear golden-colored liquid，but this lie
s in the sort of flowers from which bees have taken the nectar.
66.The best title of this passage is_______.
A.The Social Habits of Bees B.Three Kinds of Bees
C.The Production of Honey D.Bee Keepers’ Work
67.Bees are regarded as social insects because they_______.
A.form themselves into a good organization
B.have learned something from human society
C.need beekeepers to arrange their jobs
D.are born to work hard
68.The color of honey in its final stage depends on the_______.
A.type of flowers which the nectar is taken from
B.amount of sugar the beekeeper gives the bees
C.season in which the nectar is collected
D.quantity of water the bees are able to drink
69.Worker bees are always busy collecting nectar in order to_______.
A.help beekeepers to earn money from honey
B.turn it into honey
C.have something to eat in winter months
D.please the queen bee at the hive
70.During the course in which nectar change into honey_______.
A.water and sunlight are necessary conditions
B.some special liquid inside bees must be in the presence
C.many complex（复杂的）chemical changes will take place
D.worker bees have to bring up what they collected into their hive
Two scientists in California now think they can find out a person’s real age.Jeffery Bada and Patricia Masters do chemical tests on teeth.When we are born the amino acids（氨基酸）in our teeth are in one form.Then，as we grow older these amino acids change into a second form.Every year，one thousandth of the amino acids changed.So，by testing just one tooth and counting the number of amino acids in each form，Bada and Masters can work out a person’s age.They tested a tooth from the body of an Eskimo（爱斯基摩人）woman who died 1 600 years ago.From the appearance of her body，she was between 50 and 60 years old when she died.The tooth test put her age at 53.Then the Russian Government sent them a tooth from an old man in Georgia.The tooth said she was 99.Her real age was 96.The Russians are now hoping to send more teeth，from the very old people without birth certificates（出生证明书）.But there are problems.Some of the centenarians（百岁老人）have lost all their teeth.The others want to keep their teeth until they drop out naturally.So the Russian Government and the American scientists have to wait and hope.
61.Jeffery Bada and Patricia Masters believe that they can tell a person’s age according to_______.
A.an experiment on his bone
B.the shape and condition of his teeth
C.a test on the amino acids within his body
D.the changing form of amino acids in his teeth
62.According to the passage，which of the following statements is true?
A.The amino acids in an adult’s teeth may differ from those in a baby’s.
B.The number of amino acids in a 20-year-old man is different from that when he was seven.
C.Amino acids in one teeth changes without affecting their forms.
D.Scientists no
w can tell how long a person will live by testing his teeth.
63.Why are the two scientists asked to find out some very old Russians’ age?
A.Because the Government wants to know how long these old people can live.
B.Because they have no birth certificates.
C.Be
cause people who have tooth problems tend to live longer.
D.Because the Government wants to know their dates of birth and death.
64.In order to find out the exact age of some people over 100，both the Russian Government and American scientists_______.
A.should wait until all of them die
B.should pull out one of their teeth
C.have to wait for their teeth to drop out naturally
D.want to have their teeth pulled out
65.The central idea of the passage is_______.
A.the relationship between people’s teeth and ages
B.the relationship between amino acids and teeth
C.the contradiction（矛盾）between scientists and patients
D.the contradiction between the Government and the scientists