The Internet has led to a huge increase in credit-card(信用卡) fraud. Your card information could even be for sale in an illegal Web site(网站).Web sites offering cheap goods and services should be regarded with care. On-line shoppers who enter their credit-card information may never receive the goods they bought. The thieves then go shopping with your card number — or sell the information over the Internet.
Computers hackers(黑客) have broken down security(安全) systems, raising questions about the safety of cardholder information. Several months ago, 25 000 customers of CD Universe, an on-line music retailer(批发商),were not lucky. Their names, addresses and credit-card numbers were posted on a Web site after the retailer refused to pay US $157 828 to get back the information.
Credit-card firms are now fighting against on-line fraud. MasterCard is working on plans for Web-only credit card, with a lower credit limit. The card could be used only for shopping on-line.
However, there are a few simple steps you can take to keep from being cheated.
Ask about your credit-card firm's on-line rules: Under British law, cardholders are responsible(对……负有责任的) for the first US $78 of any fraudulent spending.
And shop only at secure sites: Send your credit-card information only if the Web site offers-advanced secure system.
If the security is in place, a letter will appear in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. The Web site address may also start with https:// — the extra “s” stands for secure. If in doubt, give your credit-card information over the telephone.
Keep your password safe: Most online sites require a user name and password before placing an order. Treat your passwords with care.
41. What do most people worry about the Internet according to this passage?
A. A lot of stolen credit-cards were sold on the Internet. B. Fraud on the Internet.
C. Many Web sites are destroyed. D. Many illegal Web sites are on the Internet.
42. What is the meaning of “fraud”?
A. cheating B. sale C. payment D. safety
43. How can the thieves get the information of the credit-card?
A. The customers give them the information.
B. The thieves steal the information from Web sites.
C. The customers sell the information to them. D. Both A and B.
44. How many pieces of advice does the passage give to you?
A. Four. B. Three. C. Five. D. Six.
45. You are shopping on the site: http://www.shopping.com,and you want to buy a TV set, what does this article suggest doing?
A. Order the TV set at once. B. Do not buy the TV set on this site.
C. E-mail the site your credit-card information.
D. Tell the site your password and buy the TV set for you.
Next time you hear a funny joke you’d better not laugh too hard. According to a paper published by the British Medical Journal, laughter isn’t always the bestmedicine. Sometimes it can even be harmful. Professor Robin Ferner from the University of Birmingham, one of the authors of the study, found that bad things could happen to people who laughed too much. He says: “We found people with heartbeat problems which had stopped their heart, we found people who had fainted(昏倒), and we found people who’ddislocated theirjawsor burst their lungs.”
It seems that laughing can beno laughing matter. Butit’s not alldoom and gloom. Professor Ferner says there are benefits to laughing when you want tolose weight, for example. Yes, that’s right: laugh and be slimmer! Professor Ferner explains that: “You use energy when you laugh, you move yourdiaphragm(横膈膜), you expand your lungs, and both those things can be helpful.”
According to the research, laughing for a quarter of an hour can burn up to 40 calories, and if you laughed all day you’d use up about 2,000 calories, which is what most people consume in a day. But don’t do that or you might end up with apainfuljaw.Ouch! Or you might find people looking at you in afunnyway.
But I don’t want to finish this article leaving you feelingdesperate. Laughter comes naturally for most of us. Babies begin to laugh at around 3-6 months. So give in to yoursense of humourand keep smiling. Life is short anyway.
Laughing too much may cause the following harmful results EXCEPT_________.
| A．heart stop | B．diaphragm movement |
| C．lung burst | D．jaw dislocation |
The underlined phrase “doom and gloom” in Paragraph 2 probably means_______.
| A．hopeless | B．funny |
| C．painful | D．nervous |
How many calories can you use if you laugh for half a day?
| A．About 40. | B．About 1,000. |
| C．About 2,000. | D．About 2,040. |
What is the author’s attitude towards laughing in the last paragraph?
| A．Uninterested. | B．Disapproving. |
| C．Worried. | D．Favorable. |
Every week in China, millions of people will sit in front of their TVs watching teenagers compete for the title Character Hero, which is a Chinese-style spelling bee(拼写大赛). In this challenge, young competitors must write Chinese characters by hand. To prepare for the competition, the competitors usually spend months studying dictionaries.
Perhaps the show’s popularity should not be a surprise. Along with gunpowder and paper, many Chinese people consider the creation of Chinese calligraphy(书法)to be one of their primary contributions to civilization. Unfortunately, all over the country, Chinese people are forgetting how to write their own language without computerized help. Software on smart phones and computers allows users to type in the basic sound of the word using the Latin alphabet. The correct character is chosen from a list. The result? It’s possible to recognize characters without remembering how to write them.
But there’s still hope for the paint brush. China’s Education Ministry wants children to spend more time learning how to write.
In one Beijing primary school we visited, students practice calligraphy every day inside a specially decorated classroom with traditional Chinese paintings hanging on the walls. Soft music plays as a group of six-year-olds dip brush pens into black ink. They look up at the blackboard often to study their teacher’s examples before carefully attempting to reproduce those characters on thin rice paper. “If adults can survive without using handwriting, why bother to teach it now?” we ask the calligraphy teacher, Shen Bin. “The ability to write characters is part of Chinese tradition and culture,” she reasons. “Students must learn now so they don’t forget when they grow up.” says the teacher.What can we learn about the Character Hero?
| A．It’s open to people of all ages and all walks. |
| B．It’s the most-viewed TV programs in China. |
| C．It aims to spread Chinese culture to the world. |
| D．It draws great public attention across the country. |
Why are Chinese people forgetting how to write the characters?
| A．Chinese people don’t refer to dictionaries very often. |
| B．Chinese people no longer use brush pens or practice calligraphy. |
| C．Chinese people are using the Latin alphabet instead of the characters. |
| D．Chinese people needn’t write by hand as often with the help of technology. |
According to Shen Bin, being able to write characters by hand is_________.
| A．necessary for adults to survive in China |
| B．a requirement made by the Education Ministry |
| C．helpful to keep Chinese tradition and culture alive |
| D．an ability to be developed only when you are students |
Where does this text probably come from?
| A．A news report. | B．A science report. |
| C．An advertisement. | D．Children’s literature. |
Restaurants in the USA
Steve’s Pizza
So many pizza chains compete for the attention of tourists in South Beach, but ask a Miami Beach local where to get the best pizza and they’ll tell you about Steve’s. This is New York–style pizza, handmade with care and good ingredients(成份). New branches of Steve’s are opening elsewhere in Miami, all in non-tourist areas.
Opening hours: 11am-3am
Cattleman’s Steakhouse
This place is 20 miles east of the city, but local folks would probably drive 200 miles to eat here. The food is good, and the scenery is even better. Come early and wander around the grounds of Indian Cliffs Ranch, where you’ll see everything from rabbits to buffalo (水牛), then catch the sunset either before or after your meal.
Opening hours: 5pm-10pm
Absolute Baking & Cafe
The screen door is always swinging open at this town hot spot with giant breakfasts. Try the green chili on eggs – it’s made from scratch, as are the organic(有机的) breads. Lunch includes salads, big sandwiches and local grass-fed beef burgers. Don’t miss a square of soft, fresh carrot cake.
Opening hours: 7am-2pm
Walt’s Wharf
Everybody’s favorite for fresh fish (some drive in from LA), Walt’s packs them in on weekends. You can’t make reservations for dinner (though they’re accepted for lunch), but it’s worth the wait for the tree fire–grilled seafood and steaks in the many-windowed ground floor or upstairs in captain’s chairs.
Opening hours: 11am-3:30pmThe new branches of Steve’s Pizza are mainly intended for_________.
| A．New Yorkers | B．tourists |
| C．the locals | D．foreigners |
Cattleman’s Steakhouse offers the wonderful _________as well as good food.
| A．wine | B．view | C．discount | D．service |
Which restaurant serves both breakfast and lunch?
| A．Steve’s Pizza. |
| B．Walt’s Wharf. |
| C．Absolute Baking & Café. |
| D．Cattleman’s Steakhouse. |
The word proactivity is fairly common in management literature, but you won't find it in the dictionary. It means that as a human being you take responsibility for your own life．
Look at the word responsibility: ability to choose your response, response-ability. Effective people are proactive because they take responsibility. Their behavior is a product of their own decisions, based on values, rather than being a product of their own conditions, based on feelings．For instance, you are planning a picnic with your family．You're excited．You have all the preparations．You've decided where to go, and then it becomes stormy, killing your plan．Proactive people carry weather within them. They realize what their purpose really was, and they creatively have a picnic elsewhere even if it's in their own basement with some special games, and make the best of that situation．The opposite of being proactive is to be reactive．Reactive people would say, "What's the use?" "We can't do anything．" "Oh this is so upsetting after all of our preparations and arrangements." They try to persuade the people around them and usually the picnic will be cancelled．
Being proactive is really just being true to your human nature. Your basic nature is to act, and not to be acted upon．That's true, despite widely accepted theories of determinism used to explain human nature. Determinism says that you don't really choose anything and that what you call choices are nothing more than automatic responses to outside conditions．
The language of reactive people is like: " I can't．" " Don't have time．" " I have to．" " I must．" The whole spirit of that language is the transfer of responsibility．They think things are determined by their environment, or by their conditions, or by their conditioning or their genetic makeup．Psychologically, people who believe they are determined will produce the evidence to support the belief, and they increasingly feel victimized and out of control．They're not in charge of their life at all．
On the contrary, a proactive person exercises free will, the freedom to choose the response that best applies to his values．In that way, he gains control over the circumstances, rather than being controlled by them．According to the passage, a proactive person's behavior can result from ______．
| A．the environment | B．an inner belief |
| C．the genetic makeup | D．a temporary feeling |
When a picnic plan is threatened by a sudden storm, reactive people will probably ____．
| A．have the picnic as planned |
| B．make the best of the picnic |
| C．complain and give up the picnic |
| D．find somewhere else for the picnic |
What does "carry weather within them" in the second paragraph probably mean?
| A．Manage to improve the weather． |
| B．Give in to the weather passively． |
| C．Stress the influence of the weather． |
| D．Find a solution to the weather problems． |
It can be concluded from the passage that determinists (宿命论者) ______．
| A．accept things passively |
| B．are in charge of themselves |
| C．are similar to proactive people |
| D．respond to outside conditions actively |
In summer, some people avoid outdoor activities because they don't want to get hot and sticky or sun burnt．Luckily, there are some outdoor activities which don't involve breaking sweat．
River rafting
Hot summer weather and cool water-what a perfect match! River rafting can be both scenic and exciting．When the raft follows a gentle stream, the views of the countryside or valley is like a traditional Chinese painting．And when you enter white water where the riverbed creates a natural roller coaster, you feel a rush of adrenaline （肾上腺素）．Paddle your raft to the riverbank to have a picnic or barbecue which will taste best when you are starving．
Where to find: River rafting trips are usually on offer in mountainous or valley regions such as the Three Gorges．
Tips: Wear a helmet and life jacket at all times; bring enough sunscreen; and bring lots of water．
Caving
People say that the only naturally air-conditioned place in summer is a big cave．It is true．Cave tours featuring light shows are old hat．Now it's time to wear a lamp on your helmet like a mineworker to explore caves in darkness．Exploring unknown caverns and navigating underground rivers is what makes caving so thrilling．Plus, caving can be a very healthy sport, for the oxygen level is usually higher so basically you are having an oxygen spa as the bonus．
Where to find: caving can be very risky, so consult local travel agents and go in groups with professional cavers．
Tips: Follow your guides; drink enough water to avoid dehydration（脱水） ; and wear strong and not easily damaged hiking boots．
Coastal walking/cycling and beach activities
For those who live far away from mountains, coastal regions and beaches are good places to spend time in the summer．With sea breezes in your hair, it is nice to take a hike or cycle ride while enjoying the coastline．If you want to be sportier, try beach games, such as soccer and volleyball．It's a totally different experience from playing on hard courts or grass．
Where to find: Just go to the beach or find an urban artificial beach such as the one in Chatoyant Park in Beijing or the man-made lake beach in Wuhan．
Tips: Loads of sunscreen needed; water and snacks are necessary; be aware of jellyfish and garbage floating in the water．What does the underlined words "old hat" in paragraph 5 mean?
| A．Out of fashion． | B．Out of the way． |
| C．A particular fashion． | D．A unique style． |
If you love river rafting trips, you can _____．
| A．go to the beach | B．explore caves |
| C．do some outdoor activities | D．drift the boat downstream |
What is specially needed to explore caves?
| A．An oxygen spa． | B．A professional caver． |
| C．A lamp． | D．A helmet． |
Helen lives in a big city, where is the best place for her to spend weekends?
| A．A riverbank． | B．Underground rivers． |
| C．An urban artificial beach． | D．Mountainous areas． |