Two thirds of the singles looking for love in Britain turned to the Internet last year, according to figures made in public yesterday. Special sites offer introductions to smokers, Roman Catholics, tall people, beautiful people, frequent flyers and vegetarians. Technology has brought about a great change in the dating games.
A survey by Parsnip, a Britain branch of Eurpe’s largest dating service with more than 1.5 million members , says that 65 percent of the 5.4 million Britons looking for a relationship used online dating services last year.
A spokeswoman for Relate, the relationship advisor ,confirmed that a figure of two thirds feel it all right. “Doing it online allows people quite a lot of privacy , because they can do a bit of quiet research and look around from the comfort of their own home .You don’t have to meet a middleman or go to an actual dating agency office, which takes a lot of courage.” she said.
There are more than 100 independent online dating agencies in Britain .Parsnip says that 50 percent of single people believe they will meet a suitable partner through the Internet ,from 35 percent six months ago.
Mary Balfour, the founder ,says that the Internet has changed the dating industry completely. “It’s like a return to old-fashioned love letters,” she said .”You don’t base your initial judgment on how someone looks or what his or her figure is like . You e-mail or talk before you actually see each other .Everybody you know who is single these days has at least had a good look at a dating site ,introduction agency or personal ad. They have to , because all the old matchmaking institutions have gone. People work harder , settle down later and live more isolated lives. They are much more likely to end the day with DVD and a can of beer than by going to a village dance.What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．British singles go online for love . | B．British singles like going online |
| C．Going online for love is dangerous . | D．New ways of dating in Britain. |
The following statements are false EXCEPT that singles_____.
| A．don’t have to do any research at all | B．needn’t go to a go-between |
| C．need to actually meet each other | D．have to go to a village dance |
According to the text ,about _____Britain’s dated Online last year.
| A．3.5million | B．1.5million | C．2.7million | D．1.9million |
From the passage , we can learn that______.
| A．old-fashioned love letters become popular again |
| B．online dating services are out of date |
| C．half singles believe they can meet a suitable partner online |
| D．online dating needs a lot of courage |
How words came into being is unknown. All we assume (推测) is that some early men invented certain sounds，in one way or another，to express thoughts and feelings，actions and things，so that they could talk with each other. Later they agreed upon certain signs，called letters，which could be put together to show those sounds，and which could be written down. Those sounds，whether spoken or written in letters, are called words.
The power of words，then，lies in their associations—the things they bring up to our minds. Words become filled with meaning for us by experience；and the longer we live，the more certain words bring back to us the happy and sad events of our past；and the more we read and learn，the more the number of words that mean something to us increases.
Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words which have powerful effects on our minds and feelings. This clever use of words is what we call literary style (文体)．Above all，the real poet is a master of words. He can express his meaning in words which sing like music，and which by their position and association can move men to tears. We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them correctly，or they will make our speech silly and common.We learn from the text that language might have begun with________.
| A．expressions | B．actions |
| C．signs | D．sounds |
What is mainly discussed in Paragraph 2?
| A．The learning of new words. |
| B．The importance of old words. |
| C．The relation of human experience with words. |
| D．The gradual change and development of words. |
In the last paragraph, what does the author suggest that we should do?
| A．Use words skillfully. |
| B．Make musical speeches. |
| C．Learn poems by heart. |
| D．Associate with listeners. |
Many years ago, when I was fresh out of school and worked in Denver, I was driving to my parents’ home in Missouri for Christmas. I stopped at a gas station about 50 miles from Oklahoma City, where I was planning to stop and visit a friend. While I was standing in line at the crash register (收款台), I said hello to an older couple who were also paying for gas.
I took off, but had gone only a few miles when black smoke poured from the back of my car. I stopped and wondered what I should do. A car pulled up behind me. It was the couple I had spoken to at the gas station. They said they would take me to my friend’s. We chatted on the way into the city, and when I got out of the car, the husband gave me his business card.
I wrote him and his wife a thank-you note for helping me. Soon afterward, I received a Christmas present from them. Their note that came with it said that helping me had made their holidays meaningful.
Years later, I drove to a meeting in a nearby town in the morning. In late afternoon I returned to my car and found that I’d left the lights on all day, and the battery (电池) was dead. Then I noticed that the friendly Ford dealership—a shop selling cars—was right next door. I walked over and found two salesmen in the showroom.
“Just how friendly is Friendly Ford?” I asked and explained my trouble. They quickly drove a pickup truck to my car and started it. They would accept no payment, so when I got home, I wrote them a note to say thanks. I received a letter back from one of the salesmen. No one had ever taken the time to write him and say thank you, and it meant a lot, he said.
“Thank you” —two powerful words. They’re easy to say and mean so much.The phrases “take off” underlined in paragraph 2 means ___________.
| A．turned off | B．moved off |
| C．put up | D．set up |
What happened when the author found smoke coming out of his car?
| A．He had it pulled back to the gas station. |
| B．The couple sent him a business card. |
| C．The couple offered to help him. |
| D．He called his friend for help. |
The battery of the author’s car was dead because ___________.
| A．something went wrong with the lights. |
| B．the meeting lasted a whole day. |
| C．he forgot to turn off the lights. |
| D．he drove too long a distance. |
By telling his own experiences, the author tries to show ___________.
| A．how to write a thank-you note. |
| B．how to deal with car problems. |
| C．the kind-heartedness of older people. |
| D．the importance of expressing thanks. |
Why do people travel? Well, many people travel because they want to see other countries and visit places that are famous, interesting or beautiful. People also travel to meet new friends, to try new kind of food, to experience life in other parts of the world or simply to get away from cold weather. Yet there are other reasons why people travel. Many of today’s travelers are looking for an unusual experience and adventure travel is becoming more and more popular. Here is a quick look at two popular activities: hiking and rafting.
HIKING
Hiking is a great way to travel. You will get close to nature and take exercise at the same time. Hiking is easy to do and doesn’t have to be very expensive. You can hike close to home or travel to other places. The basic equipment you need for hiking is simple: good shoes, clothes and a backpack. You can hike in the mountains, in a forest or along a river. You can also go for a hike in the city.
Hiking is fun and exciting, but you shouldn’t forget safety. Here are some basic tips for successful hiking: 1. Don’t hike alone. 2. Tell someone where you are going; 3. Bring water and a good map; 4. Watch out for dangers, such as spiders, snakes, or poisonous plants; 5. Wear a hat to protect yourself from the sun; 6.Bring a mobile phone if you have one.
RAFTING
Another exciting adventure is rafting. A raft is a small boat that you can use to paddle down rivers and streams. Rafting is a good way to experience nature. If you want a normal rafting trip, choose a quiet stream or river that is wide and has few trees and other dangers. The name “whitewater” comes from the fact that the water in these streams and rivers looks white when it moves quickly.
As with hiking, you should always think about your safety and wear good clothes. You also need to learn the basic skills of rafting, such as how to handle the raft, how to paddle and how to get in and out of the raft. You should not go rafting unless you know how to swim, and you should always wear a life jacket.Adventure travelers want to _______.
| A．experience fun and excitement |
| B．meet new friends. |
| C．try new kinds of food |
| D．visit famous sites or beautiful places |
Hiking is a kind of adventure travel because _________.
| A．it is not expensive |
| B．you will often put yourself in danger. |
| C．you need a lot of equipment for it |
| D．it is not only exciting but inexpensive |
While hiking or rafting, it is important to think about________.
| A．cost | B．excitement |
| C．safety | D．fun |
While you go rafting, you have to _________.
| A．have rafting skills | B．know how to swim |
| C．wear leather shoes | D．put on a life jacket. |
The Peales were a famous family of American artists．Charles Willson Peale is best remembered for his portraits of leading figures of the American Revolution．He painted portraits(肖像) of Franklin and Jefferson and over a dozen of George Washington．His life-size portrait of his sons Raphaelle and Titian was so realistic that George Washington reportedly once tipped his hat to the figures in the picture．
Charles Willson Peale gave up painting in his middle age and devoted his life to the Peale museum, which he founded in Philadelphia．The world’s first popular museum of art and natural science mainly covered paintings by Peale and his family as well as displays of animals in their natural settings．Peale found the animals himself and found a method to make the exhibits more lifelike．The museum’s most popular display was the skeleton （骷髅） of a huge, extinct elephant, which Peale unearthed on a New York farm in 1801．
Three of Peale’s seventeen children were also famous artists．Raphaelle Peale often painted still lives of flowers, fruit, and cheese．His brother Rembrandt studied under his father and painted portraits of many noted people, including one of George Washington．Another brother, Rubens Peale, painted mostly landscapes and portraits．
James Peale, the brother of Charles Willson Peale, specialized in miniatures （小画像）．His daughter Sarah Miriam Peale was probably the first professional female portrait painter in America．
| A．Charles Willson Peale’s painting was very lifelike |
| B．Washington respected Charles Willson Peale’s work |
| C．Washington was friendly with Raphaelle and Titian Peale |
| D．the painting of the two brothers was very large |
| A．showed | B．invented |
| C．dug up | D．looked over |
| A．Titian Peale． | B．Rubens Peale． |
| C．Raphaelle Peale． | D．Sarah Miriam Peale． |
| A．puzzled | B．admiring |
| C．excited | D．disappointed |
CAREER OPPORTUNITES
（1）Full-time Secretary Position Available Applicants should have at least 2 year's experience and be able to type 60 words a minute．No computer skills required．Apply in person at United Business Ltd, 17 Browning Street, Leeds．
（2）Part-time Job We require three part-time shop assistants to work during the evening．No experience required, applicants should be between 18 and 26 years old．Call 0115665643 for more information．
（3）Computer Trained Secretaries Do you have experience working with computers? If you want to know more about us, call 0457996754．
（4）Teaching Assistants Needed Hania's Playshool needs 2 young teaching assistants to help with classes from 9 to 3 pm．Applicants should have references．For more information please visit www．Haniaplayschool．com．uk．
（5）Weekend Work Available We are looking for retired adults who would like to work part-time on weekends for Rubberlast Group Ltd．Duties include answering the telephone and giving customers' information．For more information call us at 0113—6741326．
（6）University Positions Open The University of Bristol is looking for 4 teaching assistants to help with homework correction．Applicants should have a degree in one of the following Political Science, English, Economics or History．Please call the University of Bristol for more information．
（7）Home Delivery Representative We are looking for someone who has excellent customer care, communication skills, a sales background with at least one year's experience and is a good team player with creative ideas．In return we offer a starting salary of $ 20,000 and 25 days paid holiday per year．For more information please call Direct Delivery Team of Yorkshire Post on 0113—2388318．
| A．Part-time Shop Assistant． |
| B．Teaching Assistant in Hania's Playschool． |
| C．Weekend Work in Rubberlast Group Ltd． |
| D．Teaching Assistant in the University of Bristol． |
| A．Job 1, 2 and 7 | B．Job 2, 3 and 5 |
| C．Job 4, 6 and 7 | D．Job 3, 4 and 6 |
| A．University Positions at the University of Bristol． |
| B．Home Delivery Representative for Yorkshire |
| C．Teaching Assistant at Hania's Playschool． |
| D．Full-time Secretary position at United Business Ltd． |