OK, I admit it: emoticons (表情符号) are popular. Some people even think they are fun. Many seem unable to get through an e-mail or Instant Message chat sentence without using one. Some feel that they add feeling and character to otherwise cold digital communications.
Some, however, such as editor and Hollywood scriptwriter John Blumenthal, blast (抨击) the use of emoticons as “infantile (幼稚的) just like the people who use them” He believes that words themselves should be enough. “If you’re being funny, happy or sad, that should be apparent (明显的) from the comment that goes before the emoticon,” he argues.
In the eyes of Blumenthal, the use of emoticons is a gender issue. “Men don’t use emoticons very much. Maybe not at all,” he said. “Teenage girls and women seem to use them a lot. Maybe there’ s an emoticon gene.”
It’s an interesting opinion, but it is not shared by all.
In an interview with The New York Times, Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at the University of California, said that emoticons are popular because our brains are programmed “to seek out representations of humanity”. He believes that they appeal not because they are shortcuts for the lazy, but because they tap into (融入) something beyond language. They reach to our need to be with and communicate with people.
All of these arguments may be somehow valid (正确的). Each one of us will choose to communicate in our own way. I do not have much time for emoticons. I tried to use one once and felt like I was stealing into a primary school class that I had no place being in. I’d rather let my words do the talking.
Friends, however, send me messages and e-mails full of emoticons. I have no problem with this. I don’t regard any of my friends as lazy or immature (不成熟的). It’s just a question of individuality. :)According to the article, emoticons are popular because ______.
| A．most of them look funny |
| B．they are easy for lazy people to use |
| C．they add feeling and character to a communication |
| D．a reader cannot understand a message without them |
Which of the following views would John Blumenthal agree with?
| A．Instant Message chatters are childish. |
| B．It’s enough to use language in digital communication. |
| C．Men never use emoticons. |
| D．There is an emoticon gene in everybody. |
From the text, we can conclude that the author ______.
| A．feels he has no difficulty using emoticons |
| B．thinks emoticons don’t suit him |
| C．encourage his friends to use emoticons |
| D．believes that emoticons are suitable for everyone |
What is the main point of the article?
| A．Advice on language used over the Internet. |
| B．The history of emoticons. |
| C．Arguments over the use of emoticons. |
| D．Reasons for the popularity of emoticons. |
The 1900 house
The bowler family was one of more than 400 families who applied to 1900 house, a reality TV shout which took a typical family back a hundred years to se how people lived in the days before the internet, computer games and even electricity.
The bowler family spent three months in a London home without a telephone, computers, TV, or fast food. The bowlers wore clothes from 1900, are only food available in English at that time, and cooked their meals on a single stove. Paul bowler still went to work every day in a then uniform. The children changed their clothes on the way to and from school and their classmates didn’t know about then unusural home life. Joyce stayed at home, cooking and cleaning like a typical housewife of the time, though everything took three times as long.
So does Joyce think that people’s lives were better in the old days?
“I think people in the old days had just ad many troubles and worries,” Joyce said.
And I don’t think their life was better or worse, there were lots of things back then that
I’m happy I don’t have to deal with nowadays, but on the other hand life was simpler.” “We had a lot more time with our family, and it was hard being nice to each other all the time,” eleven-year-old Hilary said.
So what did the Bowler family miss most about modern life while living in the 1900 house?
Paul,39:” telephone and a hot shower”
Joyce,44:” a quick cup of tea from a kettle you could just turn on”
Hilary,11:” rock CD”
Joseph,9:” hamburger and computer games”
1.While the Bowler family was living in 1900 house,_____.
A the mother spent more time on housework
B the two children wore the then clothes for school
C they prepared their meals together on a stove
D they ate simple foods they had never seen
2. According to Paragraph 4, what’s Jovce’s opinion about life in 1900?
A There were fewer problems for the family
B Life was simpler but worse than it is now
C There were things she liked and disliked
D The family had more time to stay together
3.What would Hilary expect most from modern life in the three months?
A To play computer games B To make phone calls
C To listen to music D To chat on the Internet
Brave Frenchman Found Half-way Around the World
(NEW YORK) A French tourist highly praised for rescuing a two-year-old girl in Manhattan said he didn't think twice before diving into the freezing East River.
Tuesday's Daily News said 29-year who left the spot quickly after the rescue last Saturday.
He lifted the little girl out of the water after she fell off the bank at the South Street Scaport museum. He handed the girl to her father ,David Anderson, who had dive in after him.
"I didn't think at all," Duret told the Daily News. " It happened very fast. I reacted very fast."
Duret, an engineer on vacation ,was walking with his girlfriend along the pier(码头)when he saw something falling into the water .He thought it was a doll, but realized it was a child when he approached the river. In an instant ,he took off his coat and jumped into the water.
When he reached the girl, she appeared lifeless, he said . Fortunately, when she was out of the water, she opened her eyes.
Anderson said his daughter slipped off the bank when he was adjusting his camera. An ambulance came later for her, said Duret, who was handed dry clothes from cookers. Duret caught a train with his girlfriend shortly after.
The rescue happened on the day before he left for France. Duret said he didn't realize his tale of heroism he was leaving the next morning .
"I don't really think I'm a hero," said Duret. "Anyone would do the same ting."
| 1． |
why was Duret in NewYork?（） |
| 2． |
What did duret do shortly after the ambulance came?（） |
| 3． |
Who divide after duret into the river to save the little girl?（） |
| 4． |
When was duet most probably found to be the very hero?（） |
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
| Ask Dr ? Jeffers |
This month Dr. Jeffers is answering questions about the human brain and how it works. |
| Dear Dr. Jeffers, One of my colleagues, Felix Moeller, told me that scientists are learning to use computer to 'read minds'. Is there any truth to this story/ -Jane Leon, New York, USA Dear Ms. Leon, Well, a lot of research is being conducted in this area, but so far, the brain scanning equipment and corresponding computer programs haven't been able to actually read thoughts. In one experiment, test subjects（受试者）were connected to scanning equipment and shown two numbers on a screen. They were then asked to choose between adding or subtracting（减）the two numbers. Using this method, researchers were able to follow brain processes and make the correct assumptions（假设）70 percent of the time. It's not quite mind reading, but it's certainly a first step. -Dr. J. |
|
| Dear Dr. Jeffers, My three-year-old son loves it when I dig my fingers into his sides and tickle （胳肢）him until he laughs uncontrollably. The other day I noticed him trying to tickle himself but he couldn't do it. Why not? -Glenn Lewis, Vancouver, Canada Dear Mr. Lewis, It's because of how the brain works. The brain is trained to know what to pay attention to and what to ignore. It causes us to ignore physical feelings we expect to happen, but it causes a mild panic reaction when there is an unexpected feeling. For example, you don't notice how your shoulder feels while you're walking down the street. But if someone comes up behind you and touches you lightly on the shoulder, you may jump in fear. It's that unexpected part that causes the tickle reaction. -Dr. J. |
| 1． |
What can we learn from the answer to the first question?（）
|
| 2． |
People laugh when tickled by others bedause the feeling is（）.
|
| 3． |
Who has got a little child according to the text?（）
|
| 4． |
According to the text, Jeffers is probably（）.
|
Batteries can power anything from small sensors to large systems. While scientists are finding ways to make them smaller but even more powerful, problems can arise when these batteries are much larger and heavier than the devices themselves. University of Missouri(MU) researchers are developing a nuclear energy source that is smaller, lighter and more efficient.
“To provide enough power, we need certain methods with high energy density(密度)”，said Jae Kwon, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at MU. “The radioisotope(放射性同位素) battery can provide power density that is much higher than chemical batteries.”
Kwon and his research team have been working on building a small nuclear battery, presently the size and thickness of a penny, intended to power various micro / nanoelectromechanical systems (M/NEMS). Although nuclear batteries can cause concerns, Kwon said they are safe.
“People hear the word ‘nuclear’ and think of something very dangerous,” he said, “However, nuclear power sources have already been safely powering a variety of devices, such as pace-makers, space satellites and underwater systems.”
His new idea is not only in the battery’s size, but also in its semiconductor(半导体). Kwon’s battery uses a liquid semiconductor rather than a solid semiconductor.
“The key part of using a radioactive battery is that when you harvest the energy, part of the radiation energy can damage the lattice structure(晶体结构) of the solid semiconductor,” Kwon said, “By using a liquid semiconductor, we believe we can minimize that problem.”
Together with J. David Robertson, chemistry professor and associate director of the MU Research Reactor, Kwon is working to build and test the bat
tery. In the future, they hope to increase the battery’s power, shrink its size and try with various other materials. Kwon said that battery could be thinner than the thic
kness of human hair.
1. Which of the following is true of Jae Kwon?
A. He teaches chemistry at MU.
B. He developed a chemical battery.
C. He is working on a nuclear energy source.
D. He made a breakthrough in computer engineering.
2. Jae Kwon gave examples in Paragraph 4_________.
A. to show chemical batteries are widely applied.
B. to introduce nuclear batteries can be safely used.
C. to describe a nuclear-powered system.
D. to introduce various energy sources.
3. Liquid semiconductor is used to _________.
A. get rid of the radioactive waste
B. test the power of nuclear batteries.
C. decrease the size of nuclear batteries
D. reduce the damage to lattice structure.
4. According to Jae Kwon, his nuclear battery _______.
A. uses a solid semiconductor
B. will soon replace the present ones.
C. cou
ld be extremely thin
D. has passed the final test.
5. The text is most probably a ________.
A. science news report B. book review
C. newspaper adD. science fiction story
Rae Armantrout, who has been a poetry professor at the University of California San Diego(UCSD) for two decades, has won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in the poetry category for her most recent book, “Versed”.
“I’m delighted and amazed at how much media recognition that the Pulitzer brings, as compared to even the National Book Critics Award, which I was also surprised and delighted to win,” said Armantrout.
“For a long time, my writing has been just below the media radar, and to have this kind of attention, suddenly, with my 10th book, is really surprising.”
Armantrout, a native Californian, received her bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley, where she studied with noted poet Denise Levertov, and her master’s in creative writing from San Francisco State University. She is a founding member of Language Poets, a group in American poetry that analyzes the way language is used and raises questions to make the reader think.
In March, she won the National Book Critics Circle Award for “Versed.”
“This book has gotten more attention,” Armantrout said, “but I don’t feel as if it’s better.”
The first half of “Versed” focuses on the dark forces taking hold of the United States as it fought the war against Iraq. The second half looks at the dark forces casting a shadow over her own life after Armantrout was diagnosed with cancer in 2006.
Armantrout was shocked to learn she had won the Pulitzer but many of her colleagues were not. “Rae Armantrout is a unique voice in American poetry,” said Seth Lerer, head of Arts and Humanities at UCSD.
“Versed”, published by the Wesleyan University Press, did appear in a larger printing than her earlier works, which is about 2,700 copies. The new edition is scheduled to appear in May.
1. According to Rae Armantrout, ____________.
A. her 10th book is much better
B. her winning the Pulitz
er is unexpected
C. the media is surprised at her works
D. she likes being recognized by her readers
2. Which of the following is true of Rae Armantrout?
A. She published a poetry textbook.
B. She used to teach Denise Levertov.
C. She started a poets’ group with others.
D. She taught creative writing at UC Berkeley.
3. What can we learn about “Versed”?
A. It consists of three parts.
B. It is mainly about the American army.
C. It is a book published two decades ago.
D. It partly concerns the poet’s own life.
4. Rae Armantrout’s colleagues think that she ____________.
A. should write more B. has a sweet voice
C. deserves the prize D. is a strange professor
5. What can we learn from the text?
A. About 2,700 copies of “Versed” will be printed.
B. Cancer made Armantrout stop writing.
C. Armantrout got her degrees at UCSD.
D. “Versed” has been awarded twice.