Most parents love the Internet and want their kids to use it. But a new survey in America finds almost as many also fear the online world—especially social networking sites such as My Space—and worry their kids will get in trouble with people they meet.
“The parents see the web’s incredible potential(可能性), and they know their kids have to be there.” says James Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, which released results from a survey that looked into parental attitudes toward the Internet. “It is also what they are scared of most.”
The study was conducted online May 5-10 by Insight Research Group. It says 80% of parents are concerned about kids meeting bad people online. That’s because young people who largely have grown up with the Net think of it as a social outlet(出口), say the researchers. To young people, the benefits of giving out some personal information to reach out to friends outweigh the risks. And the study shows they are so comfortable with the medium that 78% have a personal website or blog.
Parents also recognize the importance of the Internet. The survey shows 91% think the Net helps their children explore their passions, and 77% think the Internet is one of the most valuable education tools teens have. But 88% think it’s important to know what their kids are doing online.
Findings suggest both parents and teens need more education about using online media, Steyer says.
Internet safety has become an increasing concern for parents in America. Organizations like the Non-profit Common Sense have been trying to reach and help parents pay attention to the problem.In the second paragraph, the underlined word “It” refers to_____.
| A．Common Sense Media | B．the result of the survey |
| C．the web’s incredible potential | D．the website called My Space |
Why do young people give out their personal information?
| A．They think it has more advantages than disadvantages. |
| B．They want to make themselves famous by doing that. |
| C．They want to have a personal website each. |
| D．They want to get some information from others. |
Most parents think it is important to know_____.
| A．where their children give out the information | B．what kind of websites they have |
| C．how often they go online | D．what their children are doing online |
From the passage we can infer that_____.
| A．children are too young to know how to use the Internet |
| B．parents must teach their children how to use the Internet |
| C．parents also need to learn more about using the Internet |
| D．the Internet is the most valuable tool for children to learn |
The Netherlands on Monday introduced its first-ever intelligent bicycle, fitted with electronic devices to help bring down the high accident rate among elderly cyclists in the bicycle-mad country.
Developed for the government by the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), the intelligent bicycle, runs on electricity. A commercial-available bicycle is expected to be on the market in the next two years and should sell for between 1, 700 to 3, 200 euros per bicycle.
The devices on the bike are linked through an onboard computer with a vibrating (震动的) warning system fitted in the bicycle's saddle and handlebars to warn cyclists of the coming danger.
The saddle vibrates when other cyclists approach from behind, while, the handlebars do the same when barriers appear ahead.
"Accidents often happen when cyclists look behind them or get a fright when they are passed at high speed," said Maurice Kwakkernaat, one of TNO's research scientists involved in the project. "The onboard system technology has already been at work in the car industry," he said.
''More and more elderly people are using a bicycle, not only for short distances, but also for longer distances," Dutch Environment and Infrastructure Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen told AFP. "This type of bicycle is truly needed in the Netherlands because it will help us bring down the number of elderly people who are injured every year and allow them to continue to enjoy cycling," she said.
In the Netherlands, bicycles outnumber the population of 17 million by at least one million and there are some 25,000 km of bicycle path in the country. Those statistics are set to grow as more and more people take to two-wheeled transport, leading to an increased risk of injury.
Last year, 184 cyclists died in the country, of which 124, or 67%, were older than 65, according to the Central Statistics Office. The year before, 200 cyclists died, the majority of victims also being elderly.
The current model weighs 25 kilograms but researchers are working on making the onboard systems smaller.
The intelligent bicycle is aimed to ________.
| A．protect the environment |
| B．help reduce traffic pressure |
| C．popularize the use of bicycles |
| D．improve safety for elderly cyclists |
Which part of the intelligent bicycle will vibrate when another cyclist was suddendly
found ahead ?
| A．The handlebars. | B．The wheels. |
| C．The saddle. | D．The onboard computer. |
We can learn from the passage that ________.
| A．the elderly ride bicycles wherever they go |
| B．the accident rate among elderly cyclists is high |
| C．the number of elderly cyclists is decreasing |
| D．the elderly are planning to give up cycling |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．A Test Bicycle | B．Elderly Cyclists |
| C．A Smart Bicycle | D．A Bicycle-mad Country |
Sports are the base of my life, next to my mother who raised me when my dad left us. I have been into sports since I was six years old. I have known many coaches and heard hundreds of their tips, but they usually focused on drills to develop my skills and reach the next level of play.
When I was in Senior Two, I met the new school basketball coach, Brian Pawloski. I thought I was certain to be selected for the school team since I had been in it the year before. I showed up to the tryouts and put out about 90% effort since I thought I’d make it with no problem. That was a big mistake.
Brian Pawloski is the hardest-working coach I have ever met. He didn’t expect 100% effort, he expected 200% effort. One example: he once made us do 40 suicide drills for the 40 lay-ups (投篮) we missed in a game. Some think this is crazy, but it isn’t. After this conditioning practice, as we were getting a cup of cold water to drink, I said, “coach, that was the best practice I ever had.” I was completely sincere. This man was and is the person who influenced me most at my high school. He expects us to be excellent not just on the court but in the classroom. If I am not working on basketball, I am reading a book that he thinks will help us better understand life’s challenges, including Wooden, Coach, and The Screwtape Letters.
In the first two years I slacked off, not putting forth my full potential. Now, unlike the coaches of my youth, this man was interested in how he did off the court. He always made sure I kept up with my studies and was able to be trusted. I can honestly say that no other coach has given me so much advice on how to succeed in basketball, but more importantly, in life. My school is lucky to have such a great person to teach, coach and influence their students. I will always remember my high-school basketball days as one of the hardest times I have ever worked in my life not only in basketball but in my growth as an individual.Different from other coaches, Coach Brian ________.
| A．concentrated on skill training |
| B．expected the team to do well in their studies |
| C．trained the team to the edge of death |
| D．asked the team to do more reading than training |
The underlined phrase “slacked off” in the last paragraph probably means ________.
| A．paid no attention | B．showed no interest |
| C．made less effort | D．had less passion |
In the author’s eye, Coach Brian is ________.
| A．professional and serious |
| B．hardworking and honest |
| C．skilled and cruel |
| D．strict and helpful |
Dear Dr.Servaas,
I was diagnosed with histoplasrnosis（组织胞浆菌病）30 years ago ．At that time， my doctor told me that it was lung fungus（真菌）that could affect my eyesight.This has happened·Can it affect other organs of the body？
F．Buongiorne
Delta Junction，Arkansas，
Most people have no symptoms resulting from the lung infection，explains histo expert Dr.L.Joseph Wheat，when symptoms do develop，they are usually mild and will disappear without treatment
In some cases，however，histo can spread from the lungs and cause more serious problems．
“Histo is more severe in persons with diseases that reduce thcir immunity or who are receiving immunosuppressive（免疫抑制）medications,”says Dr.Wheat，"In such cases，histo can spread from lungs to other parts of the body．Patients with this type of histoplasmosis usually have constant fever，sweats，and weight loss·Excellent tests are available to diagnose this type of histo，and the treatment is highly effective·”
As mentioned by our Arkansas reader，eye problems accompanied by vision loss have been reported long after the first infection．
"Histo is thought by some to be a cause of spots on the back of the eye，called ‘histo spots’，”notes Dr·Wheat．“These injuries cause no problems in some patients， while in others they cause visual loss．There is no proof that histo causes these spots， however，as the organism is not found in the injured parts，and treatment for histo is not effective for the eye spots．”
People catch histoplasmosis by breathing extremely small spores（孢子）of the histoplasma fungus into their lungs·This fungus is commonly found in areas polluted by bird or bat droppings such as caves，chicken cages，barns（谷仓），and under bridges．It will spread through the air during construction or whenever plowing，sweeping，or digging disturbs the soil．What’s the problem with F．Buongiorne？
| A．He has recently been diagnosed with his to． |
| B．He is having difficulty in breathing． |
| C．He is worried about his health． |
| D．He has become totally blind． |
Which of the following is Dr．Wheat’s opinion about“histo"？
| A．The disease is equally harmful to all people． |
| B．The disease will make people put on weight． |
| C．The disease won’t cause serious problems and no medicine is effective for it· |
| D．The disease doesn’t，t necessarily have a serious effect on every patient with it· |
How is“histo" related to“histo spots"？
| A．"Histo spots" may not be caused by“histo"． |
| B．Patients with“histo" will have“histo spots"． |
| C．"Histo spots" will cause visual loss to all patients． |
| D．“Histo spots" can be cured by the same medicine as cures“histd |
We can infer from the passage that＿ ．
| A．“histo" spreads through water |
| B．"histo" originates from animals |
| C．you may have the disease by eating affected chicken |
| D．workers in a close office are most likely to have“histo" |
It has happened to all of us．You want to talk about an object，but you forgot the name of it．Or you never knew the name at all．Maybe you are not even sure there is a word for it．
For example，that thing, that you need to fix your bicycle．Or perhaps it is something you need for your computer·Or that part on your motorcycle that never，ever seems to work．
What are these things?
They are called“doohickies"·A doohickey is a word you use when you do not know，or you have forgotten，the real name of an object·
The MacMillan Dictionary defines doohickey as“something such as a small object or tool that you cannot remember the name of"·The American Heritage Dictionary says it is“something，especially a small device or part，whose name is unknown or forgotten"．
Language experts say the word first started being used in the United States in the early 1900s· But other experts say they have seen examples of words like that in writings from the middle 1800s．
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary for Learners of American English gives this example of how native speakers might use doohickey：“I need one of those doohickeys，you know，with the long handle．”
Merriam-Webster adds that doohickey may be a combination of two other words：“doodad" and“hickey" ．Strange as it may be，both of these words mean the same as doohickey．The dictionary lists a lot of strange words as.synonyms for doohickey．The most common are whatchamacallit，whatnot and whatsit．
You will probably never see these words in official documents or newspaper reports·But you might hear them in informal American English，when people are talking to each other·
“Hey，what does this doohickey do，anyway?”
"Dude，bring me that thingamajig，willya·”
"Janine，can you get me one of those whatchamacallits?”
Most Americans will know what you are talking about if you use one of those words.Just point at the object，use one of these words，and they will bring it to you·When people need a doohickey it means they need something＿＿·
| A．which can be used to repair a bicycle |
| B．which can be used to fix a computer |
| C．whose name is forgotten |
| D．whose handle is very long |
The words similar to doohickey were most likely to be seen in＿＿for the first time．
| A．1800 | B．1850 | C．1900 | D．1950 |
You are sure to find the word whatchamacallit in＿＿
| A．the Macmillan Dictionary |
| B．the American Heritage Dictionary |
| C．an Official document or a newspaper report |
| D．the Merriam-Webster Dictionary for Learners of American English |
The above，passage is mainly about＿＿·
| A．a special word |
| B．American English dictionaries’ |
| C．the development of American English |
| D．the way to learn and use American English |
Are you ready to take off? Launch into the adventure of a lifetime when you join the ranks of Space Camp where explorers train to live and work in space．This is your opportunity to command，navigate（航行）and contribute to an advanced space mission simulation（模拟）．
Space Camp is located at the U.S.Space＆Rocket Center，the Official Visitor Center for NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center．The program encourages trainees to pursue science，technology，engineering and math disciplines through, exciting，hands-on educational activities．
During the five-night program，trainees participate in two，one-hour simulated missions．Our trainers guide participants through the past，·present and future of space exploration with the help of high-fidelity（高保证的）test articles or actual rockets and shuttles．visitors explore the first rocket that put an American in space-the real National Historic Landmark Saturn V moon rocket-and actual capsules earlv
astronauts used during their missions·Trainees experience walking on the moon in the 1/6th gravity chair to feel what it's like to work in a frictionless environment．
Space Camp trainees also climb the tallest mountain on the red planet with the Mars Climbing Wall and experience four times the gravity of Earth with the takeoff force of the Space Shot simulator．They get an astronaut's view of Earth while watching amazing films in the IMAX Spacedome Theater and Digital Theater．
Space Camp begins on Sunday afternoon and graduation is on Friday morning.Parents and family members are encouraged to attend the graduation ceremony。
There is no other camp like it！
Whom is the Space Camp intended for?
| A．Tourists. | B．Students. |
| C．Astronauts | D．Scientists. |
How long will the Space Camp last?
| A．About a day | B．About three days． |
| C．About six days | D．About twelve days. |
Space Shot simulator will let the trainees know＿·
| A．the takeoff force of a rocket |
| B．the highest mountain on mars |
| C．the history of space exploration |
| D．the feeling of being in the 1/6th gravity environment |