When Gretchen Baxter gets home from work as a New York City book editor, she checks her Blackberry (黑莓手机) at the door. ‘I think we are attached to these devices in a way that is not always positive,’ says Baxter，who’d rather focus at home on her husband and 12-year-old daughter. ‘It’s there and it beckons (召唤). That’s human nature (but)…we kind of get crazy sometimes and we don’t know where it should stop.’
Americans are connected at unprecedented (前所未有的) levels一93% now use cell phones or wireless devices；one third of those are ‘smart phones’ that allow users to browse the Web and check e-mail，among other things. The benefits are obvious: checking messages on the road，staying in touch with friends and family，efficiently using time once spent waiting around. The downside：often，we’re effectively disconnecting from those in the same room.
That's why，despite all the technology that makes communicating easier than ever，2010 was the Year We Stopped Talking to One Another. From texting at dinner to posting on Facebook from work or checking e-mail while on a date，the connectivity revolution is creating a lot of divided attention，not to mention social anxiety. Many analysts say it's time to step back and reassess.
‘What we’re going to see in the future is new opportunities for people to be plugged in and connected like never before,’ says Scott Campbell. ‘It can be a good thing，but I also see new ways the traditional social fabric (社会结构) is getting somewhat torn apart.’
Our days are filled with beeps and pings·----many of which pull us away from tasks at hand or face-to-face conversations. We may feel that the distractions are too much，but we can’t seem to stop posting，texting or surfing.
‘We're going through a period of adjustment and rebalancing,’ says Sherry Turkle and she wants to remind people that technology can be turned off.
‘Our human purposes are to really have connections with people,’ she says. ‘We have to reclaim it. It’s not going to take place by itself.’What can be the best title for the passage?
| A．2010: The year technology developed quickly. |
| B．2010: The year technology sped up our life pace. |
| C．2010: The year technology replaced talking. |
| D．2010: The year technology made communicating easier. |
According to Paragraph l，Gretchen Baxter thinks_________.
| A．the new technology always influences people’s life in a positive way |
| B．the new technology is so tempting that she could even put her daughter and husband behind |
| C．it is encouraging to see progress on the new technology every year |
| D．people are too dependent on the new technology to let go |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The wide use of mobile devices has nothing to do with the ‘traditional social fabric’. |
| B．Mobile devices play a less important part in American life. |
| C．Mobile devices create a lot of divided attention and social anxiety. |
| D．Many analysts speak highly of the wide popularity of mobile devices. |
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
| A．Something must be done to get connection with people in reality again· |
| B．Using mobile services can help people get connection with each other. |
| C．Mobile services have a strong impact on people’s life. |
| D．The connection with people can happen naturally. |
Soaring divorce rates around the globe are affecting the environment, American researchers suggested in a study released Monday.
Michigan State University researcher Jianguo “Jack” Liu and his assistant Eunice Yu said the increasing number of divorces leads to more households with fewer people and greater consumption of water and energy. They said housing units require space, construction materials and fuel to heat and cool, regardless of the number of inhabitants.
For example, in the United States in 2005, divorced households consumed an extra 73 billion kilowatt hours of electricity and 627 billion gallons of water. An additional 38 million extra rooms required heating and lighting that same year due to divorced households.
“A married household actually uses resources more efficiently than a divorced household”, Liu said. He said that in cohabitating households, people will watch the same television, share the air conditioning and heat and use the same refrigerator, all things that use energy at a regularly stable rate regardless of the number of users.
Liu said he was not condemning divorce, “Some people really need to get divorces.” He said that cohabitation was simply a more environmentally friendly option. Additionally, the researchers noted that trends other than divorce are also changing family living structures, such as the end of multiple generations of a family sharing a home and people remaining single longer.
“People’s first reaction to this research is surprise, and then it seems simple.” Liu said in a release, “But a lot of things become simple after research is done. Our challenges were to connect the dots and quantify their relationships. People have been talking about how to protect the environment and refuse climate change, but divorce is an overlooked factor that needs to be considered.”
He said the increasing energy demands caused by divorce should be considered by governments when they are creating environmental policies.
This passage is mainly meant to ____.
A. inform the reader of the increasing divorce in America
B. emphasize the importance of protecting the environment
C. tell people the effect divorce has on the environment
D. appeal to married people to keep their households
According to the passage, what’s the attitude of Mr. Liu towards divorce?
A. Supportive B. Objective. C. Indifferent. D. Unclear.
It can be inferred from the passage that ____.
A. divorced households will promote the sales of products
B. married households are more willing to protect the environment
C. divorced households contribute more to the society’s development
D. divorce is not taken into account when people are protecting the environment
From this passage we can find that ____.
A. divorce rates are quickly rising globally these years
B. cohabiting households will increase consumption of water and energy
C. to divorce is a wise option according to the passage
D. the end of multi-generations of a family will save energy
Are you a problem shopper? The answer is “Yes”, if you or someone else thinks that you sometimes get carried away with shopping. In other words, do you or does someone else think you are occupied in extreme shopping? If people have regrets later about their shopping, or have an “out-of-control” feeling about the quantities of what they buy or the amount of credit they use, they may be considered to be problem shoppers.
Extreme shopping can lead to a more serious problem –addictive shopping. Addictive shoppers feel driven by the desire to shop and spend money. They experience great tension which drives them to shop and spend money and they feel a “rush” during the time they are occupied with the shopping activity.
Extreme or addictive shopping may result from long-time unpleasant feelings, of which anxiety, pain and shame are common ones. When we feel bad inside, we often do something to make ourselves feel better. In this case, we often go shopping.
A few people shop to relieve their boredom or emptiness. For some people, the motivation is a desire for status, power, beauty or success. Some love to shop as it makes them feel valued in the eyes of the shop assistants. Others shop simply because it makes them forget, at least temporarily, tension, fear or unhappiness in their life.
Besides, shopping malls are designed to encourage continual shopping. For instance, there are some malls where you can’t see clocks displaying the time because they don’t want you to become too aware of the time you spend there. What’s more, food courts, coffee shops and restrooms are provided, so you don’t have to leave the mall because of your physical needs.
Therefore, once you become aware of how market forces work, you will certainly come to control your shopping behavior. For example, how much time you will spend and what areas you will visit can be decided before you enter the mall. Keep a written account of what items you will buy and how much money you will spend. Make a plan for what you are going to buy before you feel the urge to shop and then stick to it. That is vital for gaining self-control.
55．Which of the following people may not be problem shoppers?
A．Those who cannot control the amount of credit they use.
B．Those who just walk around the shopping malls.
C．Those who are occupied in too much shopping.
D．Those who feel sorry for their shopping.
56．According to the passage, what may not result in addictive shopping?
A．The awareness of how market forces work.
B．The desire for status, power, beauty or success.
C．Boredom, emptiness, tension, fear or unhappiness in people’s life.
D．Long-time bad feelings of anxiety, pain and shame.
57．How can we control our shopping behavior according to the passage?
A．Never going to the shopping malls because there are many tricks.
B．Applying for a credit card before we go shopping.
C．Making the shopping time as short as possible.
D．Making a shopping list before we go shopping.
58．The author writes this passage to_______________. .
A．inform the shopping malls how to attract more shoppers
B．scold the problem shoppers
C．provide solutions for the problem shoppers.
D．tell a shopping story
第三部分:阅读理解（共20小题;每小题2分, 满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每篇短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A lot of us lose life's tough battles by starting a frontal attack--when a touch of humor might well enable us to win. Consider the case of a young friend of mine, who was on his trapped way to work shortly after receiving an ultimatum(最后通牒) about the job. Although there was a good reason for Sam's being late--serious illness at home--he decided that this by-now-familiar excuse wouldn't work any longer. His supervisor was probably already pacing up and down preparing a dismissal speech.
Yes, the boss was, Sam entered the office at 9:35. The place was as quiet as a locker room; everyone was hard at work. Sam's supervisor came up to him. Suddenly, Sam forced a grin and stretched out his hand. "How do you do!" he said. "I'm Sam Maynard. I'm applying for a job, which, I understand, became available just 35 minutes ago. Does the early bird get the worm?"
The room exploded in laughter, except that the supervisor had to clamp off a smile and walked back to his office. Sam Maynard had saved his job--with the only tool that could win, a laugh.
Humor is a most effective, yet frequently neglected, means of handling the difficult situations in our lives. It can be used for patching up differences, apologizing, saying "no", criticizing, getting the other fellow to do what you want without his losing face. For some jobs, it's the only tool that can succeed. It is a way to discuss subjects so sensitive that serious dialog may start a quarrel. For example, many believe that comedians on television are doing more today for racial and religious tolerance than people in any other forum.
51. Why was Sam late for his job?
A. Because he was seriously ill at home. B. Because he received an ultimatum.
C. Because he was busy applying for a new job. D. Because he was caught in a traffic jam.
52. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Sam Maynard saved his job with humor B. Humor is important in our lives
C. Early bird can get the worm D. Humor can solve racial discriminations
53. The phrase "clamp off" in Paragraph 3 means .
A. try to hold back B. pretend to set C. send off D. give out
54. Which of the following statements can we infer from the passage?
A. Many lose life's battles for they are always late.
B. Sam was supposed to come to his office at 8:30.
C. It wasn't the first time that Sam came late for his work.
D. Humor is the most effective way of solving problems.
In today’s world, we rely on computers as never before. They are used for everything from ordering a pizza to running hospitals and military defense systems. Banking and credit card information is stored and accessed by computers. So what happens when a computer gets infected with a virus? One effect is that people’s access to their e-mail accounts is cut off. A more serious possible consequence is that billions of dollars could be lost.
A virus is a computer program that copies itself onto other programs and infects them. Similar to an easily spread disease, a computer virus goes from computer to computer, either adding to or changing the tasks a program is designed to do.
The first computer viruses were created in the mid’80s and had varying effects. Some caused files to be deleted, or made the letters on the screen appear to fall off. Others displayed a specific message once the computer was turned on.
Viruses today are much more widespread and dangerous than ever before. Perhaps the most damaging has been the “I Love You” virus. “I Love You” appeared in May 2000 and has possibly been the most destructive virus in terms of monetary loss.
The virus is released（释放） when an attachment（附件） to a fake e-mail message is opened. By changing the names of files on computers, “I Love You” makes them difficult to access. It also searches for important personal information, including passwords, which it sends to a Web site for others to see.
It is estimated that more than 45 million people in 20 countries have had their computers infected by the “I Love You” virus. Some say the cost of repair and lost business has been more than US$10 billion.
If you own a computer, it is important to keep it in good health by installing（安装） an anti-virus program. If updated frequently, it will protect your e-mail access-----not to mention y
our wallet.
51. What does “virus” mean in the article?
A. An easily spread disease.
B. A contagious (传染的) computer program.
C. An extremely small organism（微生物）which causes disease.
D. A parasite（寄生虫）in computer.
52. How dose “I Love You” virus spread?
A. It is spread when an e-mail account is opened.
B. It is spread through on-line chatting.
C. It is spread through e-mail.
D. It spread from web site to web site.
53. Which of the following is one of the damages brought by “I Love You” virus?
A. It deletes files.
B. It automatically turns on computers.
C. It automatically turns off computers.
D. It makes it difficult to access files.
54. Which of the following is the best way to guard against virus?
A. To load an up-to-date anti-virus program into our computer.
B. Not to use an e-mail account.
C. To upgrade our computer.
D. Not to use the Internet.
55. What is the purpose of the article?
A. To warn us against virus.
B. To remind us the imp
ortance of being healthy.
C. To stress the importance of computer.
D. To alert us to economic loss.
Zhoukoudian is a small village situated about 50 kilometers to the southwest of Beijing. In the 1920s, archaeologists discovered some prehistoric human bones there which changed people’s view of China’s history. They came from an unknown species of man and were the first evidence of human life in China thousands of years ago. The remains were three teeth!
In 1929, a complete skull was also discovered. Eventually, archaeologist found almost 200 items, including six skulls and more than 150 teeth. These discoveries proved the existence of a human species who lived in the area between 700,000 and 200,000 years ago. Four sites where Beijing Man and his relatives lived were discovered on the northern face of Longgushan. They lived in the caves in the area.
However, the life span of Beijing Man was short. About 70% of the peole probably died before the age of 14. Fewer than 5% lived to the age of 50. Ashes were found alongside the fossils which showed they had used fire for cooking food and also for light, warmth, and protection against wild animals. This is the earliest evidence of the use of fire anywhere in the world. They also made tools of bones and stones. Unfortunately, when Japan invaded（侵略） China in 1937, excavations（挖掘） at the Beijing Man Site stopped and most of the fossils disappeared, including a Beijing Man skull. After the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949, the work started again.
Zhoukoudian was listed as a World Heritage Site in December 1987. It has not only given us important information about prehistoric Asian societies, but also provided amazing evidence about the process of evolution. Today, parts of the caves have been badly affected by rain. Some areas are almost completely covered in weeds, causing serious damage. Pollution from the nearby factories has also contributed to the problem. This is a very serious matter and the Chinese Academy of Sciences is trying to raise public awareness of it.
46. Archaeologists _________________.
A. thought that Zhoukoudian was a beartiful village
B. thought that the findings in Zhoukoudian wouldn’t change the history of China
C. discovered some prehistoric human bounes in Zhoukoudian
D. thought that the findings in Zhoukoudian are the first evidence of human life in Asia
47. Beijing Man used fire to do all of the following things EXCEPT _______________.
A. light in the dark B. keep warm
C. make tools D. scare wild animals away
48. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. The digging was delayed by the Japanese invasion in the 1930s.
B. These ancient Chinese were the first people to use fire in daily life.
C. Some valuable things excavated from the site are still missing.
D. The digging of Zhoukoudian is famous and is well-funded（得到很好的资助）.
49. What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?
A. The digging of Zhoukoudian is still under way.
B. Zhoukoudian plays an important part in the study of prehistoric societies.
C. Zhoukoudian is a World Heritage Site.
D. Zhoukoudian is in great need of protection.
50. From the passage, we can infer that ______________.
A,. the work of excavating the Beijing Man Site has not proceeded（进行） smoothly
B. Beijing Man had a short life
C. Beijing Man lived in the caves of Longgushan
D. arvhaeologists found six complete skulls and more than 150 teeth in 1929.