People who put a smiley face at the end of a message, in an attempt to show feeling, show no feeling. I wish there was a symbol for two fingers in the air.
I had some bad news this week. My manager informed me of this news via email. It was like hearing about the death of a loved one via pigeon. Bad news should only ever be delivered face to face or voice to voice.
We seem to celebrate our numerous methods of communication, but really there is no communication at all. I talk to my plants more than I talk to my neighbors, I get text messages that take me three hours to read because they’re written like this: “Hi, I ope you av a gr8 day. Call me La8tr.” I had an email from someone this week that read, “Da ut ov 2day are really annoying me!” Ut? I had to say this 20 times before I understood it. Youth has now become ut. Haven’t we taken enough from them—now we have to take their letters?
I had an email recently from a girl who used to live over the road from me as a child. She wrote, “Hi Shazia, howz u? Im sure u used 2 live across the road from me. We sumtimes played tennis 2 gever at the park and you was in your eliment. I am married now wif 3 daughters.” Then, to my horror, she ended the email with: “Im now teachin in Leeds. Luv Clare.”
Teaching? With English like this. It’s like saying you’re a train driver when you’ve never seen a train. It was like reading modern Morse code.
Getting bad news via email makes it seem so much worse than it actually is. Just a few lines, no emotion, no comfort, not really an explanation. Just a few cold hard words. It’s an excuse. Just write a few words and the problem of delivering it is no longer yours. A close friend recently told me she was very happy to announce she was getting married—and made the announcement by email. I don’t know how she didn’t fall off her chair with excitement while writing it. If you are really happy or really sad to announce something important, wouldn’t you like a human reaction? Some euphoria, elation, tears, a punch in the face?
I receive long text messages every day with information and explanations that I don’t bother reading. They’re boring, and annoy me. In the time it took someone to write me three laborious texts, they could have called, spoken to me, made some tea. People who put a smiley face at the end of a sentence, in an attempt to show feeling, show no feeling. I wish there was a symbol for two fingers in the air, because that’s the one I’d send back.
The telegram has been responsible for reporting world-shattering events when there were very few other options(选择权). Now we have options, and people opt for the least humane one. My mum, in an attempt to get down with the ut of today, asked me to teach her to text. Now she constantly texts me in block capitals, so it looks as if she is still angry and annoyed with me after all these years.
People don’t even write by hand any more. My doctor prints out prescriptions from his computer; even my mechanic prints out a receipt. I get typed Christmas cards and my friends send me emails. I get very excited when hand-written letters come through my door, only because they rarely do.
When I was at school, the girls used to write letters to each other, even though we sat side by side and spoke to one another all day. I think it was a way of expressing private things we were afraid to say when we were 14 and too shy. We used to write things like, “You are my best friend, can’t wait to sit next to you in math.”
I miss the personal method of communication. Once the pen was mightier than the sword, now it seems the keyboard is mightier than the pen.We can learn from paragraph 3 and paragraph 4 that the writer wants to say ________.
| A．the spelling mistakes in the messages make her very annoyed |
| B．only writing letters will bring friends and neighbors much closer |
| C．she talks to plants more because no one shares her joys and sorrows |
| D．gestures and the pen can express a lot more than the cold keyboard |
According to the writer, which of the following can support her opinion?
| A．She has been separated from all his classmates many years. |
| B．No doctors write prescriptions by hand because of computers. |
| C．In communication, we should write more letters than send messages. |
| D．Less shy than school girls, boys rarely write letters to their friends. |
According to the passage, we can conclude that ________.
| A．the writer is a person full of emotions and treasures friendship and affections |
| B．the writer becomes excited when she gets priceless gifts from other people |
| C．her classmates would write to each other because they couldn’t send messages |
| D．people put a smiley face at the end of a message just to show they are happy |
What message is conveyed in the passage?
| A．The writer wastes much time in reading many rubbish text messages every day. |
| B．Few people can write letters well in modern society owing to texting messages. |
| C．Now people are too busy to communicate with each other face to face often. |
| D．The writer prefers personal communication rather than electronic equipment. |
Why does the writer mention the telegram?
| A．Because she thinks the annoyance of reading text messages is originated from it. |
| B．Because we have more options to keep in touch with each other than ever before. |
| C．Because advanced technology partly takes the blame for lacking the human touch. |
| D．Because she thinks humans today become colder with the development of society. |
Which of the following best describe the tone of this passage?
| A．Optimistic. | B．Critic. | C．Sympathetic. | D．Pessimistic. |
B
Beldon and Canfield are two seashore towns, not far apart．Both towns have many hotels, and in summer the hotels are full of holiday-makers and other tourists．
Last August there was a fire at the Seabreeze Hotel in Beldon．The next day, this news appeared on page two of the town’s newspaper．The Beldon Post:
FIRE AT SEABREEZE
Late last night firemen hurried to the Seabreeze Hotel and quickly put out a small fire in a bedroom．The hotel manager said that a cigarette started the fire．We say again to all our visitors： “Please don’t smoke cigarettes in bed．” This was Beldon’s first hotel fire for five years．
The Canfield Times gave the news in these words on page one：
ANOTHER BELDON HOTEL CATCHES FIRE
Last night Beldon firemen arrived just too late to save clothing, bedclothes and some furniture at the Seabreeze Hotel．An angry holiday-maker said, “An electric lamp probably started the fire．The bedroom lamps are very old at some of these hotels．When I put my bedside light on, I heard a funny noise from the lamp．” We are glad to tell our readers that this sort of adventure does not happen in Canfield．
What are the facts, then? It is never easy to find out the exact truth about an accident．There was a fire at the Seabreeze Hotel last August: that is one fact．Do we know anything else? Yes, we know that firemen went to the hotel．
Now what do you think of the rest of the “news” ?
60．Which of the following best gives the main idea of this text?
A．Beldon and Canfield are both good places for tourists in summer．
B．A fire broke out at night in Seabreeze Hotel last summer．
C．It was not easy to find out exact truth from newspapers．
D．Two newspapers gave reports on the same matter．
61．Which of the following are probably facts?
a．The fire broke out in a bedroom at the hotel．
b．A cigarette started the fire．
c．An old lamp started the fire．
d．The fire broke out at night．
e．There has never been a fire in Canfield．
A．b and c B．a and d C．c and e D．a and c
62．The Canfield Times used the headline like this in order to make its readers think _______．
A．hotels in Beldon often catch fire
B．hotels in Beldon don’t often catch fire
C．this was the second fire at the Seabreeze Hotel
D．Beldon was a good place except that hotels there are not quite safe
63．The Canfield newspaper gave a report just the opposite to the Beldon Post by saying that _______．
A．the bedroom lamps were very old at the Seabreeze Hotel
B．the bedroom lights made funny noise when the fire took place
C．the firemen failed to save clothing, bedclothes and other things
D．such accidents never happened in Canfield for the past 5 years
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，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项
A
Last year．I took a sightseeing trip to Washington, DC．I heard a voice say, “Can you help me?” When I turned around, I saw an elderly blind woman with her hand extended．Immediately, I pulled out all of my change and placed it on her hand without even looking at her．But the blind woman smiled and said, “I don’t want your money．I just need help finding the post office．”
In an instant, I realized what I had done．I acted with prejudice―I judged another person simply for what I assumed she had to be．I hated what I saw in myself．
The thing I had forgotten about myself is that I am an immigrant．I left Honduras and arrived in the US at the age of 15．I started my new life with two suitcases,my brother and sister．Through the years, I have been a doorkeeper, cashier and pizza delivery driver among many other humble(卑微的)jobs, and eventually I became a network engineer．
In my own life, I have experienced prejudice．I remember a time―at the age of 17―when I was a busboy, I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me．
But now, living in my American middle-class lifestyle, it is too easy to forget my past, to forget who I am, where I have been ,and to lose sight of where I want to be going．That blind woman on the streets cured me of my blindness．She reminded me of my belief in humility(谦虚)．By the way, I helped that lady to the post office．I hope to thank her for the priceless lesson．
56．How did the writer give the blind woman money?
A．In a modest way B．In a polite way
C．In an impatient way． D．In a painful way
57According to the text, the writer__________．
A．still lives a poor life B．was busy with his work
C．was born in Honduras D．was a native of Washington D．C．
58．According to the text, the author most probably agrees that one should__________．
A．be nice to the elderly and the disabled
B．try to experience different kinds of culture
C．treat others equally with love and respect
D．think about one’s past as often as possible
59．What would be the best title of the text?
A．A priceless lesson B．An act of prejudice
C．A sightseeing trip D．A humble moment
D
Over 70 percent of the "double single-child couples" in China need help from their parents in taking care of their own kids, according to a recent survey．
"Women of China" magazine and a consulting company carried out a survey recently on young couples of the "single-child" generation, the Morning Post reports．The couples surveyed were around 29 and have been married for three years on average, with university education and monthly income of 4．000 yuan ($531)．Among them, 43．5 percent have kids．
Results show that 71．9 percent of the young couples have help from their parents in taking care of their kids．
Grown up as the "single-child", the only child in a family since the family planning policy was adopted in 1979, this generation depends much on their parents．
The parents of the "single-child" generation focused more on their children's physical well-being rather than their attitudes and values, according to some psychologists．
The research also found that the "double single-child couples" follow a rather traditional value system．
Survey shows that 27．5 percent of them got married after dating for one to two years, 25．2 percent two to five years, and 20 percent didn't tie the knot until dating for five years．Also, 30 percent of the couples were schoolmates, while 43．8 percent were introduced by someone．
Since their marriage are based on enduring relationships, 65．2 percent of the husbands and 62．9 percent of the wives think that compromise(妥协)and tolerance(宽容)are necessary in their marriage．Meanwhile, 21．7 percent of the husbands and 37．1 percent of the wives support the idea that happiness is the key standard for a marriage．
71．The best title for the passage should be_______．
A．Mom and Dad,Take Care of My Kid Please
B．Bouble Single-child Couples
C．The Problem of the Single Child
D．A Recent Survey By Woman of China"
72．Which of the following is NOT supported by the passage?
A．The majority of the "double single-child couples" in China depend much on their parents．
B．The parents of the “single-child”generation more care about their study and education．
C．One-fifth of the couples surveyed didn't get marriied until dating for five years．
D．All the couples surveyed have university education and 30 percent of them were schoolmates
73．Which of the following descriptions about “double single-child couples” is True ?
A．They are single child in either family and independent of their parents
B．They are single child in either family and they are dependent on their parents
C．They have at least two children and can afford to support themselves
D．They, who were introduced by someone, follow a rather traditional value system
74．The traditional value system mentioned in the passage refers that_____．
A．parents are concerned about their children’s physical life as well as the spiritual life
B．most couples were introduced by someone and made dating for a long time
C．once begun, double single-child couples’marriage will last forever
D．the couples think that compromise and tolerance are necessary in their marriage．
75．According to the passage, we can learn that ______ is necessary in marriage．
A．wealth B．health C．understanding D．education
C
People turn to magic(魔力)chiefly as a form of insurance--that is, they use it along with actions that actually bring results．For example, hunters may use a hunting charm(咒语)．But they also use their hunting skills and knowledge of animals．The charm may give hunters the extra confidence they need to hunt even more successfully than they would without it．If they shoot a lot of game(猎物), they credit the charm for their success．Many events happen naturally without magic．Crops grow without it, and sick people get well without it．But if people use magic to bring a good harvest or to cure a patient, they may believe the magic was responsible．
People also tend to forget magic's failures and to be impressed by its surface successes．They may consider magic successful if it appears to work only 10 per cent of the time．Even when magic fails, people often explain the failure without doubting the power of the magic．They may say that the magician made a mistake in reciting the spell or that another magician cast a more powerful spell against the magician．
Many anthropologists(人类学家) believe that people have faith in magic because they feel a need to believe in it．People may turn to magic to reduce their fear and uncertainty if they feel they have no control over the outcome of a situation．For example, farmers use knowledge and skill when they plant their fields．But they know that weather, insects, or diseases might ruin the crops．So farmers in some societies may also plant a charm or perform a magic rite to ensure a good harvest．
66．From the passage, we can learn that the writer of the passage may be _______．
A．a hunter B．a farmer C．a magician D．an anthropologist
67．Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?
A．Magic And Hunting． B．Magic And Farming．
C．Why Magic Works? D．Why People Believe in Magic?
68．The underlined word “spell”(Paragraph 2) most likely means______．
A．magic words．B．magic events．
C．words or expressions D．magicians．
69．People believe in magic because________．
A．magic powers are greater than natural powers
B．magic can turn dreams into reality
C．they are not sure of themselves
D．magic can bring good results
70．Which of the following statements is NOT ture according to the passage?
A．Even though magic fails ,believers in magic will explain the reason．
B．Believers in magic usually overstate the power of magic．
C．People use magic to reduce their uncertainty and give them extra confidence
D．Magic can solve problems people can’t deal with in a natural way．
B
Some say everyday miracles(奇迹) are predestined(注定的)----the right time for the appointed meeting．And it can happen anywhere．
In 2001, 11-year-old Kevin Stephan was a bat boy for his younger brother's Little League team in Lancaster, New York．It was an early evening in late July．Kevin was standing on the grass away from the plate, where another youngster was warming up for the next game．Swinging his bat back and forth, giving it all the power an elementary school kid could give．The boy brought the bat back hard and hit Kevin in the chest．His heart stopped．
When Kevin fell to the ground, the mother of one of the players rushed out of the stands to his aid．Penny Brown hadn't planned to be there that day, but at the last minute, her shift(换班)at the hospital had been changed to see her son’s performance．She was given the night off．Penny bent over the senseless boy, his face already starting to turn blue, and giving CPR, breathing into his mouth and givinging chest compressions．And he revived in the end．
After his recovery, he became a volunteer junior firefighter, learning some of the emergency first-aid techniques that had saved his life．He studied hard in school and was saving money for college by working as a dishwasher in a local restaurant in his spare time．
Kevin, now 18, was working in the kitchen when he heard people screaming, customers in confusion, employees rushing toward a table．He hurried into the main room and saw a woman there, her face turning blue, her hands at her throat．She was choking．
Quickly Kevin stepped behind her, wrapped his arms around her and clasped his hands．Then, using skills he'd first learned in Scouts．The food that was trapped in the woman's throat was freed．The color began to return to her face．
"The food was stuck．I couldn't breathe," she said．She thought she was dying．"I was very frightened．"
Who was the woman?
Penny Brown．
61．The author wrote the passage to show us that_______．
A．miracles are predestined and they can happen anywhere
B．whoever helps you in trouble will get a reward one day
C．God will help those who give others a helping hand
D．miracles won’t come without any diffculty sometimes
62．Which of the following statements is True of Kevin Stephan?
A．He was hit on the face by a boy and almost lost his life
B．He was a volunteer junior firefighter, teaching the players first-aid skills
C．He worked part-time in a local restaurant to save money for college
D．He saved Penny Brown though he didn’t really know how to deal with food choke
63．Why did Penny Brown change her shift and was given the night off that night?
A．She was invited to give the players directions
B．She volunteered to give medical services
C．She was a little worried about his son’s safty
D．She came to watch her son’s game and cheered him
64．The underlined word “revived”(paragraph3) most likely means______．
A．came back to life B．became worse C．failed D．moved
65．When Kevin knew the woman was Penny Brown, probably he first felt _____．
A．happy B．surprised C．sad D．worried