Internet use appears to cause a drop in psychological health, according to a research at Carnegie Mellon University.
Even people who spent just a few hours a week on the Internet experienced more depression(沮丧) and loneliness than those who used Internet less frequently, the two-year study showed. And it wasn’t that people who were already feeling bad spent more time on the Internet, but that using the Net actually appeared to cause the bad feeling.
Researchers are puzzled by the results, which were completely the opposite to their experiences. They expected that the Net would prove socially healthier than television, since the Net allows users to choose the information and to communicate with others.
The fact that Internet use reduces time available for family and friends may explain the drop in well-being, researchers supposed. Faceless, bodiless “virtual” communication may be less psychologically satisfying than actual conversation, and the relationships formed through it may be shallower. Another possibility is that knowing the wider world via the Net makes users less satisfied with their lives.
“But it’s important to remember this is not about the technology; it’s about how it is used,” says psychologist Christine Riley of Intel, one of the study founders. “It really points to the need for considering social factors in terms of how you design applications(应用) and services for technology.”The best title of the passage probably is .
| A．Internet May Cause Depression |
B．The Danger of Internet  |
| C．Communication with Others by Internet |
| D．Puzzled by the Results |
Why did the results of research puzzle the researchers?
| A．People could choose their information through Internet. |
| B．They had expected the opposite results. |
| C．People can communicate with others. |
| D．They had thought Internet was much healthier. |
Which of the following may be the cause of depression?
| A．Net users found their living conditions bad. |
| B．Net users already had mental problems. |
| C．Deep relationships were formed through Internet. |
| D．Net users had less time to communicate with other people. |
The writer’s attitude towards technology is .
| A．social factors must be considered while using technology |
| B．technology was to blame for depression |
| C．the problem doesn’t lie in technology |
| D．applications and services for technology must be designed |
MONTREAL (Reuters) – Crossing the US-Canada border（边界）to go to church on a Sunday cost a US citizen ＄10,000 for breaking Washington’s strict new security（安全）rules.
The expensive trip to church was a surprise for Richard Albert, who lives right on the Canadian border. Like the other half-dozen people of Township 15, crossing the border is a daily occurrence for Albert. The nearby Quebec village of St. Pamphile is where they shop, eat and go to church.
There are many such situations in these areas along the largely unguarded 5,530-mile border between Canada and the US-which in some cases actually runs down the middle of streets or through buildings.
As a result, Albert says he did not expect any problems three weeks ago when he returned home to the US after attending church in Canada, as usual. The US customs（海关）station in this area is closed on Sundays, so be just drove around the locked gate, as he had done every weekend since the gate appeared last May, following a tightening of border security. Two days later. Albert was told to go to the customs office, where an officer told him be had been caught on carnera crossing the border illegally（非法）.
Ottawa has given out special passes to some 300 US citizens in that area so they can enter the country when Canadian customs stations are closed, but the US stopped a similar program last May. That forces the people to a 200-mile detour along hilly roads to get home through another border checkpoint.
Albert has requested that the customs office change their decisions on the fine, but he has not attended a Sunday church since. “I feel like I’m living in a prison,” he said.We learn from the text that Richard Albert is .
| A．an American living in Township 15 | B．a Canadian living in a Quebec village |
| C．a Canadian working in a customs station | D．an American working in a Canadian church |
Albert was fined because he .
| A．failed to obey traffic rules | B．broke the American security rules |
| C．worked in St. Pamphile without a pass | D．damaged the gate of the customs office |
The underlined word “detour” in paragraph 5 means .
| A．a drive through the town | B．a race across the fields |
| C．a roundabout way of travelling | D．a journey in the mountain area |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．A Cross-country Trip | B．A Special Border Pass |
| C．An Unguarded Border | D．An Expensive Church Visit |
Three months after the government stopped issuing（发放）or renewing permits for Internet cafes because of security（安全）concerns, some cafe owners are having financial（经济的）concerns of their own.
The permits were stopped suddenly three months ago by the government until new safeguards could be put in place to prevent misuse of the information superhighway, but for cafe owners it’s a business breakdown with no fix in sight.
“I handed in a request to open up an Internet cafe and received the conditions,” said the businessman Obeidallah. “I rented a place in the Sharafiah district at SR45,000 and prepared the place with equipment that cost me more than SR100,000. When I went to the local government after finishing everything, I was surprised to find that they’d stopped issuing permits for Internet cafes.”
Having an Internet cafe without Internet is much like having a coffee shop without coffee.“I’m avoiding closing the place, but it’s been more than three months with the situation ongoing as it is.” Obeidallah said. “Who will bear the losses caused by the permit issue?”
The decision took many cafe owners by surprise. “I asked to open an Internet cafe, and I was handed a list of all the things that were needed to follow through, such as a sign for the place, filling out forms,” said Hassan Al-Harbi.
“I did all that was asked and rented a place. And after the Haj vacation I went to the local government and they surprised me, saying that there are new rules that forbid the issuing of any more Internet cafe permits and that one can’t even renew his permit. I’ve lost more than SR80,000,” Al-harbi added.
As for the government, officials say a method to deal with it is on the way. But security concerns come before profit（盈利）.The government stopped issuing or renewing permits for Internet cafes .
| A．to prevent misuse of new safeguards in Internet cafes |
| B．to make cafe owners earn less profit from their business |
| C．to stop the use of the information superhighway on Internet |
| D．to make sure of the proper use of the information superhighway |
The government’s decision led to the fact that many cafe owners .
| A．suffered heavy financial losses |
| B．asked to open up Internet cafes |
| C．continued to operate Internet cafes |
| D．asked the government for payment |
The underlined phrase in the last paragraph “on the way” means .
| A．to be studied |
| B．to be put into practice |
| C．to be changed |
| D．to be improved |
The cafe owners found the government’s decision .
| A．surprising and unacceptable |
| B．understandable and acceptable |
| C．reasonable but surprising |
| D．surprising but acceptable |
Across the world, 1.1 billion people have no access to clean drinking water. More than 2.5 billion people lack basic sanitation.(卫生设备)
The combination proves deadly. Each year, diseases related to inadequate water and sanitation kill between 2 and 5 million people and cause an estimated 80 percent of all sicknesses in the developing world. Safe drinking water is a precondition for health and the fight against child death rate, inequality between men and women, and poverty.
Consider these facts:
●The average distance that women in Africa and Asia walk to collect water is 6 kilometers.
●Only 58 percent of children in sub-Saharan Africa are drinking safe water. and only 37 percent of children in South Asia have access to even a basic toilet.
●Each year in India alone, 73 million working days are lost to water-borne diseases.
Here are three ways you can help:
1)Write Congress
Current U.S. foreign aid for drinking water and sanitation budgets only one dollar peryear per American citizen. Few members of Congress have ever received a letter from voters about clean drinking water abroad.
2)Sponsor a project with a faith-based organization
Many U.S. religious groups already sponsor water and sanitation projects, working with partner organizations abroad. Simply put a single project by a U.S. organization can make safe water a reality for thousands of people.
3)Support nonprofit water organizations
Numerous U.S.-based nonprofits work skillfully abroad in community-led projects related to drinking water and sanitation. Like the sample of non-profits noted as follows, some organizations are large, other small-scale, some operate worldwide, others are devoted to certain areas in Africa, Asia, or Latin America. Support them generously.The three facts presented in the passage are used to illustrate that________.
| A．poverty can result in water-borne diseases |
| B．people have no access to clean drinking water |
| C．women’s rights are denied in some developing countries |
| D．safe drinking water should be a primary concern |
The intended readers of the passage are________.
| A． Americans |
| B．overseas sponsors |
| C． Congressmen |
| D． U.S.-based water organizations |
The main purpose of the passage is to call on people to _________.
| A．get rid of water-related diseases in developing countries |
| B．donate money to people short of water through religious groups |
| C．fight against the worldwide water shortage and sanitation problem |
| D．take joint action in support of some nonprofit water organizations |
What information will probably be provided following the last paragraph?
| A．A variety of companies and their worldwide operation. |
| B．A list of nonprofit water organizations to make contact with. |
| C．Some ways to get financial aids from U.S. Congress. |
| D．A few water resources exploited by some world-famous organizations. |
Although man has known asbestos for many hundreds of years, it was not until 160 years ago that it was mined for the first time on the North American continent. H. W. Johns, owner of a New York City Supply Shop for roofers, was responsible for(对…负责) the opening of that first mine.
Mr. Johns was given a piece of asbestos which had been found in Italy. He experimented with the material and then showed its surprising powers to his customers. After putting on a pair of asbestos gloves, which looked much like ordinary work gloves, he took red-hot coals from the fireplace and played with them in his hands. How astonished the customers were to discover that he was not burned at all. You can well imagine that he had increasing business in asbestos roofing materials. However, because it was very expensive to transport (carry) them from Italy to the United States, Mr. Johns sent out a young scientist to seek a source nearer home. This young man found great vein(岩脉), in the province of Quebec in Canada.
Ever since 1881 Quebec has led the world in the production of this unusual mineral, which is made up of magnesium, silicon, iron, and oxygen. When it is mined, the asbestos is heavy, just as you would expect a mineral to be. When it is separated, a strange thing happens; the rock breaks down into fine, soft, soapy fibres(纤维).
Scientists do not know why the rock can be separated easily into threads(线), but they have found thousands of uses of this fireproof material, of the so-called “cloth of stone”.Which title best expresses the main idea of this passage?
| A．Asbestos mined in Canada | B．Fireproof matter |
| C．A “wonder” mineral | D．A new roofing material |
Johns proved his ability as a salesman by_______.
| A．going into roofing business | B．carrying asbestos from Italy |
| C．sending a trained scientist | D．showing the use of asbestos gloves |
Which is the most important character of asbestos that the author wants to show us?
| A．It is like thread. | B．It feels soapy. |
| C．It burns easily. | D．It is unusually heavy. |
The author’s main purpose in writing this passage was to _______.
| A．show the need for more scientists |
| B．compare asbestos with other minerals |
| C．increase the sales of asbestos |
| D．present facts about asbestos |
The blue tits(山雀) have been inspecting the nest-box again this year. The male is the house-hunter but the female will make the final choice. He lands at the hole and turns his head to expose his white cheeks as a signal to attract the female from where she has been feeding.
Among many birds that nest in holes, the male has a light-coloured patch on its plumage(鸟羽) which acts as signal for drawing the female’s attention to a suitable nesting-place. Unlike the blue tit, the redstart(红尾鸲) may be only the male that strikingly coloured and the female is not beautiful.
A few years ago I was lucky enough to spot a pair of redstarts in action in a Walsh wood. The male was leading an interested female to holes that he had previously(先前) checked out. He sat at the entrance of each hole and put his head on to show off his white forehead, or his head in to reveal(显露) his tail.
If the female failed to react to his visual signals, the male sometimes sang for extra effect, while gliding towards her on spread wings and tail. Once the female accepts by following the male through the hole the displays stop, you must be at the right place at the right time to watch them. How do the blue tits choose their nest?
| A．They choose their nest together. |
| B．The male chooses their nest. |
| C．The house-hunter chooses their nest. |
| D．The female chooses their nest. |
The writer was lucky to see ________.
| A．how the male made his tricks |
| B．how an interested female played with the male happily |
| C．what the male displayed and won the female |
| D．that the male tried his best but failed to attract the female |
You can spot a pair of redstarts in a Walsh wood ________.
| A．at any time | B．regularly | C．in April | D．occasionally |
The writer is probably ________.
| A．a bird expert | B．a bird-hunter |
| C．a bird raiser | D．a scientist |