As computers become more and more popular in China, Chinese are increasingly relying on computer keyboards to input Chinese characters. But if they use the computer too much, they may end up forgetting the exact strokes(笔画) of each Chinese character when writing on paper. Experts suggest people, especially students, write by hand more.
Do you write by hand more or type more? In Beijing, students start using a computer as early as primary school. And computer dependence is more widespread among university students. Almost all their assignments and essays are typed on a computer. All the students interviewed say they usually use computers.
It's faster and easier to correct the mistakes if using a computer. And that’s why computers are being used more and more often in modern education. But when people are taking stock in computers increasingly, problems appear.
“When I'm writing with a pen, I find I often can’t remember how to write a character, though I feel I'm familiar with it.”
“I'm not in the mood to write when faced with a pen and paper.”
Many students don’t feel this is something to worry about. Now that it's more convenient and efficient to type on a computer, why bother to write by hand?
Many educators think differently. Shi Liwei , the headmaster of a famous primary school in the capital said, “Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic (审美的) value. But those characters typed with computer keyboards only maintain their practical value. All the artistic beauty of the characters is lost. Besides, handwriting contains the writer's emotion. Through one's handwriting, people can learn one's thinking and personality. Beautiful writing will give people a better first impression.”
To encourage students to write more, many primary schools in Beijing have made writing classes compulsory and in universities, some professors are asking students to turn in their homework and essays written by hand. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．The Importance of Typing |
| B．Practical and Aesthetic Value of Chinese Characters |
| C．Writing by Computer Will Replace Writing by Hand |
| D．To Type or to Write by Hand |
The students interviewed prefer to type on a computer mainly because_______.
| A．they can correct the mistakes quickly and conveniently |
| B．they are usually asked to e-mail their homework and essays |
| C．they find it hard to remember how to write a character |
| D．computers have become a trend and fashion in China |
Which of the following statements is NOT true about advantages of handwriting?
| A．Handwriting contains the writer's emotion. |
| B．Handwriting can impress people well and build their self-confidence. |
| C．The writer's thinking and personality are shown in his or her handwriting. |
| D．Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic value. |
The underlined phrase in Paragraph 3 probably means________.
| A．getting bored with | B．becoming crazy about |
| C．becoming dependent on | D．getting curious about |
Credit cards let people buy things now and pay for them over months or even years.But some people get deep into debt：Some banks have terms and charges that can make it harder for people to pay off that debt.In the United States，there are calls for stronger government supervision of the credit card industry.They_offer_economic_power_at_a_price.In 2004，Americans had about $800 billion in credit card debt.Now they own about $968 billion.
Critics say banks made it too easy to get credit cards.But that may be changing.The crisis in the housing and credit they call markets is beginning to affect the credit card industry.More payments are late.Charges for late payments are a growing source of profit for banks.But late payments can also signal bad debts.
The central bank，the Federal Reserve，says twothirds of American banks have recently reported tighter lending requirements.Many people report having their credit limits reduced without warning.
Some lawmakers are concerned that cardholders do not have enough protections from what abusive policies.These include actions like raising interest rates because of an unrelated event.Also，banks may raise the chances of a late payment by changing monthly payment dates for credit cards.
According to a survey,82% of Americans think credit cards provide a valuable service.But a majority,58%，say they do not trust credit card companies.And three out of four think the government should regulate the industry more closely.Three out of four people feel there is always some condition that makes a card less appealing than the company made in scared.And a little more than half say they have had a card that was not as good as they expected.But close to 80% say no one really reads the terms and conditions when they sign up for a credit card.What does the underlined sentence in the first paragraph probably mean?
| A．We can enjoy more convenience using credit cards. |
| B．Credit cards can improve our buying power. |
| C．We can buy things at lower prices using credit cards. |
| D．Credit cards bring more card debt as well as convenience. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the text?
| A．Banks are making it harder for people to get credit cards. |
| B．Some people’s credit limits have been reduced. |
| C．It is more difficult to borrow money from some banks. |
| D．Banks are receiving more charges from late payments. |
What can we know from the text?
| A．Banks actually prefer to see more late payment. |
| B．People should be more careful when applying for a credit card. |
| C．The US government provides better protection for cardholders. |
| D．The majority of Americans don’t think much of credit cards. |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．Credit cards are still very well received in America. |
| B．Credit cards don’t live up to some people’s expectations. |
| C．Many people don’t believe in credit card companies. |
| D．The results of a survey about credit cards in Americans. |
A
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B
ResQMe，The Keychain Version of the Original Life Hammer (Black)
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C
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D
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Product Description：The lightest and multiuse tool ever developed.This durable tool has a straight knife sharp edge and a flat screwdriver，a Phillips screwdriver，and a bottle opener.The tool makes repairs and hundreds of jobs an easy undertaking.A good choice for indoor or outdoor activities and emergency situations，this tool comes in handy on the road and at home!Which of the following products has the biggest size?
| A．Swiss Tech UKCSB1. |
| B．Gerber 2241770 Artifact. |
| C．ResQMe. |
| D．LaCie iamaKey v2. |
As a bus driver，Mike would be interested in ________.
| A．A and B | B．C and D |
| C．A and C | D．B and D |
Which tool has the lowest original price?
| A．Gerber 2241770 Artifact. |
| B．ResQMe. |
| C．LaCie iamaKey v2. |
| D．Swiss Tech UKCSB1. |
From the text we can learn that all the tools above ________.
| A．are electronics |
| B．have the same ASIN |
| C．are easy to carry |
| D．are perfect on a keychain |
Make some noise on May 7 for Music Monday.People in the U．S. and Canada will be celebrating the day by singing and playing musical instruments together.
Music Monday is the first day of National Wanna Play Music Week，which runs from May 7 to 13.The National Association of Music Merchants(NAMM) organizes the weeklong celebration every year.This marks the seventh year the organization is teaming up with Canada’s Coalition for Music Education(CME)，the group that started Music Monday.
“It’s a day to fill the skies with music and bring young people together in song，” CME Executive Director Holly Nimmons said.
The CME started Music Monday in 2005.It is held every year on the first Monday of May.It was created to help people realize the importance of music education programs in schools and in communities.The day also celebrates the benefits of playing music for people of all ages.
NAMM researches the effects of music on children.They found that playing music has positive effects on thinking skills and on confidence.It also teaches selfdiscipline(自律) and helps kids bond with their peers(同龄人)．“Learning musical skills can also help in your studies of other subjects，such as math，reading and language，” Lora Bodmer，who works at NAMM，said.
Their studies show that music can also help people form friendships and connect with different groups.Nimmons says anyone can join in on the day，not just those who are musically gifted.“I think that we all have the music in us，and it’s a matter of confidence，” she said.“Sing with other people or beat drums，just enjoy the music.”
Participants can turn on the radio to join the fun.Each year a song is assigned to Music Monday.This year the song is “Tomorrow Is Coming” by Luke Doucet.The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation(CBC) will be playing the tune at 1 p．m. Eastern Time.People across North America will play or sing the song at the exact same time.The performance is meant to connect people through melody(旋律)．More than 700,000 students took part in the concert last year.
Schools，afterschool programs，organizations，groups and individuals throughout the U．S. and Canada can all participate in Music Monday.Students who would like to share in the celebration should let their teachers or organization leaders know.But NAMM also encourages people to pick up any instrument and play anytime on the day.What can we learn about Music Monday?
| A．National Wanna Play Music Week begins on Music Monday. |
| B．People can’t sing every day except on Music Monday. |
| C．Music Monday will last at least seven days. |
| D．Students can enjoy music on Music Monday freely. |
The purpose of National Wanna Play Music Week is to ________.
| A．advise young people to learn music |
| B．help students to learn music better |
| C．get schools and communities closely united |
| D．call on people to pay more attention to music education |
Which of the following may be the benefit of music to kids?
| A．Kids can get rid of many bad habits. |
| B．Kids are most likely to do well in their lessons. |
| C．Kids would like to play with other friends more. |
| D．Kids will get on well with their parents at home. |
What do the last two paragraphs mainly tell us?
| A．How people will celebrate Music Monday. |
| B．What students should do on Music Monday. |
| C．Why a theme song is chosen for Music Monday. |
| D．Where the celebration of Music Monday will be held. |
When I was 12，all I wanted was a signet(图章) ring.They were the “in” thing and it seemed every girl except me had one.On my 13th birthday，my Mum gave me a signet ring with my initials(姓名首字母) carved into it.I was in heaven.
What made it even more special was that it was about the only thing that wasn’t being “replaced”．We’d been burnt out in fires that swept through our area earlier that year and had lost everything—so most of the “new” stuff(东西) we got was really just to replace what we’d lost.But not my ring.My ring was new.
Then，only one month later，I lost it.I took it off before bed and it was missing in the morning.I was sad and searched everywhere for it.But it seemed to have disappeared.Eventually，I gave up and stopped looking for it.And two years later，we sold the house and moved away.
Years passed，and a couple of moves later，I was visiting my parents’ when Mum told me that she had something for me.It wasn’t my birthday，nor was it Easter or Christmas or any other giftgiving occasion.Mum noticed my questioning look.“You’ll recognize this one，” she said，smiling.
Then she handed me a small ring box.I took it from her and opened it to find my beautiful signet ring inside.
The family who had bought our house 13 years earlier had recently decided to do some redecorations，which included replacing the carpets.When they pulled the carpet up in my old bedroom，they found the ring.As it had my initials carved into it，they realized who owned the ring.They’d had it professionally cleaned up by a jeweler before sending it to my mother.
And it still fits me. (2013·福建，A)The underlined word “in” in the first paragraph probably means “________”．
| A．fashionable | B．available |
| C．practical | D．renewable |
When she got the ring back，the writer was about ________.
| A．13 years old | B．15 years old |
| C．26 years old | D．28 years old |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The writer’s family moved several times. |
| B．The writer never stopped looking for her ring. |
| C．The writer’s ring was cleaned up by the new house owner. |
| D．The writer lost her ring in the morning when she took it off. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．My New Ring | B．Lost and Found |
| C．Lost and Replaced | D．An Expensive Ring |
I’ve always known my kids use digital communications gear (装置) a lot.But my cellphone bill last month really grabbed my attention.My son had come up to nearly 2,000 incoming text messages，and had sent nearly as many.Of course，he was out of school for the summer and communicating more with friends from a distance.Nevertheless，he found time to hold down a summer job and complete a college course in between all that typing with his thumb.
I was even more surprised to learn that my son is normal.“Teenagers with cellphones each send and receive 2,272 text messages a month on average，” Nielsen Mobile says.
Some experts regret that all that keyboard jabber is making our kids stupid，unable to read nonverbal cues such as facial expressions，gestures，posture and other silent signals of mood and attitude.Unlike phones，text messaging doesn’t even allow transmission of tone of voice or pauses，says Mark Bauerlein，author of a book called The Dumbest Generation：How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future.
Beyond that，though，I’m not sure I see as much harm as critics of this trend.I’ve posted before on how I initially tried to control my kids’ texting.But over time，I have seen my son suffer no apparent ill effects，and he gains a big benefit，of easy，continuing contact with others.
I don’t think texting make kids stupid.It may make them annoying，when they try to text and talk to you at the same time.And it may make them distracted，when buzzing text messages interrupt efforts to noodle out a math problem or finish reading for school.
But I don’t see texting harming teens’ability to communicate.My son is as accustomed to nonverbal cues as any older members of our family.I have found him more engaged and easier to communicate with from a great distance，because he is constantly available via text message and responds with faithfulness and speed.What does the underlined word “distracted” in the fifth paragraph mean?
| A．Confused. | B．Absentminded. |
| C．Comfortable. | D．Badtempered. |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．For Teens，Texting Instead of Talking |
| B．For Parents，Caring Much for Their Kids |
| C．Advantages and Disadvantages of Texting |
| D．The Effect of Communication |
The author’s attitude towards texting is________.
| A．objective | B．opposed |
| C．supportive | D．doubtful |
According to the passage，which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．It is normal for a teen to send or receive 60 text messages a day. |
| B．Texting is a very popular way of communication among teens. |
| C．When texting，teens never mind talking with others. |
| D．The writer limited his son to send or receive text messages at first. |