A few months ago as I wandered through my parents’ house, the same house I grew up in, I had a sudden, scary realization. When my parents bought the house, in 1982, they were only two years older than I am now. I tried to imagine myself in two years, ready to settle down and buy the house I’d still be living in almost 30 years later.
It seemed ridiculous. On a practical level, there’s no way I could afford to buy a house anytime soon. More importantly, I wouldn’t want to. I’m not sure where I’ll be living in two years, or what kind of job I’ll have. And I don’t think I’ll be ready to settle down and stay in one place.
So this is probably the generation gap that divides my friends and me from our parents. When our parents were our age, they’d gotten their education, chosen a career, and were starting to settle into responsible adult lives.
My friends and I – “Generation Y” – still aren’t sure what we want to do with our lives. Whatever we end up doing, we want to make sure we’re happy doing it. We’d rather take risks first, try out different jobs, and move from one city to another until we find our favorite place. We’d rather spend our money on travel than put it in a savings account.
This casual attitude towards responsibility has caused some critics to call my generation “arrogant”, “impatient”, and “overprotected”. Some of these complaints have a point. As children we were encouraged to succeed in school, but also to have fun. We grew up in a world full of technological innovation: cellphones, the Internet, instant messaging, and video games.
Our parents looked to rise vertically(垂直的)– starting at the bottom of the ladder and slowly making their way to the top, on the same track, often for the same company. That doesn’t apply to my generation.
Because of that, it may take us longer than our parents to arrive at responsible, stable adulthood. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In our desire to find satisfaction, we will work harder, struggle for ways to keep life interesting, and gain a broader set of experiences and knowledge than our parents’ generation did. What is the main “generation gap” between the author and her friends and their parents according to the article?
A.Their ways of gaining experience. |
B.Their attitude towards responsibility. |
C.Their attitude toward high technology. |
D.Their ways of making their way to the top. |
Which of the following might the author agree with?
A.It involves too much effort to rise vertically. |
B.It’s better to take adult responsibility earlier. |
C.It’s all right to try more before settling down. |
D.It’s ridiculous to call her generation “arrogant”. |
What can we conclude from the article?
A.The author is envious of her parents enjoying a big house at her age. |
B.“Generation Y” people don’t want to grow up and rush into adulthood. |
C.Growing up in a hi-tech world makes “Generation Y” feel insecure about relationships. |
D.The author wrote this article so that others would be able to understand her generation better. |
What is the main theme of the article?
A.Criticisms of the young generation. |
B.The sudden realization of growing up. |
C.A comparison between lifestyles of generations. |
D.The factors that have changed the young generation. |
Promised yourself to quit smoking in the new year, but just can't stop lighting up? You're not alone, with an Australian survey showing that only 3 percent of smokers who made such resolutions stuck with them.
An online poll of just over 1,000 people, conducted ahead of the launch of a video game designed to help smokers quit, showed one in four Australians made New Year's resolutions to quit —— but more than half went back on their word within a week.Some 15 percent lit up within hours of making the pledge, the survey showed,
The research revealed that seven out of ten smokers have tried to kick the habit at some point.
"Our research shows that the majority of smokers in Australia want to quit but are struggling to stick to their resolution.For most people, the desire to stop smoking is not enough, "Edward Fong, general manager of Ubisoft, the videogame manufacturer selling the anti— smoking software, said in a statement.
According to the survey, Australian smokers light up an average of 13.8 cigarettes every day or 5,037 cigarettes a year.There are currently 2.63 million smokers in Australia, which equates to 16 percent of the population over the age of 18, with women on average making more attempts to quit than men.The World Health Organization says smoking kills about 4 million people each year, causing a quarter of deaths related to heart disease.The organization estimates that by 2030, more than 8 million people will die from tobacco - related causes each year, mainly in developing countries.According to the passage, _______ succeeded in giving up smoking.
A.most of the smokers | B.None of the smokers |
C.a few of the smokers | D.a quarter of the smokers |
The research shows that ______.
A.some 70% of smokers have quitted smoking |
B.about 15% of smokers give up smoking only a few hours |
C.the number of men smokers are more than that of women ones |
D.all the smokers want to quit smoking |
What is the population over the age of 18 in Australia?
A.2.63million. | B.4 million. |
C.16.44 million. | D.8 million. |
The number of smokers dying from tobacco — related causes each year by 2030 is.
A.about one million | B.about two million |
C.more than 4 million | D.more than 8 million |
Where do you suppose this passage is probably taken from?
A.Health magazine. | B.Evening paper. |
C.Office Report. | D.Science-Journal. |
Do you love music? I’d like to introduce you to a band today.The Lumineers is a band based in Denver, Colorado.The group released its first album The Lumineers in April, 2012.Recently, the record went gold, meaning 500, 000 copies had been sold.That is really a large number.Critics have mostly praised the album The Lumineers.Some have called the album’s sound “expansive”, and its songs “creative”.
The most popular song from the album is Ho, Hey.It is Number One on three Billboard singles charts rock, adult Pop and alternative.A lot of people think of Ho, Hey as a love song.And The Lumineers say it is.But lead singer and guitarist (吉它手) Wesley Schultz says it is also about his personal struggles when he was living and working in New York City.
The three members of The Lumineers were excited when asked to perform at the Grammy nominations (提名) concert.But they were also very surprised when they were named as Grammy nominees.The band is up for(被提名) Grammy awards as Best New Artist and Best Americana Album.Drummer Jeremiah Fraites told reporters, “We had no idea.”
Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz grew up in New Jersey and have been playing music together for about eight years.They found cellist (大提琴手) Neyla Pekarek, a native of Denver, after they moved to that city.Neyla Pekarek told one reporter that the band’s style developed naturally.She said it came from a lot of writing, experimenting and making changes to let the lyrics tell the stories they were meant to tell.
We leave you with one of those stories.This is Stubborn Love from the album The Lumineers.Hope you’ll enjoy their staging.What do we know about the album The Lumineers from Paragraph 1?
A.It includes some old songs. |
B.It didn’t sell well at first. |
C.It was released recently. |
D.It is a great success. |
By listening to Ho, Hey, we can learn something about ________.
A.Wesley Schultz’s struggles in New York City |
B.the happy times of Wesley Schultz as a singer |
C.three Billboard singles charts in New York City |
D.a touching love story that happened in New York City |
What is implied about The Lumineers in Paragraph 3?
A.They didn’t expect they would be nominated Grammy awards. |
B.They didn’t want to perform at the Grammy nominations concert. |
C.They were very calm when told they were nominated Grammy awards. |
D.They were surely to win the Grammy award for Best Americana Album. |
What is this passage mainly about?
A.People’s opinions on the album The Lumineers. |
B.The struggles of a band named The Lumineers. |
C.A song from a famous band in the United States. |
D.A band that has been nominated Grammy awards. |
Where is this passage probably taken from?
A.A newspaper. | B.A radio program. |
C.A magazine. | D.A textbook. |
When I was ten my dad helped me buy my first ten-speed bicycle from Allen.I put up $60 of my grass cutting and snow shoveling (铲) money and my dad put up the other half I would pay him back over the next six months.Although it was not in the latest style, it was my ticket to the adult world.
I spent that summer and autumn riding happily.My sister Liz, a prisoner(囚犯,俘虏) of her five-speed bicycle, never had a chance to keep up.Just before the Christmas deadline to pay my dad back, we were hit with several snowstorms.This allowed me to shovel enough driveways (车道) to pay off my debt.I was now officially a bike owner; it was a feeling unlike any other.
On that Christmas morning, my dad gave me a used portable (便携式的) record player.I was excited.However, my joy was short-lived after my dad called my sister to the kitchen.“We have one more gift for you.” he said as he opened the door that led to the garage.There, on the steps, stood a new ten-speed bicycle.
“It’s not fair,” I complained.“I worked so hard for my bike.and it’s not even new.Then Liz gets a new bike.She didn’t have to do anything for it.” My dad smiled.“She didn’t have to do anything for it because it’s not really for her,” he said.What did that mean? I didn’t want her bike.
By spring Liz and I were riding all over town together now that she could keep up.As we grew, Liz and I became true friends.
Still I wasn’t smart enough to figure out what my dad meant until years later.That new bike was not a gift for Liz — it was a gift for me.He’d given me the gift of my sister’s company, the ability to stay together rather than drift apart (逐渐疏远) in the face of my ability to travel.He gave me my best friend.What do we know about the author’s bike?
A.It was worth $120. |
B.Allen bought it for him. |
C.It was very fashionable. |
D.He didn’t like it actually. |
Why did the author think he was officially a bike owner?
A.He had paid off his debt. |
B.He had learned to ride a bike. |
C.He could also own Liz’s bike. |
D.He could sell his bike to Liz. |
Why was the author’s Christmas joy short-lived?
A.His sister got a new record player. |
B.His father didn’t care about him. |
C.The record player wasn’t new. |
D.His sister got a better gift. |
Hearing his father say “it’s not really for her (Paragraph 4)”, the author probably felt___.
A.moved | B.satisfied |
C.puzzled | D.disappointed |
The author finally realized that ________.
A.the new bike actually belonged to him |
B.the new bike wasn’t bought by his father |
C.his father actually gave him a more valuable gift |
D.his father loved his sister more as a matter of fact |
As we enter into this new age of cities in which more than half the world’s population will live in an urban area, we must also take a hard look at how we will care for the significant increase in our elderly population. While many will be living longer, they will be doing so with age-related health issues and disease. Of special concern, the number of people living with dementia(痴呆)worldwide is set to treble by 2050. Alzheimer’s Disease International reports that 44 million people live with the disease now but that figure will increase to 135 million by 2050. With this added pressure to health systems, technology is the critical factor to success.
In Oslo, Norway, a retired engineer, Mr. Helge Farsund cares for his wife, Kari. Kari, who had been an intensive-care nurse who served with the Red Cross in Rwanda, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s three years ago. Looking to live as normal a life as possible as Kari’s condition progressed, they are participating in a pilot project studying how a smart home powered by sensors enables people with Alzheimer’s Disease to stay in their home.
The system is created by Abilia. At the center of the system is an iPad-like device. The screen has Skype, which allows carers to regularly check in with patients.
Some l,000 people now have the system installed in their homes, and 25 of them, including the Farsunds, are testing the latest version, which combines the screen with wirelessly connected sensorsaround the house to detect motion. If a door is opened or left open, or if the stove is left on, the system alerts patients and caretakers of danger. The planner also provides spoken reminders about daily tasks, such as when they need to take medicine and events like birthdays as well as enabling caretakers and family members to check in remotely via Skype.
“With this kind of system, it allows people to take care of themselves, which is the most important thing,” says vice president Oystein Johnsen. For him, any move to improve city life needs to begin with people. “Smart cities are coming and they need to start with individuals in their own home,” he says. “It also saves the government money. In Norway it cost one million Norwegian krone (£100,000) per year to have someone in a home, while this system costs 15,000. That is a lot of money to save.”Which section of BBC news is most likely to include this passage?
A.Health | B.Entertainment |
C.Technology | D.Business |
The case of Helge and Kari Farsund in the second paragraph serves to.
A.expose a social problem |
B.introduce the main topic |
C.show sympathy to the elderly |
D.arouse medical workers’ interest |
Which of the following functions can all be performed by the system?
①To warn people of possible dangers
②To help check in with patients
③To offer people some medicine
④To cure people of Alzheimer's
⑤To remind people of daily tasks
⑥To play movies like an iPad
A.①②⑤ | B.②③⑤ |
C.①④⑥ | D.③④⑤ |
According to the last paragraph, Oystein Johnsen will approve that.
A.smart cities should be human-based |
B.the system should reduce its cost |
C.mass production is still impossible |
D.individuals are responsible for future |
Nowadays, girls are so mean to each other. Many girls are becoming the victims of the harmful behaviors of the female bully.
Emma Tracey was a popular 17-year-old and a well-liked athlete who had already won a soccer scholarship to college. But none of that stopped Emma from becoming the target of online girl on girl bullying (欺凌). Emma began to receive hundreds of online unpleasant comments via the latest social networking site called www.formspring.com.
In March 2011, Emma committed suicide and although all agreed that the online bother was not the single factor that led to Emma’ death, everyone did agree that it was a contributory factor.
Unfortunately, Emma’ story is not unique. A 2010 study conducted by the Cyberbullying Research Center states “Cyberbullying victims were almost twice as likely to have attempted suicide compared to youth who had not experienced cyberbullying. Girls are 57% more likely to be victims of aggressive cyberbullying and 92% more likely to be the criminals.”
Suicide is obviously the extreme and no one can minimize the tragedy of it. However, there are other damages that occur as a result of aggressive bullying. It can damage self-confidence and lead to feelings of worthlessness, and also increase social isolation and make victims become withdrawn, depressed, anxious, and unsafe. So what causes girls to be so unkind towards each other?
A term known as relational aggression may best describe the cause of girl on girl bullying. It starts with a clique (派系) usually led by a girl with a high level of social status and popularity. In order not to lose her position, she will control girls within the clique and take action if she feels threatened. At the leader’s directive the girls within the clique will spread rumors and lies and annoy other girls continuously.
The bullying starts at school but will quickly go to cyberbullying due to anonymity (匿名) and lack of punishment. Girls will easily do so in the anonymity of the Internet. Finally the cause will be summarized as the unsafety and jealousy of one girl and the twisted loyalty of members within her clique. Underneath the confident exterior (外表) of a female bully lie desperate unsafety.The example of Emma Tracey is given to show.
A.popular youth are not easy to become the target of bullying |
B.today’s youth don’t like to study any more |
C.suicide is a serious problem among youth |
D.cyberbullying is quite common among teenagers |
The bullying will quickly go to cyberbullying mainly because .
A.it’s free to post comments online |
B.the bullies don’t have to give their names online |
C.it will not attract much attention |
D.it will not affect their real life |
Which of the following is NOT the cause of bullying?
A.Lack of safety |
B.The twisted loyalty of members within a clique |
C.Jealousy of others |
D.Trying to be friendly |
We can infer from the last paragraph that a female bully .
A.has strong self-confidence |
B.has strong leadership skills |
C.is actually weak inside |
D.is usually good at study |