When I asked my daughter which item she would keep: the phone, the car, the cooker, the computer, the TV, or her boyfriend, she said "the phone". Personally, I could do without the phone entirely, which makes me unusual. Because the telephone is changing our lives more than any other piece of technology.
Point 1 The telephone creates the need to communicate, in the same way that more roads create more traffic. My daughter comes home from school at 4:00 pm and then spends an hour on the phone talking to the very people she has been at school with all day. If the phone did not exist, would she have anything to talk about?
Point 2 The mobile phone means that we are never alone. !' The mobile saved my life, "says Crystal Johnstone. She had
an accident in her Volvo on the A45 between Otley and Skipton. Trapped inside, she managed to make the call that brought the ambulance(救护车) to her rescue.
Point 3 The mobile removes our secret. It allows marketing manager of Haba Deutsch, Carl Nicolaisen, to ring his sales staff all round the world at any time of day to ask where they are, where they are going, and how their last meeting went.
Point 4 The telephone separates us. Antonella Bramante in Rome says, "We worked in separate offices but I could see him through the window. It was easy to get his number. We were so near--but we didn't meet for the first two weeks!"
Point 5 The telephone allows us to reach out beyond our own lives. Today we can talk to several complete strangers simultaneously (同时地) on chat lines (at least my daughter does. I wouldn't know what to talk about). We can talk across the world. We can even talk to astronauts (if you know any) while they're space-walking. And, with the phone line hooked up to the computer, we can access(进入) the Internet, the biggest library on Earth.How do you understand" Point 1—The telephone creates the need to communicate,... "?
A.People don't communicate without telephone. |
B.People communicate because of the creating of the telephone. |
C.People communicate more since telephone has been created. |
D.People communicate more because of more traffic. |
Which of the following best shows people's attitude towards mobile phones?
A.Mobile phones help people deal with the emergency. |
B.Mobile phones bring convenience as well little secret to people. |
C.Mobile phones are so important and should be encouraged. |
D.Mobile phones are part of people's life. |
Which points do you think support the idea that phones improve people's life?
a. Point 1. b. Point 2. c. Point 3. d. Point 4. e. Point 5.
A.c, d | B.a, e | C.a, c | D.b, e |
It is possible to talk to several complete strangers simultaneously through .
A.the TV screen | B.a fax machine |
C.the phone line hooked up to the computer | D.a microphone |
The best heading for the passage is .
A.The power of Phones | B.Kinds of Phones |
C.How to Use Phones | D.Advantage of Phones |
On a cool November afternoon in Fleming Island, Florida, Melissa Hawkinson, 41, was driving her five-year-old twins home from school when she saw a sudden splash in Doctors Lake just ahead. What was that? She thought. As she drove up to the scene, she saw a half-submerged car sinking about 30 yards offshore. “It was going down pretty quickly,” Hawkinson recalls. She stopped the car near the boat ramp and ran toward the water. Water is going to be cold, she thought.
She took off her vest and leather boots, got into the icy water, and swam to the car, where she found Cameron Dorsey, five, trapped into his car as the swirling water rose around him.
Hawkinson tried to open the door, but it was locked. So she pushed and pulled hard on the partially open window until she could reach through and unlock the door. She pulled the boy free, swam to shore, and handed him off to onlookers who were only watching them on a dock. The driver, the boy’s suicidal father, swam back to land on his own. Afterward, Hawkinson sat on the shore wrapped in a blanket. “For ten or 15 minutes, I couldn’t stop shaking,” she said.
There’s nothing visibly extraordinary about Melissa Hawkinson, an energetic stay-at-home mom with brown hair and a sweet smile. Yet something made her different from the dockside onlookers that day. Why do some people act quickly, willing to take a risk for a stranger? What makes them run toward danger rather than away from it? Hawkinson, the Granite Mountain Hotshots (能手,高手)---19 of whom lost their life this past summer in Arizona--- every hero who puts his or her life on the line to save another: what makes them brave?
Moreover, can bravery be learned, or is it a quality with which you are born? The answer is complex. Bravery taps the mind, brain and heart. It comes from instinct, training and sympathy. Today, neurologists, psychologists and other researchers are studying bravery, trying to uncover the mystery.It can be learned from the passage that _______.
A.Melissa Hawkinson was a 41-year-old nurse |
B.it was spring when the accident happened |
C.Melissa Hawkinson was picking up her five-year-old son |
D.Melissa Hawkinson was kind and courageous. |
What conclusion can we draw from the third paragraph?
A.Not everyone was ready to risk saving the five-year-old boy.. |
B.The father committed suicide because of the divorce. |
C.The father was saved in the end by Melissa Hawkinson. |
D.No one else was available except Melissa Hawkinson. |
How does the writer find other people on the dockside?
A.Warm and ready to help | B.Thoughtful |
C.Kind of cold-blooded | D.Not skillful at swimming |
What is the writer’s purpose of writing this passage?
A.To set us thinking what makes people brave. |
B.To call on us to learn from such people as Hawkinson. |
C.To remind people of risk while saving others. |
D.To show people bravery can be learned. |
You may not be aware, but digital currency (货币) is a big part of the Internet world. QQ Coins can buy you accessories (配饰) for your QQ images. More importantly, a new digital currency, Bitcoin, is bringing the world’s commerce online.
If you’re traveling, you can spend Bitcoins at restaurants and hotels listed at BitcoinTravel.com. In China, Bitcoins can be used to buy goods at about 134 online shops on Taobao. And at a café named 2nd Place in Beijing, you can even buy fresh coffee with Bitcoins.
So what makes Bitcoin so attractive to investors?
First of all, the Bitcoin system is not controlled by anyone. One central authority cannot make policies to change the value of Bitcoins. The fixed amount of Bitcoins also means they cannot lose value through inflation(通货膨胀), as all forms of paper money have done over time.
In addition, accounts in the Bitcoin system are anonymous and transparent. Users can set up an account easily and track every Bitcoin. All of these features seem to make Bitcoins immune(有免疫力的) from loss, but that is not entirely true.
“The value of Bitcoins can vary wildly as no central government makes the price of them steady. If the value drops suddenly, investors cannot get any compensation(赔偿),” Zhao Qingming, a senior researcher at China Construction Bank, told China Economic Weekly. And Bitcoins, unlike company shares, are not backed by any tangible funds, which also adds to their risk.
While China will not recognize the digital currency anytime soon, Xinhua said, lawmakers and officials at a hearing on Nov. 18 in the US made positive comments about Bitcoin.
Ben Bernanke, outgoing chairman of the Federal Reserve, told the Washington Post that “these types of creations, such as Bitcoin… may hold long-term promise, particularly if its system promote a faster, more secure and more efficient payment system.”Bitcoin is ______.
A. actually exactly like QQ Coins
B. only used online
C. a new currency used both online and in real life
D a country’s new digital currency.We can use Bitcoin to buy the following things except ______.
A.online goods | B.goods at 134 online shops on Taobao |
C.books in physical shops | D.coffee at a café named 2nd Place |
What is the disadvantage of Bitcoin?
A.the value of it can rise and fall wildly. |
B.It cannot lose value through inflation. |
C.Every bitcoin in your account can be followed. |
D.It can even be used at some specific restaurants and hotels. |
Fumbling with the buttons to find a good song while driving has been linked to increased risk of crashes, but is listening to music risky? “It depends on the music,” says a report published in the October issue of Accident Analysis & Prevention.
The study found teenage drivers who played their own music had significantly more traffic violations(违规) compared with background music designed by the researchers to minimize driving distractions, or no music.
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University in Israel recruited(招募) 85 drivers about 18 years old; just over half were male. The subjects were each assigned to drive six challenging road trips that were about 40 minutes long, accompanied by an experienced driving instructor. Music was played on four trips, two with selections from the drivers' playlists, mostly fast-paced vocals, and two with background music, which was a mixture of easy listening, soft rock and light jazz designed to increase driver safety. No music was played on two trips. Subjects rated their mood after each trip and in-car data recorders analyzed driver behavior and errors.
All 85 subjects committed at least three errors in one or more of the six trips; 27 received a warning and 17 required steering or braking by an instructor to prevent an accident. When the music was their own, 98% made errors; without the music, 92% made errors; and while listening to the safe-driving music, 77% made errors. Speeding, following too close, inappropriate lane use, one-handed driving and were the common violations.
The male subjects were more aggressive drivers and made more serious errors than female subjects. The teens played their own music at a very loud volume but significantly decreased the sound level when listening to the safe-driving music, researchers said. Mood ratings were highest on trips with driver-preferred music.What is the key information the author wants to give in Paragraph 1?
A.Many drivers played their favorite music while driving. |
B.Drivers shouldn’t search for the buttons to find a good song. |
C.Song selection has nothing to do with increased risk of crashes. |
D.Listening to certain types of music can increase drivers’ errors. |
What does the underlined word “ subjects” refer to in this passage?
A.Something being discussed. | B.People being written about. |
C.People being tested. | D.Areas of knowledge or study. |
In the research, soft rock and light jazz are likely to _______.
A.increase drivers’ safety |
B.add to the pleasure of driving |
C.change drivers’ idea of safe driving |
D.lower drivers’ guard against danger |
It can be inferred from the passage that in the research ______.
A.the teens committed the most errors |
B.the male were more skillful in driving |
C.traveling with no music made the least errors |
D.driver-preferred music increased the mood ratings |
A HALF - EMPTY BASKET
Once there was a poor farmer and his farm belonged to(属于) a rich man. One day he brought a basket of apples to the rich man’s house. On the doorsteps, he met two monkeys dressed like children. They jumped onto the basket to eat the apples and threw some on the ground. The farmer politely took off his hat and asked the monkeys to get off. They obeyed(服从) and the farmer went into the house. He asked to see the rich man. A servant took him to the room where the rich man was sitting.
"I have brought you the basket of apples you asked for," he said.
"But why have you brought a half-empty basket?" the rich man asked.
"I met your children outside, and they stole(偷) some of the apples."Why did the farmer bring apples to the rich man? Because
A.his farm belonged to the rich man | B.he liked the rich man |
C.he was poor | D.the rich man’s children liked apples |
What did the monkeys do when the farmer was on the doorsteps?
A.They jumped and jumped. | B.They played. |
C.They ate some of the apples. | D.They ran away. |
The monkeys left the basket because
A.they had thrown apples on the ground |
B.the farmer had politely asked them to get off |
C.they were afraid of the hat |
D.the farmer was angry wit h them |
How did the rich man feel when he saw the basket? He felt .
A.pleased | B.unhappy | C.excited | D.moved |
The clock struck eleven at night. The whole house was quiet. Everyone was in bed except me. Under the strong light, I looked sadly before a huge pile of troublesome stuff they call “books”.
I was going to have my examination the next day. "When can I go to bed?" I asked myself. I didn’t answer, in fact I dared not.
The clock struck 12."Oh, dear!" I cried, "ten more books to read before I can go to bed!” We pupils are the most wretched creatures in the world. Dad does not agree with me on this. He did not have to work so hard when he was a boy ."
The clock struck one. I was quite hopeless now. I forgot all I had learnt. I was too tired to go on. I did the only thing I could. I prayed, “Oh, God, Please help me pass the exam tomorrow. I do promise to work hard afterwards, Amen.” My eyes were heavy, so heavy that I could hardly open them. A few minutes later, with my head on the desk, I fell asleep.When the author was going over his lessons, all the others in the house were_____ .
A.outside | B.working in bed |
C.asleep | D.quietly laughing at him |
Reviewing his lessons didn’t help him because ________. .
A.it was too late at night |
B.he was very tired |
C.his eyes l ids were so heavy that he couldn’t keep them open |
D.he hadn’t studied hard before the examination |
What do you suppose happened to the author?
A.He went to a church to pray again | B.He passed the exam by luck |
C.He was punished by his teacher | D.He failed in the exam |
The best title for the passage would be __________ .
A.Working Far into the Night | B.The Night Before the Examination |
C.A Slow Student | D.Going Over My Lessons |