Computer technology has become a major part of people’s lives. This technology has its own special words. One example is the word mouse. A computer mouse is not a small animal that lives in buildings and open fields. It is a small device that you move around on a flat surface in front of a computer. The mouse moves the pointer on the computer screen.
Computer expert Douglas Engelbart developed the idea for the mouse in the early 1960s. The first computer mouse was a carved block of wood with two metal wheels. It was called a mouse because it had a tail at one end. The tail was the wire that connected it to the computer.
Using a computer takes some training. People who are experts are sometimes called hakers. A hacker is usually a person who writes software programs in a special computer language. But the word hacker is also used to describe a person who tries to steal information from computer systems.
Another well-known computer word is Google. It is the name of a popular “search engine” for the Internet. People use the search engine to find information about almost any subject on the Internet. The people who started the company named it Google because in maths, google is an extremely large number. It is the number one followed by 100 zeros.
When you “Google” a subject, you can get a large amount of information about it . Some people like to google their friends or themselves to see how many times their names appears on the Internet.
If you Google someone, you might find that person’s name on a blog. A blog is the shortened name for a Web log. A blog is a personal Web page. It may contain stories, comments, pictures and links to other Web sites. Some people add information to their blogs every day. People who have blogs are called bloggers.
Blogs are not the same as spam. Spam is unwanted sales messages sent to your electronic mailbox. The name is based on a funny joke many years ago on a British television show, “ Monty Python’s Flying Circus”. Some friends are at an eating place that only serves a processed meat product from the United States called SPAM. Every time the friends try to speak, another group of people starts singing the word SPAM very loudly. This interferes with the friends’ discussion---just as unwanted sales messages interfere with communication over the Internet.What is the passage mainly talking about?
| A．Computer technology. | B．Computer history. |
| C．Computer words. | D．Computer experts. |
Why is the small device called a mouse?
| A．Because it was a carved block of wood. |
| B．Because it has two metal wheels. |
| C．Because it moves like a real mouse. |
| D．Because it has a “tail” at one end. |
What do we know about hackers?
| A．They are not computer experts. |
| B．They don’t write software programs. |
| C．They sometimes try to steal information. |
| D．They are always bloggers. |
As a computer term, spam refers to________.
| A．junk mail | B．electronic mailboxes |
| C．sales messages | D．processed meat products |
Baekeland and Hartmann report that the “short sleepers” had been more or less average in their sleep needs until the men were in their teens. But at about age 15 or so, the men voluntarily began cutting down their nightly sleep time because of pressures from school, work, and other activities. These men tended to view their nightly periods of unconsciousness as bothersome interruptions in their daily routines.
In general, these “short sleeps” appeared ambitious, acti
ve, energetic, cheerful, conformist(不动摇) in their opinions, and very sure about their career choices. They often held several jobs at once, or workers full-or part-time while going to school. And many of them had a strong urge to appear “normal” or “acceptable” to their friends and associates.
When asked to recall their dreams, the “short sleepers” did poorly. More than this, they seemed to prefer not remembering. In similar fashion, their usual way of dealing with psychological problems was to deny that the problem existed, and then to keep busy in the hope that the trouble would go away.
The sleep patterns of the “short sleepers” were similar to, but less extreme than, sleep patterns shown by many mental patients categorized as manic(疯人).
The “long sleepers” were quite different indeed. Baekeland and Hartmann report that these young men had been lengthy sleeps since childhood. They seemed to enjoy their sleep, protected it, and were quite concerned when they were occasionally robbed of their desired 9 hours of nightly bed rest. They tended to recall their dreams much better than did the “short sleepers.”
Many of the “long sleepers” were shy, anxious, introverted (内向), inhibited (压抑), passive, mildly depressed, and unsure of themselves (particularly in social situations). Several openly states that sleep was an escape from their daily problems. According to the report,______.
| A．many short sleepers need less sleep by nature |
| B．many short sleepers are forced to reduce their nightly sleep time because they are busy with their work |
| C．long sleepers sleep a longer period of time during the day |
| D．many long sleepers preserve their sleeping habit formed during their childhood |
Many “short sleepers” are likely to hold the view that _____.
| A．sleep is a withdrawal from the reality |
| B．sleep interferes with their sound judgment |
| C．sleep is the least expensive item on their routine program |
| D．sleep is the best way to deal with psychological troubles |
It is stated in the third paragraph that short sleepers _____.
A．are ideally vigorous  even under the pressures of life |
| B．often neglect the consequences of inadequate sleep |
| C．do not know how to relax properly |
| D．are more unlikely to run into mental problems |
When sometimes they cannot enjoy adequate sleep, the long sleepers might ____.
| A．appear disturbed | B．become energetic |
| C．feel dissatisfied | D．be extremely depressed |
Our quarrel with efficiency is not that it gets things done, but that it is a thief of time when it leaves us no leisure to enjoy ourselves, and that it strains our nerves when we try to get things done perfectly. In building bridges, American engineers calculate so finely and exactly as to make the two ends come together within one-tenth of an inch. But when two Chinese begin to dig a tunnel from both sides of a mountain both come out on the other side. --The Chinese’s firm belief is that it doesn’t matter so long as a tunnel is dug through, and if we have two instead of one, why, we have a double track to boot.
The pace of modern industrial life forbids this kind of glorious and magnificent idling. But, worse than that, it imposes upon us a different conception of time as measured by the clock and eventually turns the human being into a clock himself. (This sort of thing is bound to come to China, as is evident, for instance, in the case of a factory of twenty thousand workers. The luxurious prospect of twenty thousand workers coming in at their own sweet pleasure at all hours is, of course, somewhat terrifying.)Nevertheless, such efficiency is what makes life so hard and full of excitement. A man who has to be punctually at a certain place at five o’clock has the whole afternoon from one to five ruined for him already. Every American adult is arranging his time on the pattern of the schoolboy - three o’clock for this, five o’clock for that, six-thirty for change of dress, six-fifty for entering the taxi, and seven o’clock for arriving at the destination. It just makes life not worth living.The writer objects to efficiency mainly on the grounds that it ____.
| A．gives us rights to have too much leisure time |
| B．urges us to get things done punctually |
| C．robs us of leisure time |
| D．imposes on us a perfect concept of time |
In the eyes of the author, the introduction of industrial life gives rise to ____.
| A．the excitement of life |
| B．magnificent idling of time |
| C．more emphasis on efficiency |
| D．terrifying schoolboy |
The passage tells us ____.
| A．Chinese workers come to work when it is convenient |
| B．all Americans are forced to be efficient against their will |
| C．Chinese engineers are on better terms with the management |
| D．Americans ought not to work so hard for efficiency |
The author believes that relaxing the rule of punctuality in factories would lead to ____.
| A．great trouble | B．increased production |
| C．a hard and exciting life | D．successful completion of a tunnel |
Taiwan will finalize a plan by the end of June to open up the island to tourists from mainland China, though no date has been fixed for formal implementation（执行）, an official at the Mainland Affairs Council（MAC）said on Monday．
The official said the reports in the local press on Monday that the MAC has dec
ided to postpone its plan to announce the implementation of the new plan on July 1 were inaccurate．
The official said cooperation between different organizations was still underway．The United Daily news quoted the director of the MAC’s legal affairs department, Liu Thehsun, as saying the plan to open up to mainland tourists would not be implemented as scheduled due to a lack of cross-strait communication．
Although relevant authorities, including the Bureau of Immigration and the Tourism Bureau, have complete reports on how to deal with visitors from mainland China, the decision has been taken not to press, ahead with announcement of the plan’s implementation on the first of July, Liu was quoted as saying．
The report also said that while no restrictions would be imposed on the mainland visitors in terms of age or residence in China, the visitors would need to hold a steady job or have more than 50,000RMB（about 6,000, U．S．dollars）in bank savings before they would be eligible（有资格的）to visit Taiwan．
In addition, Taiwan bound mainland tourists would have to come as part of a tour group and would be allowed to stay a maximum of 10 days each time．
The number of mainland tourists allowed to enter the island would also initially be limited to 1,000 people a day．
Although most people from Taiwan are free to travel to China, only a small number of mainland Chinese have been able to visit the island due to restrictions imposed by both sides of the Taiwan Strait after the end of a civil war in 1949．At the moment, according to the passage, ___________．
| A．no mainland Chinese can visit Taiwan now |
| B．any mainland Chinese can visit Taiwan now |
| C．many mainland Chinese have ever visited Taiwan since 1949 |
| D．a few mainland Chinese have ever visited Taiwan since 1949 |
When Taiwan opens up the island to tourists from mainland China,_____________．
A．there will be no restr ictions to mainland visitors |
| B．mainland visitors who want to travel in Taiwan must have at least ￥50,000 in the bank savings account |
| C．there will be no age restrictions to the mainland visitors |
| D．mainland visitors will be free to travel to Taiwan |
We can infer from the passage that ______get（s）involved in the implementation of the plan．
| A．MAC | B．United Daily |
| C．several organizations | D．Bureau of Immigration |
Which of the following statement is TRUE?
| A．The implementation of the plan has not been fixed． |
| B．It was originally fixed on July 1 to announce the plan’s implementation． |
| C．For lack of cross-strait communication, the plan will not be officially completed until July． |
| D．When the plan is finalized, it will be announced immediately． |
Most people feel lonely sometimes, but it usually only lasts between a few minutes and a few hours. This kind of loneliness is not serious. In fact, it is quite normal. For some people, though, loneliness can last for yeas. Now researchers say there are three different types of loneliness.
The first kind of loneliness is temporary（暂时的）. This is the most common type. It usually disappears quickly and does not require any special attention. The second kind, situational loneliness, is a natural result of a particular situation-for example, family problem, the death of a loved one, or moving to a new place. Although this kind of loneliness can cause physical problems, such as headaches and sleeplessness, it usually does not last for more than a year.
The third kind of loneliness is the most severe. Unlike the second type, chronic（长期的）usually lasts more than two years and has no specific cause. People who experience habitual loneliness have problems socializing and becoming close to others. Unfortunately, many chronically lonely people think there is little or nothing they can do to improve their condition.
Psychologists agree that one important factor in loneliness is a person's social contacts, e.g. friends, family members, co-workers, etc. we depend on various people for different reasons. For instance, our families give us emotional support, our parents and teachers give us guidance, and our friends share similar interests and activities. However, psychologists have found that, though lonely people may have many social contacts, they sometimes feel they should have more. They question their popularity.
Psychologists are trying to find ways to help habitually lonely people for two reasons: they are unhappy and unable to socialize and there is a connection between chronic loneliness and serious illness such as heart disease. While temporary and situational loneliness can be normal, healthy part of life, chronic loneliness can be a sad, and sometimes dangerous condition.How would you treat temporary loneliness according to the passage?
| A．Talk to friends | B．Just ignore it |
| C．Go to see a doctor | D．Ask your teachers for guidance |
"It" in the last sentence of the second paragraph refers to _____.
A. temporary loneliness B. situational loneliness
C. a new place D sleeplessnessThe topic of the 4th paragraph is that____.
| A．one problem of loneliness is a person's social contacts |
| B．we depend on various person for different reasons |
| C．lonely people don't have many social problems |
| D．lonely people don't have many friends |
Why do psychologists want to help chronically lonely people?
| A．Chronic loneliness can cause family problems | B．Chronic loneliness can cause serious illness |
| C．Chronic loneliness can not be overcome | D．A, B and C are all correct |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Three Kinds of Loneliness | B．Loneliness and Diseases |
| C．Loneliness and Social Contacts | D．Chronic Loneliness |
Laptop（便携式）computers are popular all over the world. People use them on trains and airplanes, in airports and hotels. These laptop connect people to their work place. In the United States today, laptops also connect students to their classrooms.
Westlake College in Virginia will start a laptop computer program that allows students to do school work anywhere they want. Within five years, each of the 1,500 students at the college will receive a laptop. The laptops are a part of a $10million computer program at Westlake, a 110-year old college. The students with laptops will also have access to the Internet. In addition, they will be able to use e-mail to "speak" with their tethers, their classmates, and their families. However, the most important part of the laptop program is that students will be able to use computers without going to computer labs. They can work with it at home, in a fa
st-food restaurant or under the trees-anywhere at all!
Because of the many changes in computer technology, laptop use in higher education, such as colleges and universities, is workable. As laptops become more powerful, they become more similar to desktop computers. In addition, the portable computers can connect students to not only Internet, but also libraries and other resources. State higher-education officials are studying how laptops can help students. State Officials also are testing laptop programs at other universities, too.
At Westlake College, more than 60 percent of the staff use the computers. The laptops will allow all teachers to use computers in their lessons. As one Westlake teacher said, "Here we are in the middle of Virginia and we're giving students a window on the world. They can see everything and do everything. "The main purpose of the laptop program is to give each student a laptop to____.
| A．use for their schoolwork | B．access the Internet |
| C．work at home | D．connect them to libraries |
Why is the word "speak" in the second paragraph in quotation mark(引号)?
| A．They don't really talk | B．They use the computer language |
| C．Laptops have speakers | D．None of the above reasons is correct |
Which of the following is true about Westlake College?
| A．All teachers use computers | B．1,500 students have lapt ops |
| C．It is an old college in America | D．Students there can do everything |
A window on the world in the last paragraph means that students can____.
| A．attend lectures on information technology | B．travel around the world |
| C．get information from around the world | D．have free laptops |
What can we infer（推断）passage?
| A．The program is successful | B．The program is not workable |
| C．The program is too expensive | D．We don't know the result yet |