As computers become all the more popular in China, Chinese people are increasingly depending on computer keyboards to input Chinese characters. But if they use the computer too much, they may forget the exact strokes 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 wide-spread among university students. Almost all their homework and essays are typed on a computer.
All the students interviewed say they usually use a computer.
It's faster and easier to correct if using a computer. And that's why computers are being applied more and more often to 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 quick to write on a computer, why bother to handwrite?
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 have their practical value. All the artistic beauty of the characters is lost. And handwriting contains the writer's emotion(情绪). Through one's handwriting, people can get to know one's thinking and personality. Beautiful writing will give people a better first impression of them.”
To encourage students to handwrite more, many primary schools in Beijing have made writing classes compulsory(必修的) and in universities, some professors are asking students to turn in their homework and essays written by hand.The students interviewed prefer to write using a computer mainly because______.
| A．they are usually asked to e-mail their homework and essays |
| B．they find it not easy to remember how to write a character |
| C．they can correct the mistakes they make quickly and conveniently |
| D．computers have become popular in China. |
Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE of the advantages of handwriting?
| A．Handwriting can impress people well and build up one’s self-confidence. |
| B．The writer’s thinking and personality are shown in his or her handwriting. |
| C．Handwriting contains the writer's emotion. |
| D．Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic value. |
The underlined expression “taking stock in”(Paragraph 4) probably means_____.
| A．getting bored with | B．becoming excited about |
| C．becoming crazy about | D．getting dependent on |
We can infer from the passage that_______.
| A．more and more students will give up writing on a computer |
| B．more and more students will pay attention to handwriting |
| C．writing by hand will give way to typing by computer one day |
| D．the typing article better shows one’s emotion and character |
Against the assumption that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia warm the climate, scientists have discovered that cooling may occur in areas where burnt trees allow more snow to mirror more sunlight into space.
This finding suggests that taking steps to prevent northern forest fires to limit the release of greenhouse gases may warm the climate in northern regions. Usually large fires destroyed forests in these areas over the past decade. Scientists predict that with climate warming, fires may occur more frequently over next several centuries as a result of a longer fire season. Sunlight taken in by the earth tends to cause warming, while heat mirrored back into space tends to cause cooling.
This is the first study to analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate. Earlier studies by other scientists have suggested that fire in northern regions speed up climate warming because greenhouse gases from burning trees and plants are released into the atmosphere and thus trap heat.
Scientists found that right after the fire, large amounts of greenhouse gases entered the atmosphere and caused warming. Ozone（臭氧）levels increased, and ash from the fire fell on far-off sea ice, darkening the surface and causing more radiation from the sun to be taken in. The following spring, however, the land within the area of the fire was brighter than before the fire, because fewer trees covered the ground. Snow on the ground mirrored more sunlight back into space, leading to cooling.
“We need to find out all possible ways to reduce the growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.” Scientists tracked the change in amount of radiation entering and leaving the climate system as a result of the fire, and found a measurement closely related to the global air temperature. Typically, fire in northern regions occurs in the same area every 80 to 150 years. Scientists, however, found that when fire occurs more frequently, more radiation is lost from the earth and cooling results. Specifically, they determined when fire returns 20 years earlier than predicated, 0.5 watts per square meter of area burned are soaked up by the earth from greenhouse gases, but 0.9 watts per square meter will be sent back into space. The net effect is cooling. Watts are used to measure the rate at which energy is gained or lost from the earth. According to the new findings, taking steps to prevent northern forest fires may _______.
| A．result in a warming climate | B．cause the forest fires to occur more frequently |
| C．lead to a longer fire season | D．protect the forests and the environment there |
Earlier studies about northern forest fires ________.
| A．analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate |
| B．indicate that forest fires will pollute the atmosphere |
| C．suggest that people should take measures to protect environment |
| D．suggest that the fires will speed up climate warming |
The underlined phrase “soaked up” in the last paragraph most probably means ________.
| A．released | B．absorbed | C．created | D．disturbed |
From the text we can draw a conclusion that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia may ______.
| A．warm the climate as the assumption goes |
| B．allow more snow to reflect more sunlight into space and thus cool the climate |
| C．destroy large areas of forests and pollute the far-off sea ice |
| D．help to gain more energy rather than release more energy |
Who’s in control of your life? Who is pulling your string? For the majority of us, it’s other people—society, colleagues, friends, family or our religious community. We learned this way of operating when we were very young, of course. We were brainwashed. We discovered that feeling important and feeling accepted was a nice experience and so we learned to do everything we could to make other people like us. As Oscar Wilde puts it, “Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry(模仿), their passions a quotation.”
So when people tell us how wonderful we are, it makes us feel good. We long for this good feeling like a drug. Therefore, we are so eager for the approval of others that we live unhappy and limited lives, failing to do the things we really want to. Just as drug addicts and alcoholics live worsened lives to keep getting their fix (一剂毒品). We worsen our own existence to get our own constant fix of approval.
But, just as with any drug, there is a price to pay. The price of the approval drug is freedom—the freedom to be ourselves. The truth is that we cannot control what other people think. People have their own agenda, and they come with their own baggage and, in the end, they're more interested in themselves than in you. Furthermore, if we try to live by the opinions of others, we will build our life on sinking sand. Everyone has a different way of thinking, and people change their opinions all the time. The person who tries to please everyone will only end up getting exhausted and probably pleasing no one in the process.
So how can we take back control? I think there’s only one way—make a conscious decision to stop caring what other people think. We should guide ourselves by means of a set of values---not values imposed（强加）from the outside by others, but innate values which come from within. If we are driven by these values and not by the changing opinions and value systems of others, we will live a more authentic, effective, purposeful and happy life.What Oscar Wilde says implies that _____________.
| A．we have thoughts similar to those of others |
| B．most people have a variety of thoughts |
| C．most people’s thoughts are controlled by others |
| D．other people’s thoughts are more important |
What does the author try to argue in the third paragraph ?
| A．We may lose ourselves to please others. |
| B．Changing opinions may cost us our freedom. |
| C．We need to pay for what we want to get. |
| D．The price of taking drugs is freedom. |
In order to live a happy, effective and purposeful life, we should _________.
| A．care about others’ opinions and change opinions all the time |
| B．guide ourselves by means of values from the outside |
| C．persuade others to accept our opinions |
| D．stick to our own values |
It can be concluded from the passage that __________.
| A．we shouldn’t care what others think | B．it’s better to do what we like |
| C．we shouldn't change our own opinions | D．it’s important to accept others’ opinions |
Researchers Look Behind the Tears to Study Crying
Many people found themselves unusually moved by the historic presidential inauguration（就职演说）last week in Washington．Watching the huge crowds，we saw laughter，cheers，hugs---but also many tears．
It made us wonder, why do people cry? Surely tears must be good for us—away to calm the mind and cleanse the body．Yet studies show that crying sometimes makes people feel worse．
Three researchers in Florida and the Netherlands recently looked more deeply into the subject．They examined detailed descriptions of crying experiences．Psychologist Jonathan Rottenberg at the University of South Florida says they wanted to study crying as it happens in everyday life，not in a laboratory．
The team analyzed information from the International Study on Adult Crying．As part of that study，three thousand people in different countries，mostly college students，wrote about recent crying experiences．They noted causes，surroundings and any people involved in the event．They also reported how they felt after they cried．
Professor Roaenberg says the research showed that all crying experiences are not created equal．Crying does not always make a person feel better，he says．About ten percent of people reported feeling worse after they cried．
But a third felt better after crying．And a majority reported the experience as helpful．
The research showed that people who cry alone may not do as well as those with others around．People who reached out for emotional support at the time---and received it---reported better results from the crying experience．
But Professor Rottenberg says those who felt shame or embarrassment while crying were less likely to report that crying had been helpful．
Research has shown that women cry more often and more intensely than men．But it may not have better effect，says the psychologist．The new findings，he says，did not show that a person’s sex was an advantage of beneficial crying．In other words，just because women cry more does not mean they are more likely to have a“good”cry．
The paper entitled “Is Crying Beneficial?”appeared in December in Current Directions in Psychological Science And there is more to learn．Jonathan Rottenberg says the science of crying is still in its infancy．Why did the author mention the presidential inauguration in Washington in the first paragraph?
| A．Because he was impressed by the laughter, cheers，hugs and tears． |
| B．Because he wanted to introduce the topic about crying． |
| C．Because he wanted to show people’s dissatisfaction with the result． |
| D．Because it was the historic moment that many people cried |
How did the researchers carry out the research?
| A．They studied crying experiences not only in everyday life but also in labs． |
| B．They collected the crying experiences of the students at the colleges． |
| C．They studied the crying experiences of grown-ups from various countries． |
| D．They noted their own crying experiences and compared with others． |
We can learn from the passage that．
| A．it may be better to cry alone than with others around |
| B．some support from others may make crying helpful |
| C．women who cry more often may have better effects than men |
| D．the effects will be better if you feel shy while crying |
The underlined phrase in the last paragraph probably means．
| A．in the early stage | B．in a secret state |
| C．in the first place | D．in good condition |
BEIJING, Sep. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- The extra-large model baby in the Spain Pavilion（馆） was “conceived”（构思）by a Spanish filmmaker, Shi Yingying reports. 
Visitors admiring the 6.5-meter-high giant baby, Miguelin, in the Spain Pavilion may be surprised to realize that it was not the concept of a famous designer or a group of groundbreaking engineers. It came from one filmmaker’s interpretation of the meaning of “Better City, Better Life”.
Spanish director Isabel Coixet developed the idea after being asked to contribute to Expo 2010 Shanghai.
“They asked me to do something to tell the Chinese audience about Spain in the future and the first thing jumping to my mind was a baby,” said Coixet. “If we really fight to have better cars, better cities and better lives, it’s for them - for our children.”
Despite her Spanish heritage, Coixet doesn’t focus on making Spanish films or using Spain as the setting. Fans of her various award-winning films, including My Life Without Me, The Secret Life of Words and Elegy, may not even be aware of Coixet’s Spanish background.
“The borders between countries are just illusion（假象）,” said Coixet. “Some directors feel really comfortable telling stories that belong to their territory.”
But Coixt feels the opposite: “I'm more comfortable outside my country. It gives me a strange freedom.”
One of her favorite things about being a director is the freedom. “The thing is that the world is wide and this freedom lets you make films everywhere,” she said.
Coixet’s curiosity took her latest exploration and movie work to Japan. In the movie Map of the Sound of Tokyo, the Catalan actor Sergi Lopez is the owner of a wine shop in Tokyo, and Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi is a young woman who works both as a fishmonger and as a hired killer.
The conflict of the two people's very different worlds and the tango-like relationship they develop is just one representation of what Coixet is able to produce by mixing cultures.
While she doesn’t know if she will shoot a film in Shanghai, two things have caught her attention: Shanghainese women and crickets（蟋蟀）.
After just arriving in the city, she was surprised by the mix of old Chinese culture in a booming chief city “Behind the skyscrapers, there is a flower and bird market with heaps of crickets and birdcages in,” she said. “I'm totally amazed with the city.”The huge baby represents the idea that ______________.
| A．our children are the new generation full of imagination. |
| B．our children will develop the friendship between China and Spain. |
| C．our children are our future. |
| D．our children will understand the meaning of “better city, better life”. |
We learn from the passage that Coixet’s award-winning films were set ____________.
| A．only in Spain. | B．only in Japan. |
| C．mainly in the countries outside Spain. | D．mainly in the countries within Europe. |
According to Isabel Coixet, a flower and bird market behind the high rises_______________.
| A．shows people in Shanghai are living a rich life spiritually and materially. |
| B．reflects prosperity of the market. |
| C．indicates the Chinese people are leading a rich life. |
| D．represents the traditional culture of China. |
From the passage we can learn that ____________.
| A．Isabel Coixet is dissatisfied with the design of the extra-large model baby. |
| B．A mix of different cultures is reflected in Isabel Coixet’s films. |
| C．Isabel Coixet feels less comfortable while making films all over the world. |
| D．Isabel Coixet designed the huge baby according to the requirement of a group of engineers. |
I had an experience some years ago, which taught me something about the ways in which people make a bad situation worse by blaming themselves. One January, I had to hold two funerals on successive days for two elderly women in my community. Both had died “full of years”, as the Bible would say. Their homes happened to be near each other, so I paid condolence(吊唁) calls on the two families on the same afternoon.
At the first home, the son of the deceased（亡故的）woman said to me, “If only I sent my mother to Florida and gotten her out of this cold and snow, she would be alive today. It’s my fault that she died. ”At the second home, the son of the other deceased woman said, “If only I hadn’t insisted on my mother’s going to Florida, she would be alive today. That long airplane ride, the sudden change of climate, was more than she could take. It’s my fault that she’s dead.”
You see that any time there is a death, the survivors will feel guilty. Because the course of action they took turned out bad, they believe that the opposite course keeping Mother at home, putting off the operation would have turned out better. After all, how could it have turned out any worse?
There seem to be two elements involved in our willingness to feel guilty. The first is our pressing need to believe that the world makes sense, that there is a cause for every effect and a reason for everything that happens. That leads us to find patterns and connections both where they really exist and where they exist only in our minds.
The second element is the view that we are the cause of what happens, especially the bad things that happen. It seems to be a short step from believing that every event has a cause to believing that every disaster is our fault. The roots of this feeling may lie in our childhood.
A baby comes to think that the world exists to meet his needs, and that he makes everything happen in it. He wakes up in the morning and summons the rest of the world to his tasks. He cries, and someone comes to attend to him. When he is hungry, people feed him, and when he is wet, people change him. Very often, we do not completely outgrow that childish view that our wishes cause things to happen.The author had to conduct the two women’s funerals probably because____.
| A．he was minister of the local church | B．he wanted to comfort the two families |
| C．he was an official from the community | D．he had great pity for the deceased |
People feel guilty for the death of their loved ones because ____.
| A．they couldn’t find a better way to express their sorrow. |
| B．they had neglected the natural course of events |
| C．they believed that they were responsible |
| D．they didn’t know things often turn in the opposite direction |
According to the passage, the underlined part in paragraph 4 probably means that _____
| A．everything in the world is predetermined |
| B．there’s an explanation for everything in the world |
| C．the world can be interpreted in different ways |
| D．we have to be sensible in order to understand the world |
What’s the idea of the message?
| A．Life and death is an unsolved mystery |
| B．Never feel guilty all the time because not every disaster is our fault |
| C．Every story should have a happy ending |
| D．In general, the survivors will feel guilty about the people who passed away |