Email has brought the art of letter writing back to life, but some experts think the resulting spread of bad English does more harm than good.
Email is a form of communication that is changing, for the worse, the way we write and use language, say some communication researchers. It is also changing the way we interact(交流) and build relationship. These are a few of the recently recognized features of email, say experts, which should cause individuals and organizations to rethink the way they use email.
“Email has increased the spread of careless writing habits,” says Naomi Baron, a professor of linguistics(语言学) at an American university. She says the poor spelling, grammar, punctuation and sentence structure of emails reflect(反映) a growing unconcern about the way we write.
Baron argues that we shouldn’t forgive and forget the poor writing often shown in email. “The more we use email and its tasteless writing, the more it becomes the normal way of writing,” the professor says.
Others say that despite its poor writing, email has finished what several generations of English teachers couldn’t: it has made writing fashionable again.
“Email is a critical new communication technology.” says Ian Lancashire, a professor of English at Toronto University. “It fills the gap between spoken language and the formal methods of writing that existed before email. It is the purest form of written speech.”
Lancashire says email has the mysterious ability to get people who are usually scared by writing to get their thoughts flowing easily onto a blank screen. He says this is because of email’s close similarity to speech. “It’s like a circle of four or five people around a campfire,” he says.
Still, he accepts that this new-found freedom to express themselves often gets people into trouble. Emails sent in a day almost exceed(超过) the number of letters mailed in a year. But more people are recognizing the content of a typical email message is not often exact.From what Baron says in the third paragraph we can see that ________.
A.careless people use email more than careful people |
B.email requires people to change their native language |
C.professors in universities don’t need to use email |
D.people communicate by email full of mistakes |
What does the underlined word “it”(in Paragraph 4) refer to?
A.The poor writing. | B.Email. |
C.The good writing. | D.A new communication technology. |
In Lancashire’s opinion, email is a wonderful technology because _______.
A.it can be useful all over the world |
B.it is the fastest way to communicate |
C.we can express ourselves in a free way |
D.we can save a lot of paper |
This passage mainly shows us that ______.
A.people should stop using email to communicate |
B.experts hold different opinions about email writing |
C.Americans only use email to communicate |
D.email makes people lose interest in English |
Good tool design is important in the prevention of overuse injuries. Well-designed tools and equipment will require less force to operate them and prevent awkward(别扭的)hand positions. They will allow the worker to keep the elbows(肘)next to the body to prevent damage to the shoulder and arm.
Overuse injuries can therefore be prevented or reduced if the employer provides, and workers use:
●power tools rather than having to use muscle(肌肉)power
●tools with specially designed handles that allow the wrist(手腕)to keep straight . This means that hands and wrists are kept in the same position as they would be if they were hanging relaxed at a person’s side
Figure1. Bend the tool, not the wrist
●tools with handles that can be held comfortably by the whole hand. This means having a selection of sizes—remember that tools that provide a comfortable firm hold for a person with a very large hand may be awkward for someone with a very small hand. This is a particularly important consideration for women who may use tools originally designed for men.
●tools that do not press fingers (or flesh) between the handles, and whose handles do not have sharp edges or a small surface area.
60. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Good Tool Design for Women B. Importance of Good Tool Design
C. Tool Design and Prevention of Injuries D. Overuse of Tools and Worker Protection
61. Which of the following describes a well-designed tool?
A. It’s kept close to the body. B. It fully uses muscle power.
C. It makes users feel relaxed. D. It’s operated with less force.
62. What is Figure 1 used to show?
A. The effective use of the tool. B. The way of operating the tool.
C. The proper design of the handle. D. The purpose of bending the wrist.
63. In choosing tools for women, _____of the handle is the most important.
A. the size B. the edge C. the shape D. the position
PITTSBURGH – For most people, snakes seem unpleasant or even threatening. But Howie Choset sees in their delicate movements a way to save lives.
The 37-year-old Carnegie Mellon University professor has spent years developing snake-like robots he hopes will eventually slide through fallen buildings in search of victims trapped after natural disasters or other emergencies.
Dan Kara is president of Robotics Trends, a Northboro, Mass.-based company that publishes an online industry magazine and runs robotics trade shows. He said there are other snake-like robots being developed, mainly at universities, but didn’t know of one that could climb pipes.
The Carnegie Mellon machines are designed to carry cameras and electronic sensors and can be controlled with a joystick(操纵杆). They move smoothly with the help of small electric motors, or servos, commonly used by hobbyists in model airplanes.
Built from lightweight materials, the robots are about the size of a human arm orsmaller. They can sense which way is up, but are only as good as their human operators, Choset added.
Sam Stover, a search term manager with the Federal Emergency Management Agency based in Indiana, said snake-type robots would offer greater mobility than equipment currently available, such as cameras attached to extendable roles.
“It just allows us to do something we’ve not been able to do before,” Stover said, “We needed them yesterday.”
He said sniffer dogs are still the best search tool for rescue workers, but that they can only be used effectively when workers have access to damaged buildings.
Stover, among the rescue workers who handled the aftermath (后果) of Hurricane Katrina, said snake robots would have helped rescuers search flooded houses in that disaster.
Choset said the robots may not be ready for use for another five to ten years, depending on funding.
72. Which institution is responsible for the development of Choset’s robots?
A. Robotics Trends.B. Pittsburgh City Council.
C. Carnegie Mellon University. D. Federal Emergency Management Agency.
73. Choset believes that his invention ______.
A.can be attached to an electronic arm B.can be used by hobbyists in model airplanes
C.can find victims more quickly than a sniffer dog
D.can sense its way no better than its operators
74. By saying “We needed them yesterday” (paragraph 7), Stover means that snake-like robots _____.
A.could help handle the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
B.would have been put to use in past rescue work
C.helped rescuers search flooded houses yesterday
D.were in greater need yesterday than today
75. What is the text mainly about?
A.Snake-like robots used in industries. B.Snake-like robots made to aid in rescues.
C.The development of snake-like robots. D.The working principles of snake-like robots.
Early people had very little effect on the environment. They lived in caves in very small ‘clan’groups. They collected or killed only enough for the clan’s survival. Early clans were nomadic, which means that they did not stay in one place. Instead, they moved around, following the animals that were their main food source and seeking areas where seasonal plants grew wild. Moving around seasonally helped to protect the environment. The land had time to recover and animals had time to breed (繁殖) before the clan returned for the next season.
As time went by, these small family clans joined with others to form larger groups for protection. Joining with other clans gave them more hunters and more women to help cut up the meat and share it between families. Eventually , people tamed(驯养) wild animals such as dogs and horses. People settled around rivers and fertile plains to share responsibilities and duties. Then, people began to plant crops instead of moving to areas where the plants grew. This development changed the environment.
Traditional forms of work also changed. Some people were better at performing a particular task than other clan members, so they began to specialize in things they were good at doing. This also meant that they began to exchange their goods for things that others produced.
People began to communicate with distant tribes. Land was cleared for roads. Foreign plants and animals were transported to places where they had not existed before. Specialization also gave people more free time. So art, dance and music became important ways of expressing feelings and thoughts. This was how many great civilizations started.
Compared to the past, modern civilization has experienced many changes to become the highly developed society that exists today. Populations have increased rapidly. Forests have been cleared for farms. Inventions and technology have made work easier.
However, pollution and other serious problems have also resulted from human progress. As concerned citizens, it is up to us to learn from past mistakes and to help maintain and improve our environment.
64. Early tribes didn't have much effect on animal population because __ .
A. they kept animals for themselves B. they ate only vegetables
C. they killed only enough for food D. they loved animals
65. The main purpose for small clans to join together was .
A. to hunt animals B. to seek safety C. to share cavesD. to protect environment
66. Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?
A. Early people moved to new places looking for new sources of food.
B. Modem civilization began when people started to live together in big groups.
C. Modem advancements are always good for the environment.
D. People began to exchange goods because they didn't have enough money.
67. It can be concluded from the passage that .
A. human progress has brought civilization to the society
B. civilization has improved traditional forms of work
C. our environment has been affected by human progress
D. early people understood environmental protection
Most people think of racing when they see greyhounds (灰狗) and believe they need lots of exercise. They can actually be quite lazy! Greyhounds are good at fast races but not long-distance running. They do need regular exercise but they like to run for a short burst and then get back on the bed or a comfortable seat. Another misunderstanding is that greyhounds must be aggressive(好斗的) because they are big in size. In fact greyhounds love people and are gentle with children.
Greyhounds can live for 12 – 14 years but usually only race for two or three years, and after that they make great pets. They don’t need a lot of space, don’t make a lot of noise, and don’t eat a lot for their size.
Normally, greyhounds can be as tall as 90 cm. There is, however, a small-sized greyhound, which stands only 33cm. Greyhounds come in a variety of colors. Grey and yellowish-brown are the most common. Others include black, white, blue, red and brown or a mix of these.
Greyhounds have smooth body coats, low body fat and are very healthy. Because they’re slim (苗条的) they don’t have the leg problems like other dogs the same height. But they do feel the cold, especially since they would much rather be at home in bed than walking around outside.
56. The text is written mainly______.
A. to tell people how to raise greyhounds B. to let people know more about greyhounds
C. to explain why greyhounds are aggressive D. to describe greyhounds of different colors
57. It can be inferred that greyhounds_______.
A. love big doghouses B. like staying in bed all day
C. make the best guard dogs D. need some exercise outdoors
58. Why does the author say that greyhounds make great pets?
A. They are big in size. B. They live a very long life.
C. They can run races for some time. D. They are quiet and easy to look after.
59. If you keep a pet greyhound, it is important________.
A. to keep it slim B. to keep it warm C. to take special care of its legs
D. to take it to animal doctors regularly
Sorry to say, our brains pastorally start slowing down at the cruelly young age of 30. It used to be thought that this couldn’t be helped,but new studies show that people of any age can train their brains to work faster.“Your brain is a learning machine,” says University of California scientist Dr. Michael Merzenich. Given the right tools, we can train our brains to act like they did when we were younger. All that’s required is the practice designed just for the purpose: a few exercises for the mind.
Merzenich has developed a computer-based training method to speed up the process (过程) in which the brain deals with information (positscience com ). Since much of the data we receive comes through speech, the Brain Fitness Program works with language mad hearing to better speed and accuracy (准确性).
Over the course of training, the program starts asking you to distinguish (辨别)sounds (between “dog” and “bog”, for example) at an increasingly faster speed. It’s a bit like tennis instructor, says Merzenich, hitting balk at you faster and faster to keep you challenged(受到挑战). You may start out slow, but before long you’re pretty quick.
The biggest finding in brain research in the last ten years is that the brain at any age is highly plastic. If you ask your blain to learn,it will learn. And it may even speed up while in the process.
To keep your brain young and plastic you can do one of a million new activities that challenge and excite you:playing table tennis or bridge,doing crossword puzzles,learning a language....“When it comes to preventing ageing,you really do use it or lose it’s,”says Barbara Sahakian, professor at Cambridge University.
67. Dr. Merzenich’s training method mainly depends on______________.
A. speech trainingB. computer languages
C. the activities one joins inD. the information being dealt with
68. By saying “the brain to any is highly plastic”, the writer probably means the brain can be___________.
A. usedB. masteredC. developedD. researched
69. What can we learn from the text?
A. Practice makes a quick mind.
B. Brain research started ten yeas ago.
C. Dr. Merzenich is a scientist in computer.
D. People believed nothing could stop the brain slowing down.
70. Which of the following agrees with the writer’s idea?
A. The training methods work better for the old.
B. People should use the brain to stop it from ageing.
C. The training of the brain should start at an early age.
D. It’s necessary to take part in as many activities as possible.