If you hear the sound of a mobile phone beeping in a bag or pocket, you could think that someone has received a text message. Text messaging, or texting, is the art of sending a short, electronic message between two mobile phones. The users should pay a certain amount to send messages via SMS--- short message service. But in the last few years, with the development of smart phones, messaging in this way has been at a low ebb.
The rise of smart phones has seen an increase in the use of instant messaging apps. The apps offer a cheap alternative to traditional texts. Using wireless internet connections, people can send a number of messages to their friends at a very low cost. Unlike traditional mobile texts, the users usually only have to pay to download the app once, after which each message they send is free.
Instant messaging apps have become popular all over the world. Hundreds of millions of people use the apps to chat with their friends. These apps allow people to send pictures messages for free---something which previously was quite costly. Many of these apps also allow users to have access to a huge range of colourful emotions, which can help people express their emotions.
The research company Informa said that almost 19 billion messages were sent per day using chat apps last year, compared with 17.6 billion SMS texts. And it expects the chat app market to grow to 50 billion per day by 2015. So does this really mean the end of communicating by texting?
Pamela Clark-Dickson from Informa doesn’t think so. She says that there are a large number of people who use normal mobile phones, particularly in developing countries and prefer the SMS messaging tool. For the moment, these users still find that SMS is the best messaging experience for them.The underlined phrase “at a low ebb” can be replaced by “______”
| A．on the increase | B．on the decrease |
| C．in the end | D．at the moment |
What can we learn about instant messaging apps?
| A．Normal mobile phones can be used to download the apps. |
| B．The apps enjoy high popularity in developing countries. |
| C．Only part of the messages sent by the apps are free of charge. |
| D．It will cost the users some money for downloading the apps. |
Instant messaging apps won’t take the place of the SMS messaging tool soon in that_____________________________________
| A．there are a large number of people who enjoy using normal mobile phones. |
| B．many people in developing countries can’t afford to buy smart phones. |
| C．many people in developing countries don’t like instant messaging apps |
| D．instant messaging apps are only known to people in developed countries. |
In which section of an English newspaper will this text probably be found?
| A．Science & Technology | B．Culture |
| C．Entertainment | D．Health & care |
Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal（信号）. Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.
Different cultures emphasize（强调）the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in "small talk", usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job．In many European countries -- like the UK or France -- people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.
Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand．I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion; instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled．After getting to know their ways better, I realized that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.
Even within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.
People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural environment will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.In some countries, eating together at restaurants may make it easier for people to _______.
| A．develop closer relations | B．share the same culture |
| C．get to know each other | D．keep each other company |
The author mentions his experience in Thailand to show that _______.
| A．the English prefer to make long speeches |
| B．too many words are of no use |
| C．people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature |
| D．even talk and silence can be culturally different |
According to the text, how can people from different cultures understand each other better?
| A．By sharing different ways of life. |
| B．By accepting different habits. |
| C．By recognizing different values. |
| D．By speaking each other' s languages. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Multicultural Environment. |
| B．Cross-Cultural Differences. |
| C．How to Understand Each Other. |
| D．How to Build Up a Relationship. |
A good first impression is important. So, how do you, when you’re meeting someone for the first time, make certain he or she doesn’t get the wrong image of you?
A study concluded that the first 30 seconds make or break the connection between two people when they meet for the first time. Another study conducted by UCLA found that “people evaluate one another by using the three V’s: visual (appearance), vocal (voice) and verbal (what you say).”
Before you head out on your next date to meet someone new, let’s concentrate on these areas:
●How others will see you. (Visual) Are you dressed well? Do you look like this date is important to you? Did you take some time with your appearance? Watch your manners: people don’t like bad manners.
●How others will hear you. (Vocal) Is your voice too soft? You might come across as insecure. If you speak softly, make an effort to speak clearly — don’t make your date have to work to hear you.
●What others will hear you say. (Verbal) People have a natural desire to connect — let them know you’re interested in what they have to say by repeating it back to them. Don’t say the same thing everyone else is saying.What would be the best title for the text?
| A．How to make friends with others |
| B．How to enjoy yourself in your life |
| C．The importance of a good first impression |
| D．Good measures to communicate with others |
According to the text, when you want to make friends with someone, ______.
| A．you should talk as much as possible |
| B．there is no need for you to treat it seriously |
| C．you should try to master（掌握） the first few seconds（秒） |
| D．you should wear strange clothes to give him or her a deep impression |
Which of the following belongs to the description of “Vocal”?
| A．Dress yourself very well. |
| B．Speak carefully and clearly. |
| C．Repeat the same thing several times. |
| D．Spend some time on your appearance. |
Mobile phone（手机）has become a problem for middle schools. Some middle schools in Australia have banned（禁止）students from carrying mobile phones during school hours.
Mobile phone used among children has become a problem for the school this year. Several children have got mobile phone as Christmas gifts, and more students will want them.
Mary Bluett, an official, said mobile phone use is a distraction（分心的事）to student during school hours and it also gives teachers so much trouble in their classrooms. Teachers were also saying that sometimes students might use phone messages to cheat during exams.
She said some schools had tried to ban mobile phones. Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t get in touch with their children.
Many teachers said students should not have mobile phones at school, but if there was a good reason, they could leave their phones at school office. They also said there were many reasons why the students should not have mobile phones at school: they were easy to lose and were a distraction from studies.
Many people say that they understand why parents would want their children to have phones, but they think schools should let the students know when they can use their mobile phones. Some middle schools in Australia have banned students from carrying mobile phones___.
| A．because they are students |
| B．when they are free |
| C．when they are at school（在上学） |
| D．because they are children |
What does the underlined word “cheat” mean in the passage?
| A．聊天 | B．核对 |
| C．查询 | D．作弊 |
Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t _________ during school hours.
| A．use their mobile phones |
| B．leave their mobile phones at school office |
| C．help the teachers with their work |
| D．get in touch with （和……取得联系）their children |
The passage tells us that _________.
| A．students shouldn’t have mobile phones at school except for some special reasons |
| B．it is impossible to ban students from using mobile phone at school |
| C．some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t use their phones at school |
| D．parents should teach their children how to use mobile phones during school hours |
Some people think that all wild animals are very dangerous. Actually, very few of them will attack a man if he leaves them alone. If you met a lion or an elephant, suppose, you would run away, but even a lion will keep away from a man unless it is very hungry. Lions and tigers only kill and eat men when they have grown too old and too weak to catch their usual food, such as deer and other small animals. If you saw a wild elephant, perhaps you would be frightened. Elephants usually run away at once unless you attack them. Some animals get very frightened if they only smell a man; some take no notice at all but quietly walk in another direction. Wild animals only attack hunters when they are afraid that the hunters mean to harm their young ones, or then the hunters shoot at them and make them angry.The word “attack ’’ is closest in meaning to _____________ .
| A．hurt | B．catch |
| C．hit | D．follow |
Lions and tigers will not kill or eat men ____________ .
| A．unless men try to run away |
| B．if they are too old and too weak |
| C．if they are able to get enough food |
| D．however men act towards them |
Some wild animals will become very dangerous ______________ .
| A．when they grow old |
| B．if they are left alone |
| C．while they are looking for food |
| D．when their young ones are in danger |
This passage is mainly about______________ .
| A．how to protect wild animals |
| B．how animals look for their food |
| C．how to make friends with wild animals |
| D．how animals act towards men |
Some people bring out the best in you in a way that you might never have fully realized on your own. My mother was one of those people.
My father died when I was one-year-old. While I was growing up, we led a very hard life, but my mom gave me a lot of love. Each night, she seated me on her lap and spoke the words that would change my life, "Kemmons, you are sure to be a great man and you can do anything in life if you work hard enough to get it. "
At fourteen, I was hit by a car and the doctors said that I would never walk again. Every night my mother spoke to me in her gentle, loving voice, telling me whatever those doctors said, I could walk again if I wanted to. She drove that message so deep into my heart that I finally believed her. A year later, I walked on my own to school!
When the Great Depression broke out, my mother lost her job. Then I left school to support the two of us. At that moment I decided never to be poor again.
Over the years, I experienced a lot of business success. But the real turning point happened on a vacation I took with my wife and five kids in 1951. I was dissatisfied with the second-class hotels available for families and was very angry that they charged an extra $2 for each child. That was too expensive for an ordinary American family. I told my wife that I was going to open a motel （汽车旅馆）for families that would never charge extra money for children. Many people did not believe me at that time.
Not surprisingly, mom was my strongest supporter. As in any business, I experienced a lot of difficulties. But with my mom's words in my heart, I never doubted I would succeed. Fifteen years later, I had the largest hotel system in the world—Holiday Inn. In 1979 my company had 1,759 inns in more than fifty countries with an income of $l billion a year.
You may not have started out life in the best situations. But if you find a task in life worth working for and believe in yourself, nothing can stop you.What Kemmon's mother often told him during his childhood was____.
| A．caring | B．moving |
| C．encouraging | D．interesting |
Who played the most important role in making the author walk back to school again?
| A．Doctors. | B．Nurses. |
| C．His friend. | D．His mom. |
What caused Kemmon to start a motel by himself?
| A．His terrible experience in the hotel. | B．His wife's suggestion. |
| C．His previous business success. | D．His mom's support. |
Which of the following best describes Kemmon's mother?
| A．Modest, helpful and hard-working. |
| B．Loving, supportive and strong-willed. |
| C．Careful, beautiful and helpful. |
| D．Strict, sensitive and supportive. |
. Which of the following led to Kemmon's success?
| A．Self-confidence, hard work, higher education and a poor family. |
| B．Mom's encouragement, clear goals, self-confidence and hard work. |
| C．Clear goals, mom's encouragement, a poor family and higher education. |
| D．Mom's encouragement, a poor family, higher education and opportunities. |