B
Teenagers spend too much time using their cell phones and being connected online these days! Is this a new way to be more social or, does the technology really make them unsocial? And how will this constant connection affect them?
My daughter who is fifteen years old has a smart cell phone which means that she is constantly connected to the Internet and of course Facebook. To be around her means that you have to listen to constant “beeps” and sounds from the cell phone when her friends update their status. It makes me really stressed. But that is me. For my daughter, the cell phone is an extension to her body. She sleeps with her cell phone on the pillow; she eats with her cell phone nearby; She even takes the cell phone to the bathroom.
For the generation who has grown up with the Internet and cell phones, it is important for them to stay close to their cell phones. They get stressed when they are disconnected! And most of them haven’t experienced a life without cell phones. For them, being offline or not having a cell phone is like being totally isolated(与世隔绝的). And when they get online after a long disconnection they are so stressed out, because they have so much catching-up to do!
So how is this constant connection affecting the new generation who has been born with the opportunity to stay connected to the Internet all the time? I see them as guinea pigs(实验对象)! Because nobody knows how this will affect humans in the long run. No research has been done yet on long-term side effects of being constantly reachable and connected to others.
My conclusion is that teenagers’ addiction to cell phones makes them both social and unsocial. The new technology has changed the way they connect with people compared to former generations. They are more social and can be mobile but this also forces them to do more than one job at a time which distracts(分散) their attention and prevents them from focusing on the present, which makes them unsociable. No one knows how this use will affect humans. We will just have to wait and see.The author mentions her daughter to show .
| A．he importance of cell phones |
| B．how annoying her daughter is |
| C．what stress her daughter has created |
| D．teenagers’ constant connection to cell phones |
The underlined word “this” in the passage refers to .
| A．using cell phone at a young age |
| B．being online all the time |
| C．the feeling of isolation |
| D．being guinea pigs |
How does the overuse of cell phones affect teenagers?
| A．It stops teenagers from feeling alone. |
| B．It improves teenagers’ work efficiency. |
| C．It forces teenagers to do several things at the same time. |
| D．It breaks teenagers’ connection with former generations. |
What’s the author’s attitude towards teenagers’ constant connection to cell phone?
| A．Unconcerned | B．Uncertain |
| C．Disapproving | D．Disappointed |
I was waiting for a phone call from my agent．He had left a message the night before, telling me that my show was to be cancelled．I called him several times, but each time his secretary told me that he was in a meeting and that he would call me later．So I waited and waited, but there was still no call．Three hours passing by, I became more and more and impatient．I was certain that my agent didn’t care about my work, and he didn’t care about me．I was overcome with that thought．I started to shout at the phone, “Let me wait, will you? Who do you think you are?”
At that time I didn’t realize my wife was looking on．Without showing her surprise, she rushed in, seized the phone, tore off the wires, and shouted at the phone, “Yeah! Who do you think you are? Bad telephone! Bad telephone!” And she swept it into the wastebasket．
I stood watching her, speechless．What on earth．．．?
She stepped to the doorway and shouted at the test of the house, “Now hear this! All objects in this room----if you do anything to upset my husband, out you go!”
Then she turned to me．Kissed me and said calmly, “Honey, you just have to learn how to take control．” With that, she left the room．
After watching a crazy woman rushing in and out, shouting at everything in sight , I noticed that something in my mood （情绪） had changed．I was laughing．How could I have trouble with that phone? Her anties helped me realize I had been driven crazy by small things．Twenty minutes later my agent did call．I was able to listen to him and talk to him and talk to him calmly．Why did the author shout at the telephone?
| A．He was mad at the telephone． | B．He was angry with his agent． |
| C．He was anxious about his wife． | D．He was impatient with the secretary? |
What did the author’s wife do after she heard his shouting?
| A．She said nothing． | B．She shouted at him． |
| C．She called the agent． | D．She threw the phone away． |
What made the author laugh?
| A．His own behavior | B．His wife’s suggestion |
| C．His changeable feelings． | D．His wife’s sweet kiss． |
What does the underlined word “anties” refer to?”
| A．Smut words | B．Unusual actions． |
| C．Surprising Looks | D．Anxious feelings． |
We already know the fastest, least expensive way to slow climate change: Use less energy. With a little effort, and not much money, most of us could reduce our energy diets by 25 percent or more—doing the Earth a favor while also helping our wallets.
Not long ago, my wife, PJ, and I tried a new diet—not to lose a little weight but to answer an annoying question about climate change. Scientists have reported recently that the world is bending up even faster than predicted only a few years ago, and that the consequences could be severe if we don’t keep reducing emissions（排放）of carbon dioxide（CO2）and other greenhouse gases that are trapping heat in our atmosphere. 21世纪We decided to try an experiment. For one month we recorded our personal emissions of CO2. . We wanted to see how much we could cut back, so we went on a strict diet. The average US household（家庭）produces about 150 pounds of CO2 a day by doing common-place things like turning on air-conditioning or driving cars. That’s more than twice the European average and almost five times the global average, mostly because Americans drive more and have bigger houses. But how much should we try to reduce? For an answer, I checked with Tim Flannery, author of The Weather Makers: How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth. In his book, he had challenged readers to make deep cuts in personal emissions to keep the world from reaching extremely important tipping points, such as the melting（融化）of the ice sheets in Greenland or West Antarctica. “To stay below that point, we need to reduce CO2 emissions by 80 percent,” he said.Good advice, I thought. I’d opened our bedroom windows to let in the wind. We’d gotten so used to keeping our air-conditioning going around the clock. I’d almost forgotten the windows even opened. We should not let this happen again. It’s time for us to change our habits if necessary. Why did the author and his wife try a new diet?
| A．To take special kinds of food | B．To respond to climate change. |
C．To lose weight | D．To improve their health |
The underlined words “tipping points” most probably refer to .
| A．freezing points | B．burning points | C．melting points | D．boiling points |
It can be inferred from the passage that 2___. ..
| A．it is necessary to keep the air-conditioning on all the time .. |
B．it seems possible for every household to cut emissions of CO2 |
C．the average US household produces about 3,000 pounds of CO2 a month. |
D．the average European household produces about 1,000 pounds of CO2 a month. |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Saving Energy Starts at Home | B．Changing Our Habits Begins at work |
| C．Changing Climate Sounds Reasonable | D．Reducing Emissions of CO2 Proves Difficult |
I know what you’re thinking : pizza （比萨饼）? For breakfast? But the truth is that you can have last night’s leftovers in the a. m. if you want to.I know lots of women who skip breakfast （不吃早餐） , and they have a ton of different excuses for doing it . Some say they don’t have time. others think they’re “saving” calories （卡路里）, still others just don’t like breakfast food .But the bottom line is that eating in the morning is very important when you’re trying to lose weight. “Eating just about anything from 300 to 400 calories would be better than nothing at all,” says Katherine Brooking , R , D , who developed the super-easy eating plan for this year’s “SELF CHALLENGE”. And even pizza can be healthy if it’s loaded with vegetables, and you stick to one small piece. 21Breakfast is one meal I never miss, and the same goes for most weight loss success stories. Research shows that eating breakfast keeps you from overeating later in the day. Researchers at the University of Southem California found that breakfast skippers have a bigger chance of gaining weight than those who regularly have a morning meal.So eat something in the morning, anything. I know plenty of friends who end up having no breakfast altogether, and have just coffee or orange juice. I say, try heating up last night’s leftovers-it may sound crazy, but if it works for you, do it! I find if I tell myself, “You can always eat it tomorrow,” I put away the leftovers instead of eating more that night. Try it…you may save yourself some pre-bedtime calories. And watch your body gain the fat-burning effects.The word “leftovers” in Paragraph 1 probably means__________.
| A．food remaining after a meal |
B．things left undone |
C．meals made of vegetables | D．pizza topped with fruit |
What can we infer from the text?
| A．Working women usually have breakfast in a hurry. |
B．Many people have wrong ideas about breakfast. |
C．There are some easy ways of cooking a meal. |
D．Eating vegetables helps save energy. |
According to the last paragraph, it is important to____________.
| A．eat something for breakfast | B．be careful about what you eat |
| C．heat up food before eating it | D．eat calorie-controlled food |
The text is written mainly for those_____________.
| A．who go to work early | B．who want to lose weight |
C．who stay up late | D．who eat before sleep |
Sunday, October 5
Clear, 69°F
My wife, Eleanor , and I took the train from Paris to Strasbourg, where we were met by our driver and guide,and the minibus which goes along with the boat. We stopped off in Barn for an hour on the way. Then we were taken to Nancy where the boat was kept.
After the other passengers arrived, we had our first dinner on the boat. After dinner we walked into downtown Nancy, a village with a large square and wooden houses.
Monday, October 6
Rained last night, cloudy in the morning, 69°F
We spent about two hours in Nancy, then sailed on the Canal de la Marne au Rhine. Kind of a lazy day. Eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner, after dinner we watched a tape on Baccarat. Where we will visit tomorrow.
It was pleasant to sit out on deck （甲板）and watch the scenery go by at about 3 mph.
Tuesday, October 7
Light rain, 64°F
This mourning we drove over to Baccarat and toured its museum and the church , which has this unbelievable lamp that is going on a world tour the next day. We did lost of shopping , then walked across the bridge to see a very , very modern Catholic church with special Baccarat windows.
We drove to the top of the Voges Mountains and started down the eastern side Later we drove to Sorrenbourg to see the 13th century church at the Cordeliers. It contains the largest window by Mar.
Wednesday, October8
Cloudy.65 °F
Today we sailed from Schneckenbush to Saverne. We went though two caves, an extremely unusual part of the journey. This river scenery is very different. We were in a mountain valley with grassland on one side and a forest beginning to show some color on the other.
Thursday, October9
Cloudy, 66°F
Our dependable minibus was waiting to load the luggage and take us to the hotel where everyone went their separate ways. Our boating days are over until next time. Where did the author get off the train?
| A．Paris | B．Strasbourg | C．Nancy | D．Barn |
On which days did the tourists spend most of their time on the boat?
| A．Monday and Tuesday | B．Tuesday and Wednesday |
| C．Wednesday and Wednesday | D．Monday and Wednesday |
From the text, we learn that Baccarat and Sorrenbourg are the names of_________.
| A．towns | B．churches | C．museums | D．mountains |
What does the author think of the tour?
| A．Tiring | B．Expensive | C．Enjoyable | D．Quick |
The year 2009 is the Year of Ox. The ox is a representative of the farming culture of China. In the farming economy （经济）, oxen are the major animals pulling plows （犁）.
Of course, the good of oxen is not limited to plowing. In fact, they are seen as "boats on land" for their ability to carry loads. Besides, the whole body of an ox is full of treasures. Their meat and milk are food full of nutrition, and their skin can be used to make clothes and shoes. With all these qualities, oxen are regarded as generous creatures.In the past, oxen played an important role in the spiritual life of the Chinese. Even today, oxen still play a special part in some folk activities. For example, some people who1ive in southwest China will cook cattle bone soup and share it among family members when holding the ceremony for children who reach 13. They believe that the cattle bone soup represents the blood relationship among family members. In order to express their love for oxen, people in some other areas will run to shake off diseases on the 16th day of the first month by the lunar calendar （农历）, and during their run they will take their oxen along, which indicates they regard the creature as human.Because of the contribution of oxen in their lives, the Chinese people are very grateful to the animal. In addition, the use of oxen in ceremonies and the thanks people owe to oxen help to develop various traditional customs, which becomes an important part of the folk culture of the Chinese nation.The words "boats an land" underlined in Paragraph 2 refer to _ .
| A．animals for taking goods | B．creatures for pulling plows |
| C．treasures of the folk culture | D．tools in the farming economy |
From the third paragraph, we know that __.
| A．oxen are no more important today than in the past |
B．ceremonies are held when people cook cattle bone soup |
C．oxen are treated as human in some areas of China |
D．people run with oxen to shake off diseases every month |
Which of the following helps to develop traditional customs?
| A．The special role of oxen in farming. |
B．People's respect and love for oxen. |
C．The practical value of an ox's body. |
D．The contribution of oxen to the economy. |
Why does the author write the text?
| A．To stress the importance of oxen in farming. |
B．To introduce the Chinese folk culture. |
C．To describe how to celebrate the Year of Ox. |
D．To explain how to develop agriculture with oxen. |