The Internet has come a long way in the last couple of decades, and we’re seeing some noticeable generational trends. For instance, one of my friend’s aunts ”friended me” on Facebook, and I noticed that she had three times the number of Facebook friends as her nephew, despite the fact that she has only recently started to spend more time on the Internet. She spends more time on Facebook than he does. Yet he is part of the younger generation that grew up using the Internet.
The beauty of Facebook is in the packaging of the service. Almost every facet of Facebook is technology that existed from years before: e-mail, instant messaging, photo galleries, personal Web pages, RSS, etc. Facebook has taken these functions, which young people have been able to do for the past decade, and made them more user-friendly, more accessible—for young and older generation alike.
Facebook is the second act in the people’s Internet Revolution; the first being America Online, which spurred the adoption of the Internet in the homes of ordinary Americans. In a similar fashion, Facebook is spurring the adoption of Internet use in demographics that have been dismissed as the non-Internet users. It gives people a reason to be online in a way that simply checking e-mail, the 1996 equivalent, did not. Facebook is active in a way that the general population may find more rewarding.
The ability to communicate (or not communicate) with your friends in different ways also heightens the ‘stickiness’ of the service. For example, it tells you who else is using Facebook right now. You can then exchange instant messages with any of them. There’s always one more thing to check, see, or do on Facebook. It’s like a never-ending dinner party and all your friends and family are invited.Compared with the aunt, the nephew ___.
A.had 3 times the number of friends |
B.has spent more time on the Internet all the time |
C.spends less time on Facebook |
D.had the access to the Internet only when he grew up |
What does the underlined word in the second paragraph refer to?
A.Young people |
B.Old people |
C.These functions |
D.Young and old people |
Which is true according to the third paragraph?
A.Facebook accelerated the adoption of the Internet in the ordinary families. |
B.America Online was the first act in the Internet Revolution. |
C.Facebook has spurred the application of the Internet use in demographics. |
D.America Online spurred the ordinary use in all od the world families. |
Using Facebook, you can ___.
A.communicate with whoever is using the Facebook right now |
B.do one thing every time |
C.have dinner together with your friends and families |
D.tell you anyone who is not using the Facebook |
What is the main idea of the passage?
A.The drawbacks and the strengths of the Facebook. |
B.Facebook makes the communication more convenient for the old and the young. |
C.People’s Internet Revolution: Facebook. |
D.Facebook and America Online |
September 21, 2050----At a press conference today it was announced that the first tourist heading for Mars will be the 38-year-old US businessman Patrick Clifford. He will leave the earth in the launching window of June 2052 and set his foot on the surface of Mars in November, together with the other 6 astronauts assigned for the mission to further explore the planet.
Patrick has now two years of training ahead of him to get ready for the trip. Not only will he spend five months in getting to Mars, but another 600 days there before he can go back home. Patrick was of course very excited, “ This has been my dream since I was four, and seeing the first man on Mars 20 years ago made me realize that it was possible.”
To be able to pay the $ 1. 3 billion for his ticket for the trip Patrick sold his majority stake (股份) in the company his father had built. “I know that my father would have been proud of me if he had still been alive today, he knew what this means to me”, says Patrick. There is no risk though that you will find Patrick begging in your street corner when he comes back, but it is said that he was paid twice as much for his part of the company.
So, how is he going to spend his 600 days on the red planet? “Well, since I don’t have a job when I get back after selling the company, I have plenty of time to come up with a new business idea”, he says and laughs. If he brings a shovel(铁锹)he can start building the first hotel there, but maybe he shouldn’t expect too many guests until someone can offer a cheaper ticket.How long will Patrick Clifford be away before he comes back?
A.About five months | B.About two years | C.About 600 days | D.About 750 days |
The underlined part in Paragraph 3 means that .
A.the trip will turn Patrick into a beggar |
B.Patrick will get much money from the trip |
C.we needn’t worry about Patrick’s economic condition |
D.it’s likely that Patrick will be very poor after he comes back |
What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Patrick is an optimistic man |
B.A total of six people will go to Mars |
C.Patrick’s father felt excited at the news |
D.Patrick will spend all his money on the trip |
Congratulations! You have applied for a job and now you are getting ready for that important job interview and you are looking forward to making a good impression on your future (hopefully) boss.
When you walk in the room the very first impression you make on the interviewer can have a great influence on the rest of the interview. It is important that you introduce yourself, shake hands, and are friendly. In a job interview, the first question is often a “breaking the ice” type of question. Don’t be surprised if the interviewer asks you something like: “How are you today?” or “What do you think of the weather lately?” Answer the question without going into too much detail.
Talking about qualifications (资历) is the most important part of any job interview. Your qualifications include your education and any special training you may have received in the past. Your qualifications also include your experience in any previous work. It is important to explain what experience you have in detail. Generally, employers want to know exactly what you did and how well you accomplished your tasks. This is not the time to be modest.
Try to avoid some big mistakes in the job interview, such as leaving the mobile on and criticizing previous bosses. The worst thing is you yourself have no questions. Having no questions shows you are either not interested or not prepared. Remember that interviewers are more impressed with the questions you ask than the selling points you try to make.The passage is mainly about .
A.the typical questions asked in job interviews |
B.importance of interviewees’ qualifications in job interviews |
C.some common mistakes found in job interviews |
D.Dos and Don’ts in job interviews |
A “breaking the ice” type of question is .
A.a question that makes people unhappy |
B.an opening question asked to make people less nervous |
C.a sharp question that makes people angry |
D.a question asked about serious topic |
All of the following are considered to be the interviewee’s qualifications EXCEPT .
A.educational background | B.social background |
C.all kinds of special training received | D.experience in previous work |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a mistake found in job interviews?
A.Leaving the mobile on | B.Criticizing previous bosses. |
C.Having no questions. | D.Arriving late. |
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The manager expects to meet and talk with successful applicants in Paris in June and July.What is the purpose of the text?
A.To introduce a language school in Japan. |
B.To hire language teachers to work in Japan. |
C.To describe working conditions in Japan. |
D.To make clear the requirements for Japanese teachers. |
We know from the text that those who are going to Japan will .
A.teach English only in Osaka | B.receive a degree from a university |
C.have free accommodation | D.get trained for the job |
Before going to Japan, you need .
A.to see the manager of NOVA France | B.to take some computer courses |
C.to write a letter to Japan | D.to find a place to live |
If you want to work in Japan you should .
A.have some working experience | B.know how to use computers |
C.present good teaching plans | D.speak several languages |
One morning, Charley, a little green frog, was sitting in a pond by the side of the road.
Wanda, the neighborhood witch(女巫), was walking along the road. She was a good witch and dreamt to become a fairy godmother who can save people from trouble with magic powers. Wanda had been learning fairy godmother magic for 103 years. That morning, she decided to try the magic she had learned and bring happiness to others.
Seeing Wanda, Charley cried, “Hi, Wanda.”
“Hi, Charley,” replied Wanda, “I have a surprise for you.”
Then, Wanda waved her wand(魔杖), said a magic word, and Charley turned into a prince!
When Charley-turned-prince looked at himself in the water, he cried, “Hey! You turned me into a prince! It’s a surprise all right, but I don’t want to be a prince! Change me back right now!”
“Oh, dear,” Wanda said. “You shouted so loud that I forgot the way to change you back. But who wouldn’t rather be a prince?”
“I wouldn’t!” cried Charley. “I want to be a frog!” He stuck out his tongue, missing a bug (虫子)flying by the end of his nose. “Look at that, Wanda! I was a good fly catcher. But now, this tongue is too short! Please change me back!”
“I can’t, Charley. But you’ll learn to be happy as a prince.” She waved her wand, and suddenly a castle appeared. Out of the castle dozens of musicians were playing various instruments. “Charley! You’ll have servants, eat delicious foods, and you can sing and dance and snap fingers(弹响指).”
“No!” Charley interrupted, “I don’t want all these! I want bugs!” Charley cried. “I don’t want to sing and dance! And why would I do something as silly as snapping my fingers?”
“Snapping fingers!” cried out Wanda. “That’s what I forgot!” She snapped her fingers, cried “Upsi-doodle!” and the castle and musicians disappeared and the prince became a little green frog.”
Charley looked at himself in the water. “ You did it, Wanda. Oh, happy day! I’m a frog.”
“I must apologize, Charley,” Wanda said, “You are a happy frog. I should know this a moment ago.”Wanda turned Charley from a frog into a prince .
A.of her own will | B.to play a joke on him |
C.at the request of charley | D.to teach Charley a lesson |
After the little green frog became a prince, he. .
A.was grateful to Wanda | B.wanted a great palace |
C.couldn’t recognize Wanda | D.became angry with Wanda |
At the end of the story, Wanda probably felt. .
A.satisfied | B.ashamed | C.worried | D.excited |
According to the passage, which of the following conclusions can we get?
A.Just be yourself | B.Do nothing by halves |
C.Helping others is a virtue | D.Where there is a will, there is a way |
D
Parties, iPods, concerts, movies, TV shows, video games, traffic. All of these things of the modern world make life entertaining and enjoyable. But our 21st-century lifestyle is also loud and, if we don’t take notice, it can have an effect on our hearing.
Most teenagers don’t think about hearing loss. But if you experience any of the following symptoms(症状), you may already be hearing damaged: you make efforts to hear normal talk, you have to turn up the TV or radio so high that others complain, you watch other people’s expressions to understand what they are saying, you ask people to repeat themselves, you misunderstand what people are saying or you hear ringing in your ears.
iPods and other MP3 players are as common as the clothes you wear, and just as fashionable. But if you turn up an iPod to more than 60 percent of its maximum volume(最大音量), and listen to music for more than an hour, you are asking for trouble. And, it does not matter if the music you play is classical, rock or heavy metal.
Some researchers find that young people who break the so-called 60-percent/60-minute rule in listening to iPods are at the risk of suffering hearing loss.
Why is an iPod dangerous? With ear buds placed directly in the ear canal and high-volume music played over a long period of time, it’s like working in a loud factory all day, being a maintenance(修理)person under a jet airplane or using a jackhammer(手提钻)on a building site.
Similarly, iPod music can cause a short time or permanent(永久的)hearing damage. A loud iPod can cause a ruptured(破裂的)eardrum and, over time, may cause permanent damage to the tiny hairs in the inner ear. If these tiny hairs are damaged, they cannot effectively send sounds to the auditory nerves(听觉神经)that connect to the brain. If this happens, hearing loss becomes permanent.Which of the following shows that you are suffering hearing loss?
A.You are interested to listen to others’ talking. |
B.You have to read others’ expressions to understand them. |
C.You can only understand others over the phone. |
D.You always think you hear the ringing of the phone. |
Which of the following is TRUE when you listen to music?
A.Listen at least an hour every time. |
B.Turn up the volume to the highest level. |
C.keep the sound lower than 60% of its highest volume. |
D.Choose classical, rock or heavy metal music. |
What is the correct order of causing permanent hearing loss?
a. The eardrum is broken.
b. The auditory nerves cannot receive sounds.
c. Tiny hairs are damaged.
d. Ear buds are placed directly in the ear canal.
e. High-volume music is played over a long time.
A.d-a-c-b-e | B.e-c-a-b-d | C.b-c-a-d-e | D.d-e-a-c-b |
This passage is mainly about.
A.music that teenagers like | B.hearing problems caused by the loud world |
C.ways that teenagers enjoy music | D.dangerous modern lifestyles of teenagers. |