Calling the future
When American inventor Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876，it was a revolution in communication. For the first time, people could talk to each other over great distances. Over the last two decades a new means of spoken communication has appeared ：the mobile phone.
The mobile phone is like a two-way radio. But the two-way radio is a limited means of communication. As soon as the users move out of range of each other's broadcast area, the signal is lost. In the 1940s, researchers experimented with the idea of using a number of radio masts（无线电杆）to pick up signals from two-way radios. A caller would always be within range of one of the masts. When he or she moved too far away from one mast, the next mast would pick up the signal. （Scientists referred to each mast's reception area as being a "cell". This is why in many countries mo-bile phones are called "cellphones".）
However，1940s, technology was just at the beginning. The "mobile phones" were huge boxes. They had to be moved by car.
The first real mobile telephone call was made in 1973 by Dr Martin Cooper. As soon as his invention was complete, he tested it by calling a rival （竞争对手）scientist to announce his success. Within a decade, mobile phones became available to the public.
They have changed the way we do a lot of things. One powerful feature is: the short message service（SMS） or text message. It's the perfect communication method for the busy modern lifestyle. The text message has changed the way we write in English. The language construction became more lax （松散的）. Traditional rules of grammar and spelling are much less important.
Over the last few years mobiles have become more and more advanced. We have seen the introduction of cameras, global positioning system and Internet access.
Alexander Graham Bell would be surprised if he could see how far the science of the telephone has developed in less than 150years. If he were around today, he might say ： " That's gr8! But I'm v busy rite now. Will call U 2nite. " The article is written to __________.
| A．warn people of the possible risks in using mobile phones |
| B．inform readers of the history and development of mobile phones |
| C．convince people of the uses of mobile phones |
| D．predict the applications of mobile phones |
What's the CORRECT time order about the development of communication?
a. the telephone invented by Alexander Graham Bell
b. "mobile phones" with very large boxes
c. mobile telephone call made by Dr Martin Cooper
d. mobiles with cameras, GPS and Internet access
| A．a, c，b, d |
| B．b, a，c, d |
| C．a, c，d, b |
| D．a, b，c, d |
The last sentence of the whole passage "That's gr8 ！ But I'm v busy rite now. Will call U 2nite. " may probably mean __________.
| A．That's great! But I'm very busy right now. （I）Will call you to-night |
| B．It's eight now. I'm very busy. （I） Will call you tonight |
| C．That's great! But I'm busy writing now. （I） Will call you at two tonight |
| D．"8" is great! But I'm very busy right now. （I） Will call it "U" to night |
What do you think of the author according to the last paragraph?
| A．Humorous |
| B．Ironic |
| C．Kind |
| D．Worried |
Someday a stranger will read your e-mail without your permission or scan the websites you’ve visited. Or perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchases or cell phone bills to find out your shopping preferences or calling habits.
In fact, it’s likely some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a spouse, a girlfriend, a marketing company, a boss, a cop or a criminal. Whoever it is, they will see you in a way you never intended to be seen—the 21st century equivalent (相等物) of being caught naked.
Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy, that it’s important to reveal yourself to friends, family and lovers in stages, at appropriate times. But few boundaries remain. The digital bread pieces you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers to reconstruct who you are, where you are and what you like. In some cases, a simple Google search can reveal what you think. Like it or not, increasingly we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret.
Thekeyquestionis:Doesthatmatter?
FormanyAmericans,theanswerapparentlyis“no.”
When opinion polls (民意测验) ask Americans about privacy, most say they are concerned about losing it. A survey found a serious depression about privacy, with 60 percent of respondents saying they feel their privacy is “slipping away, and that bothers me.”
But people say one thing and do another. Only a tiny part of Americans change any behaviors in an effort to preserve their privacy. Few people turn down a discount at tollbooths (收费站) to avoid using the EZ-Pass system that can track automobile movements. And few turn down supermarket loyalty cards. Privacy economist Alessanfro Acquisti has run a series of tests that reveal people will surr
ender personal information like Social Security numbers just to get their hands on a pitiful 50-cents-off coupon (优惠券).
But privacy does matter—at least sometimes. It’s like health: when you have it, you don’t notice it. Only when it’s gone do you wish you’d done more to protect it.What would psychologists advise on the relationships between friends?
| A．Friends should open their hearts to each other. |
| B．Friends should always be faithful to each other. |
| C．There should be a distance even between friends. |
| D．There should be fewer disagreements between friends. |
Why does the author say “we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret”?
| A．Modern society has finally developed into an open society. |
| B．People leave traces around when using modern technology. |
| C．There are always people who are curious about others’ affairs. |
| D．Many search engines profit by revealing people’s identities. |
What do most Americans do about privacy protection?
| A．They change behaviors that might disclose their identity. | |
B．They use various loyalty cards for business deals. |
C．They rely more and more on electronic devices. |
| D．They talk a lot but hardly do anything about it. |
According to the passage, privacy is like health because __________.
| A．people will make every effort to keep it |
| B．its importance is rarely understood |
| C．it is something that can easily be lost |
| D．people don’t cherish it until they lose it |
I made a promise to myself on the way down to the vacation beach cottage. For two weeks I would try to be a loving husband and father. Totally loving. No ifs, ands or buts.
The idea had come to me as I listened to a talk on my car radio. The speaker was quoting a passage from the Bible about husbands being thoughtful of their wives. Then he went on to say, “Love is an act of will. A person can choose to love.” To myself, I had to admit that I had been a selfish husband. Well, for two weeks that would change.
And it did. Right from the moment I kissed Evelyn at the door and said, “That new yellow sweater looks great on you.”“Oh, Tom, you noticed,” she said, surprised and pleased. Maybe a little puzzled. After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read. Evelyn suggested a walk on the beach. I started to refuse, but then I thought, “Evelyn’s been alone here with the kids all week and now she wants to be alone with me.” We walked on the beach while the children flew their kites.
So it went. Two weeks of not calling the Wall Street firm where I am a director; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums. Relaxed and happy, that’s how the whole vacation passed. I made a new pledge to keep on remembering to choose love.
There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however. Evelyn and I still laugh about it today. On the last night at our cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me with the saddest expression.
“What’s the matter?” I asked her.
“Tom,” she said in a voice filled with distress, “do you know something I don’t?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well…that medical checkup I had several weeks ago…our doctor…did he tell you something about me？Tom, you’ve been so good to me…am I dying?” It took a moment for it all to sink in. Then I burst out la
ughing.
“No, honey,” I said, wrapping her in my arms. “You’re not dying; I’m just starting to live.”From the story we may infer that Tom drove to the beach cottage __________.
| A．with his family | B．with Evelyn |
| C．all by himself | D．with his children |
During the two weeks on the beach, Tom showed more love to his wife because __________.
| A．she looked lovely in her new clothes |
| B．he could afford time to care for her |
| C．he was willing to be a good husband |
| D．she was seriously ill |
The author says, “There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment.” What was the one thing that went wrong?
| A．He praised her sweater, which puzzled her. |
| B．She insisted on visiting a museum, which he hated. |
| C．He knew something about her illness but didn’t tell her. |
| D．He was so good to her that she thought she would be dying. |
By saying “I’m just starting to live,” Tom means that __________.
A．he is just beginning to understand th e real meaning of life |
| B．he is just beginning to enjoy life as a loving husband |
| C．he lived an unhappy life before and is now starting to change |
D．he is beginning to regret  what he did to his wife before |
When
you are in Nanoko, be sure to stay at the Garden Hotel, whether you come on business or on holiday you will find everything as comfortable and convenient as you would expect in a first class international hotel.
Every bedroom has its own bathroom, telephone, and colorful modern materials and furniture in the local style. In the Mistu Restaurant, you can choose your meals from a lot of dishes, both Eastern and European, as you will find anywhere in the country. In the Beach Bar, you can drink with your family and friends in air-conditioned comfort, listen to the music of internationally known artists. Or you can take your drink outside into the beautiful garden that gives the hotel its name, or to the tables that surround the swimming pool. Throughout the motel, you will find the service is both friendly and efficient.
By day the pool is alive with the holiday spirit and the happy shouting of children and by night, soft light and music make it a per
fect place for a party, or simply for an after-dinner drink and conversation.
The Garden Hotel has its own minibus service. Give us a ring and we will 
arrange to collect you at the airport or in the city center.
If you prefer, we can
arrange for you to visit the wainiri Islands that lie just off the coast. Here you can swim in peace; or you can fish there. As it is well known, Wainiri is really a good place for people going fishing. The Garden Hotel is right on the beach, only fi
ve minutes from Nanoko’s modern shopping center. Here you will find all that money can buy, at prices you can afford.Every bedroom at the Garden Hotel _____.
| A．has a bathroom |
| B．has a colorful telephone in the local style |
| C．is colorful and modern with local style |
| D．is in an international style, comfortable and convenient. |
The hotel arranges for the visitors to _____.
| A．go fishing off Cape St. Cermain near wainiri |
| B．go across to the Wainiri Islands to swim or fish |
| C．see amounts of sea lives off the coast of Wainiri |
| D．go by bus to the Wainiri Islands for peach |
You will find the Garden Hotel _____.
| A．on the beach not far from Nanoko’s excellent shops |
| B．on the beach where you will find all that money can buy |
| C．close to shops where everything is cheap and famous |
| D．just off the coast, five minutes from the shops |
The Barbie doll first appeared at the toy fair in New York in 1959. Its creator was Ruth Handler, an American businesswoman. She and her husband Elliott along with Harold Matt Matson started the toy company Mattel. She based the design of the new doll on a German doll named Bild Lilli and named her after their daughter Barbara.
The first Barbie wore a black and white swimsuit and had her hair in a ponytail(马尾辫). She looked very grown-up. But any concerns that parents would not want to buy it for little girls were soon proved wrong.
Mattel sold 300,000 Barbie dolls in the first year at a pri
ce of three dollars. Today, a fifty-year-old Barbie in good condition might cost more than 27,000 dollars.
Barbie dolls have represented 50 different nationalities and are sold in 150 countries. Mattel says 90% of girls in the United States between the ages of three and ten own at least one Barbie doll. It says girls between the ages of three and six own an average of about 12.
Barbie also faced her share of critics. A well-known example was when women’s education groups objected to a talking Barbie doll that declared, among other things, “Math class is tough!” Mattel agreed to change it. Saudi Arabia has banned Barbie dolls. And a lawmaker in the American state of West Virginia would like to do the same. Last month, he proposed banning sales of Barbie and other dolls that influence girls to put too much importance on physical beauty.
Some people say Barbie is an unhealthy role model for young girls. Robin Gerber disagrees. She wrote a book about Barbie. She points out dolls like scientist Barbie and race car driver Barbie. She says people who criticize Barbie should tell girls the story of the businesswoman who created her. She says Ruth Handler wanted the dolls to help girls think about what they wanted to do with their lives.The first Barbie doll might not be popular among little girls because _______.
| A．her hairstyle was out of fashion |
| B．her appearance looked much too mature |
| C．her way of dressing was against the tradition |
| D．physical beauty wasn’t thought to be important |
From the passage we know that Mattel ________.
| A．is one of the world’s largest toy companies |
| B．is the director of an American toy company |
| C．was the woman who originally created Barbie |
| D．was a salesman who was good at selling Barbie dolls |
Barbie dolls are criticized partly because they make girls ________.
| A．pay too much attention to their physical beauty |
| B．neglect their schoolwork and inner beauty |
| C．prefer physical beauty to inner beauty |
| D．waste too much time and money on clothes |
It can be inferred from the last paragraph that in her book Robin Gerber ________.
| A．shows Barbie dolls have a negative influence on girls |
| B．praises a successful person who sells Barbie dolls |
| C．expresses her own favorable opinion about Barbie |
| D．argues for banning the sales of Barbie dolls |
Internet dating has become one of the biggest and most successful business ventures on the Internet. Basically, Internet dating is a way to meet people for either friendship or dating without actually having to meet them in person first.
The first thing t
o do if you decide to try Internet dating is to build your profile(简介) which can include your hobbies, hopes for the future, and so on. A photograph is optional, but many sites claim that a photograph increases the number of people who look at your profile. Many Internet dating sites will charge a one-time registration fee to use their services.
Internet dating makes it possible to meet people from all over the world. You can even narrow the search down to your
area by zip code. Another advantage is that you can
communicate by email before you meet in person. Thousands of people have met, fallen in love, and married through Internet dating. It is an excellent way for shy people to meet. It is also a way for people with busy lives to connect with others, and an easy way to meet people who share your interests.
Just as in conventional dating and love, there are some pitfalls to be aware of in Internet dating. The person you have been talking to on the net may not be who 
they say they are. Be very aware that there are some people who misrepresent their appearance or private details, such as marital status, income, and so on, for their own reasons. It would not be the first time that someone has been taken in, and talk shows are full of cheating partners who have been caught dating over the Internet in their spare time. Nevertheless, taking a few simple precautions should help ensure that your Internet dating experience is fun.Which of the following is a must to make an Internet dating possible?
| A．A photo. | B．A profile. |
| C．Registration fee. | D．Business experience. |
One advantage of Internet dating is that _______.
| A．you can avoid a face-to-face meeting in the beginning |
| B．you're sure to find a partner with the same interests |
| C．you'll find absolutely reliable information of others |
| D．you'll gain fame and money overnight |
The underlined word "pitfalls" in Paragraph 4 most probably means________.
A．rules |
B．trends | C．problems | D．skills |
What is probably talked about following the last paragraph?
| A．Conventional dating. | B．Hidden advantages. |
| C．Safety measures. | D．Romantic love. |