Last year I ruined my summer vacation－a two-week vacation at my wife’s family cabin on a lake in northern Ontario, located at the boundary of the US and Canada－by bringing along a modern convenience that was too convenient for my own good: the iPad.
Instead of admiring the beauty of nature, I checked e-mail. Instead of paddling an old canoe, I followed my Twitter feed. Instead of devouring great (or merely amusing) novels, I stuck to my workday diet of four newspapers each morning.
And that was the problem: I was behaving as if I were still in the office, sticking to the unending news cycle. My body was on vacation but my head wasn’t.
So this year I made up my mind to try something different, a social media experiment in reverse: withdrawal from the Internet. Could I manage to unplug?
I knew it wouldn’t be easy, since I’m not good at self-denial. But I was determined. I started with a physical restraint: handing the iPad to my wife, who helpfully announced that she was going to use it to read a 630-page novel for her book club and would not be inclined to relinquish the tablet for even a moment.
Then, a stroke of luck: The cell phone signal at the Canadian cabin was spottier than in the past, making my attempts at cheating an experience in frustration.
I was trapped, forced to comply with my own good intentions. Largely cut off from e-mail, Twitter and my favorite newspaper websites, I had little way to connect to the world except for radio－and how much radio can one listen to, really?
I had no choice but to do what I had planned to do all along: read books. I experienced criminal plots on the streets of Los Angeles, cutthroat battles between cancer labs and the psyche of a London social butterfly in 1922. And there were old magazines to read.
I’m not claiming that I cut myself off from the Internet completely. Every few days, we biked into the nearest town and, as a reward, sat on a park bench in front of the public library to use its Wi-Fi. And back at the cabin, we suffered through a slow dial-up connection once a day to check e-mail.
This tale of self-denial has a happy ending－for now, at least. With determination and deep breathing, plus the strong support of my wife, I succeeded in my vacation struggle against the Internet, realizing finally that it was me, of course, not the iPad, that was the problem.
I knew I had won when we passed a Starbucks and my wife asked if I wanted to stop to use the Wi-Fi. “Don’t need it,” I said, trying not to sound too pleased.
However, as we return to post-vacation situation, a test begins: Can I stay on the wagon now that I’m back at work? There are times when the compulsion to know what’s being said right now is overwhelming (and for me, sometimes it’s crucial to my livelihood). And I have no intention of giving up my membership in the cult of immediacy. But I hope to resist the temptation to reflexively check my e-mail every five minutes, which often leads, as long as I’m looking, to checking my Twitter feed and a website or two.
A vacation is supposed to help you reset your brain to become more productive. Here’s hoping this one worked.What ruined the writer’s trip last year?
| A．That he was worn out because of the schedule. |
| B．That he forgot to bring amusing novels with him. |
| C．That he read too much newspaper last year. |
| D．That he was distracted by too many things unrelated to the trip. |
What does the underlined word ‘restraint’ mean?
| A．A calm and controlled behavior. |
| B．A relaxing move. |
| C．A strong determination. |
| D．An unshakable faith. |
What did the writer do to get in touch with the outside world during the trip?
| A．Reading online newspapers. |
| B．Following his friends’ Twitter. |
| C．Checking email every now and then. |
| D．Listening to the radio. |
Why did the writer claim that his self-denial process have a happy ending?
| A．He has completely turned down the Internet. |
| B．He gave up his habit of checking the latest news online. |
| C．He realized that his body was on vacation but his head wasn’t. |
| D．It dawned on him that it was people that are in control of their behavior. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Say no to electronic devices. |
| B．Relationships harmed by distractions. |
| C．Abandoned distractions ease break. |
| D．Things that can take your mind off. |
The weather is getting hotter. You are thirsty playing basketball or riding home from school. A cold drink may be just the thing. But be careful what you are drinking. Something that looks cool may not be good for your health. There are plenty of “energy drinks” on the market. Most of them have beautiful colors and cool names. The lists on them tell you they are helpful to your health. Sounds great!
But after a careful check you may find that most energy drinks have lots of caffeine(咖啡碱)in them. These drinks are especially aimed at young people, students, busy people and sports players. Makers sometimes say their drinks make you better at sports and can keep you awake. But be careful not to drink too much. Caffeine makes your heart beat fast. Because of this, the International Olympic Committee(IOC) has limited(限制) its use. Caffeine in most energy drinks is at least as strong as that in a cup of coffee or tea. Possible health dangers have something to do with energy drinks. Just one box of energy drink can make you nervous, have difficulty sleeping and can even cause heart problems. Scientists say that teenagers should be discouraged from taking drinks with a lot of caffeine in them.Many people like drinking energy drinks because of the following EXCEPT that ______.
| A．they have beautiful colors and cool names |
| B．they have lots of caffeine |
| C．they can keep them awake and better at sports |
| D．they are said to be helpful to health |
The main reason for people not to drink too much energy drinks is that they may cause ______.
| A．heart problems | B．nervousness |
| C．sleeping difficulty | D．possible health dangers |
The underlined word “discouraged” can be replaced(替换) with ______.
| A．encouraged | B．stopped | C．helped | D．disliked |
From the passage we can know that ______.
| A．advertisements are important in getting people to buy energy drinks |
| B．energy drinks are helpful to teenagers’ study |
| C．sports players need to drink a lot of energy drinks |
| D．energy drinks are especially aimed at teenagers |
Which of the following can be the best title of the passage? ______
| A．What’s the Use of Energy Drinks? |
| B．Who Can Drink Energy Drinks? |
| C．What’s That in Energy Drinks? |
| D．Why Can’t We Buy Energy Drinks? |
Son’s Help
Mr. Smith worked in a factory. As a driver, he was busy but he was paid much. His wife was an able woman and did all the housework. When he came back, she took good care of him and he never did anything at home. So he had enough time when he had a holiday. A few friends of his liked gambling(赌博) and he learned it soon. So he was interested in it and hardly forgot anything except gambling. He lost all his money and later he began to sell the television, watches and so on. His wife told him not to do it but he didn’t listen to her. She had to tell the police. He and his friends were punished for it. And he was hardly sent away. After he came out of lockup, he hated her very much and the woman had to leave him.
It was New Year’s Day. Mr. Smith didn’t go to work. He felt lonely and wanted to gamble again. He called his friends and they came soon. But they were afraid the police would come. He told his six-year-old son to go to find out if there were the policemen outside. They waited for a long time and didn’t think the police would come and began to gamble. Suddenly opened the door and in came a few policemen.
“I saw there weren’t any policemen outside, daddy,” said the boy, “so I went to the crossing and asked some to come.”Mr. Smith was paid much because _______.
| A．his wife helped him a lot |
| B．he worked in a factory |
| C．he was busy and had a lot of work to do |
| D．he had worked there for a long time |
Mrs. Smith did all housework because _______.
| A．she couldn’t find any work |
| B．she thought her husband was tired |
| C．her husband spent all time in gambling |
| D．she wouldn’t stop her husband gambling |
_____, so he was put into lockup.
| A．Mr. Smith often gambled |
| B．Mr. Smith was late for work |
| C．Mr. Smith didn’t help his wife at home |
| D．Mr. Smith wasn’t polite to the police |
The woman had to leave Mr. Smith because _______.
| A．he didn’t love her any longer |
| B．he wouldn’t stop gambling |
| C．he had been put into lockup |
| D．he was hardly sent away by the factory |
What is the meaning of the underlined word in the first paragraph?
| A．clinic | B．office | C．prison | D．restaurant |
We are all interested in equality, but while some people try to protect the school and examination system in the name of equality, others, still in the name of equality, want only to destroy it.
Any society which is interested in equality of opportunity and standards of achievement must regularly test its pupils. The standards may be changed ---- no examination is perfect ---- but to have no external(外部的)tests or examinations would mean the end of equality and of standards. There are groups of people who oppose this view and who do not believe either in external examinations or in any controls in schools or on teachers. This would mean that everything would depend on luck since every pupil would depend on the efficiency, the ideal and the purpose of each teacher.
Without external examinations, employers will look for employees from the highly respected schools and from families known to them ---- a form of favoritism will replace equality. At the moment, the bright child from an ill-respected school can show certificates（证书）to prove he or she is suitable for a job, while the lack of a certificate shows the unsuitability of a dull child attending a well - respected school. This defense of excellence and opportunity would disappear if external examinations were taken away, and the bright child from a poor family would be a prisoner of his or her school's fame, unable to compete for employment with the child from the favored school.
The opponents（对手）of the examination system suggest that examinations are an evil force because they show differences between pupils. According to these people, there must be no special, different, academic class. They have even suggested that there should be no form of difference in sport or any other area: all jobs or posts should be filled by unsystematic selection. The selection would be made by people who themselves are probably selected by some computer.
These people are not just against school organization, but are at war with the whole idea of modem competitive society and they are using children in schools for their destructive purposes. There is no reason why we should allow such people to determine the way our schools are organized when it is to the obvious disadvantage of the pupils, of the schools and of our society as a whole.According to the passage, the writer thinks that ________.
| A．changing the standards could mean the end of equality |
| B．standards must keep changing in order to achieve equality |
| C．there would be no standards without external examinations |
| D．we cannot have standards because examinations are not perfect |
In the writer's opinion, what would happen if external examinations were taken away?
| A．There would be no more opportunities and no more excellence. |
| B．Children from poor families would not be able to change schools. |
| C．Going to a favored school should be the only way to get a good job. |
| D．Schools for bright children would lose their fame. |
The situation at the moment is that ________.
| A．many children who are suitable for a job have no proof of their suitability |
| B．a school's fame is not important, as long as a child has a certificate. |
| C．children attending well - respected schools need not get certificates. |
| D．a bright child doesn't need a certificate a t all to get a good job. |
Which of the following sentences is TRUE?
| A．Most students from poor families can't get a good job. |
| B．Some people are using students to destroy our society. |
| C．The writer thinks it a good way to choose a job by computer. |
| D．The opponents of the examination want to reorganize schools. |
The opponents would agree that _________.
| A．computers should be selected to take over many jobs |
| B．particular people should not be chosen for particular jobs |
| C．well-respected schools should be got rid of as soon as possible |
| D．the students are not equally treated if they take external examinations |
One day an out of work mimic(滑稽演员) is visiting the zoo and attempts to earn some money as a street performer. As soon as he starts to draw the crowd，a zoo keeper grabs him and drags him into his office. The zoo keeper explains to the mimic that the zoo's most popular attraction，a gorilla(大猩猩)，has died suddenly and the keeper fears that attendance at the zoo will fall off. He offers the mimic a job to dress up as the gorilla until they can get another one. The mimic accepts.
So the next morning the mimic puts on the gorilla suit and enters the cage before the crowd comes. He discovers that it's a great job. He can sleep all he wants，play and make fun of people and he draws bigger crowds than he ever did as a mimic. However，eventually the crowds tire of him and he tires of just swinging on wires. He begins to notice that the people are paying more attention to the lion in the cage next to his. Not wanting to lose the attention of his audience，he climbs to the top of his cage，crawls across a partition(隔离物)，and dangles from the top to the lion's cage. Of course，this makes the lion very angry，but the crowd loves it.
At the end of the day the zoo keeper comes and gives the mimic a raise for being such a good attraction. Well，this goes on for some time－the mimic keeps taunting the lion，the crowds grow larger，and his salary keeps going up. Then one terrible day when he is dangling over the angry lion he slips and falls. The mimic is terrified.
The lion gathers itself and prepares to attack. The mimic is so scared that he begins to run round and round the cage with the lion close behind. Finally，the mimic starts screaming and yelling，“Help me，help me！”But the lion is quick and attacks. The mimic soon finds himself flat on his back looking up at the angry lion and the lion says，“Shut up，you idiot！Do you want to get us both fired？”The mimic visits the zoo to________.
| A．take care of the dying gorilla | B．beg some money from the zoo keeper |
| C．ask for a job there | D．perform and earn some money there |
The zoo keeper offers the mimic a job to act as the gorilla because________.
| A．it is more expensive to hire a real gorilla |
| B．the real gorilla died but the keeper does not want to lose its visitors |
| C．he likes the mimic's performance |
| D．he wants to help the mimic who is out of work |
What does the mimic feel about the new job at first?
| A．He likes it because he has enough freedom in the job. |
| B．He likes it but he prefers to working as a mimic. |
| C．He doesn't like it for people do not respect him. |
| D．He doesn't like it because he gets little pay. |
The mimic climbs to the lion's cage because________.
| A．he finds it more interesting to climb the cage |
| B．he wants to play with the lion |
| C．he wants to attract the attention of his audience |
| D．he has never seen a lion before |
What does the passage mainly tell us?
| A．The mimic and his job | B．The mimic and his success |
| C．The actor and the mimic | D．The mimic and his animals |
What should you think about in trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work .So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school. On the other hand, you may not have any specially strong or weak subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value. Knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.
If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.
Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is bitter to face any weaknesses than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work. Which of the following best sums up the first paragraph?
| A．The importance of doing well at school. |
| B．Using school performance to help to choose a career. |
| C．The importance of being good at all subjects. |
| D．The indirect value of school work. |
The writer thinks that for a student to have a part-time job is probably.
| A．a waste of time that could have been spent on study |
| B．useful for his future work |
| C．a good way to earn extra money |
| D．a good way to find out his weak points |
According to the passage, if a students school record is not good, he ____.
| A．will be a complete failure in his future work |
| B．will not be able to find a suitable job |
| C．will regret not having worked harder at school |
| D．may do well in his future work |
Which subject is supposed to have no direct value for job hunting?
| A．Mathematics. | B．English. | C．Technical Drawing. | D．History. |
The whole passage centers on ____.
| A．choosing a career according to what one is skilled in |
| B．acquiring knowledge by working hard at school |
| C．developing ones personalities for the future. |
| D．finding ones strong and weak points |