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The malls were filled with people seeking gifts for their loved ones. Some of the malls remained open around the clock, partly to satisfy our needs to buy gifts.
Behind the materialistic aspect of shopping for gifts lies the idea of caring, being attentive to the desires of special people in our lives. However, to use a well-worn play on words: it is our presence, not our presents, that truly counts. Many of us, unfortunately, can be so inattentive, even in the presence of our loved ones, that we might as well not be there at all.
Attention is one of the greatest gifts we can give each other. Companies around the globe spend billions every year on advertising to catch our attention for just a short moment at a time. Whole industries — media, entertainment, education — rely on the precious gift of our attention for their continued existence. A baby lacking attention for a long time is likely to be psychologically unhealthy.
In earlier times, both diet and attention could be left unregulated (没人管的) without major cause for concern. There were natural checks and balances: limited availability of food meant few got fat, for example. Similarly, in bygone times we might have spent a few hours communicating with the village storyteller; today, watching an entire TV series, while speaking to nobody, is common. In traditional societies, with smaller population, everyone would get a fair deal of attention. On many issues we might go to see Grandma or Grandpa; now we have Google and Wikipedia.
“She just wants attention.” people tend to think little of those doing things simply for attention. But the truth is that human beings need attention, and giving attention to each other is, to a large extent, what human civilization is based upon. This perhaps explains the runaway success of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. While we use such sites for “micro Hogging”, “idea voicing” and “status updates” — the reality is that we are often doing no more or less than fulfilling our basic human drive for attention exchange.
I friend you, you friend me, I retweet you, you retweet me. The charming ease with which we can now get and give attention is why many people appear overly attached to their smartphones. It is also a vicious (恶性的) circle. As ever more people are busy exchanging attention online, there is increasingly less attention to be paid in the real world, which forces more people to seek their attention exchange online, or else risk attention-starvation.
The very nature of attention exchange is being rapidly transformed, and there is a danger that some of us will develop unhealthy practices. Just as eating red meat every day is a bad idea, so it is with too much attention exchange. The biological consequences of our technological advancement in food production are highly visible; heart disease, diabetes and obesity. The consequences of our transformed attention exchanges will be psychological and social, and so may take longer to identify, but they will be equally damaging.
Face-to-face attention is becoming rarer, and therefore more valuable. In a sense it is priceless. And it is a gift that can be given all-year-round.
In the first two paragraphs the author __________.

A.offers advice to attention givers
B.analyses the present problems
C.states the necessity of presents
D.puts forward his point of view

What can we infer from Paragraphs 6-7?

A.More people will risk attention-starvation in future.
B.The nature of attention exchange is rarely changed.
C.Technological advancement contributes to all diseases.
D.Transformed attention exchanges do harm to society.

The writer’s purpose for writing the passage is to __________.

A.advocate more focus on real life attention
B.analyze the necessity of attention giving
C.give practical tips on attention exchange
D.recommend some social networking sites
科目 英语   题型 阅读理解   难度 中等
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Students from Florida International University in. Miami walked on water Thursday for a class assignment. To do it, they wore aquatic (水上的)shoes they designed and created.
Alex Quinones was the first to make it to the other side of a 175-foot lake on campus in record time - just over a minute. Quinones, who wore oversized boat-like shoes, also won last year and will receive $ 500. Students had to wear the aquatic shoes and make it across the lake in order to earn an '6A" on the assignment for Architecture Professor Jaime Canaves, Materials and Methods Construction Class. "It's traditional in a school of architecture to do boats out of cardboard for a boat race. I thought our students were a little bit more special than that, " Canaves said. "We decided to do the walk on water event to take it to the next level. "
A total of 79 students competed in the race this year in 41 teams. Only 10 teams failed to cross the lake. Others who fell got back up and made it to the end. The race is open to all students and anyone in the community. The youngest person to ever participate was a 9-year-old girl who competed in place of her mother, while the oldest was a 67-year-old female.
A large crowd on campus joined Canaves as he cheered on the racers. He shouted encouraging words, but also laughed as some unsteadily made their way to the end.
"A part of this is for them to have more understanding of designing and make it work better, " he said. It is also a lesson in life for the students.
"Anything, including walking on water, is possible, if you do the research,test it and go through the design process seriously.
Which statement about Alex 'Quinones is ture ?

A.He finished the race in less than a minute.
B.He won the race with the help of 2 boats.
C.He failed the race last year.
D.He set a new record this year.

For what purpose did the students take part in the race?

A.To go across the lake to school.
B.To test their balance on the water.
C.To pass Professor Canaves’ class.
D.To win the prize money of $ 500.

Which of the following is true about the race?

A.The students who fell into the water had to quit.
B.More than 20 teams failed to cross the lake.
C.The students kept silent when the other racers competed.
D.The youngest competitor competed instead of her mother.

According to Canaves, this race can help the students

A.understand designing better
B.achieve almost everything
C.work together and unite as one
D.walk on the surface of water

What is the purpose of this passage?

A.To advertise a student' s program.
B.To report an interesting assignment.
C.To introduce a creative professor.
D.To encourage special events on campus.

The iPhone, the iPad, each of Apple’s products sounds cool and has become a fad (一时的风尚). Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter “i” – and many other brands are following suit. The BBC’s iPlayer – which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet –adopted the title in 2008. A lovely bear – popular in the US and UK – that plays music and video is called “iTeddy”. A slimmed-down version of London’s Independent newspaper was launched last week under the name “i”.
In general, single-letter prefixes (前缀) have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce first came into use.
Most “i” products are targeted at young people and considering the major readers of Independent’s “i”, it’s no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name.
But it’s hard to see what’s so special about the letter “i”. Why not use “a”, “b”, or “c” instead? According to Tony Thorne, head of the Language Center at King’s College, London, “i” works because its meaning has become ambiguous. When Apple uses “i”, no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBC Magazines. “Even when Apple created the iPod, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition,” he says.
“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now associated with portability (轻便) .”adds Thorne.
Clearly the letter “i” also agrees with the idea that the Western World is centered on the individual. Each person believes they have their own needs, and we love personalized products for this reason.
Along with “Google” and “blog”, readers of BBC Magazines voted “i” as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade.
But as history shows, people grow tired of fads. From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was associated with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the trend inevitably disappeared.
People use iPlayer to __________.

A.listen to music B.make a call
C.watch TV programs online D.read newspapers

We can infer that the Independent’s “i” is aimed at __________.

A.young readers B.old readers
C.fashionable women D.engineers

The underlined word “ambiguous” means “__________”.

A.popular B.uncertain
C.definite D.unique

Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products which are __________.

A.portable B.environmentally friendly
C.advanced D.recyclable

The writer suggests that __________.

A.“i” products are often of high quality
B.iTeddy is alive bear
C.the letter “b” replaces letter “i” to name the products
D.the popularity of “i” products may not last long

It was an autumn morning shortly after my husband and I moved into our first house. Our children were upstairs unpacking, and I was looking out of the window at my father moving around mysteriously on the front lawn. My parents lived nearby, and Dad had visited us several times already. “What are you doing out there?” I called to him.
He looked up, smiling. “I’m making you a surprise.” Knowing my father, I thought it could be just about anything. A self-employed jobber, he was always building things out of odds and ends. When we were kids, he always created something surprising for us.
Today, however, Dad would say no more, and caught ups in the busyness of our new life, I eventually forgot about his surprise.
Until one gloomy day the following March when I glanced out of the window. Any yet… I saw a dot of blue across the yard. I headed outside for a closer look. They were crocuses (番红花), throughout the front lawn. Lavender, blue, yellow and my favorite pink --- little faces moved up and down in the cold wind.
Dad! I smiled, remembering the things he had secretly planted last autumn. He knew how the darkness and dullness of winter always got me down. What could have been more perfectly timely to my needs?
My father’s crocuses bloomed each spring for the next four or five seasons, bringing the same assurance every time they arrived: hard times was almost over. Hold on, keep going, light is coming soon.
Then a spring came with only half the usual blooms. The next spring there were none. I missed the crocuses. I would ask Dad to come over and plant new bulbs. But I never did.
He died suddenly one October day. My family was in deep sorrow, leaning on our faith. I missed him terribly.
Four years passed, and on a dismal spring afternoon I was driving back when I found myself feeling depressed. “You’ve got the winter depression again and you get them every year.” I told myself.
It was Dad’s birthday, and I found myself thinking about him. This was not unusual --- my family often talked about him, remembering how he lived his faith. Once I saw him give his coat to a homeless man.
Suddenly I slowed as I turned into our driveway. I stopped and stared at the lawn. And there on the muddy grass and small gray piles of melting snow, bravely waving in the wind, was one pink crocus.
How could a flower bloom from a bulb more than 18 years old, one that had not blossomed in over a decade? But there was the crocus. Tears filled my eyes as I realized its significance.
Hold on, keep going, light is coming soon. The pink crocus bloomed for only a day. But it built my faith for a lifetime.
According to the first three paragraphs, we learn that _________.

A.the writer was unpacking when her father was making the surprise
B.the writer knew what the surprise was because she knew her father
C.it was not the first time that the writer’s father had made a surprise
D.it kept bothering the writer not knowing what the surprise was

Which of the following would most probably be the worst time of the year as seen by the writer?

A.Spring. B.Summer.
C.Autumn. D.Winter.

The writer’s father should be best described as_________.

A.a full-time gardener with skillful hands
B.a part-time jobber who loved flowers
C.a kind-hearted man who lived with faith
D.an ordinary man with doubts in his life

At the end of the passage, crocus was viewed as the symbol of _________ by the writer.

A.belief B.family C.love D.friendship

WHAT’S ON

STAGE
Russian dances: The famous “Little White Birth” Dance Troupe will travel from Russia to present performances in Beijing.
The troupe, founded in 1948, is famous for their combination of Russian folk dances and classical dancing art.
It has been invited by the Beijing Foreign Culture Exchange Co. in order to give four performances in Beijing.
Tickets are available through ticket hotlines and website such as www. paio. com. cn, www. Chinaticket. com and www. ticket. elong. com.
* Time: 7: 30 pm, January 18 - 21
* Place: Beizhan Theatre, 135, Xiwai Dajie,
Xicheng District
* Tel: 6606-4258
EXHIBITIONS
Kite show: All together 81 kites collected by the China National Art Museum is on show in the Yanhuang Art Museum.
Kong Xiangze, an expert on Chinese kites, published a book on kites, explaining the origins of the kite-making process. The exhibited kites are made in a traditional Chinese style.
* Time: 9 am-5 pm until February 11
* Place: 9 Huizhong Lu
* Tel: 6491-2902
CONCERTS
Folk music: A concert of classics of Chinese folk music will greet audiences on the first day of the Year of Snake at the Beijing Concert Hall.
The China Song and Dance Ensemble will perform dozens of traditional instrumental pieces, such as “Full of Joy”, “Colourful Cloud Chasing the Moon” and “Spring Festival Suite”.
* Time: 7: 30 pm, January 24
* Place: 1, Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District
* Tel: 6559-8285
EVENTS
Flower festival: The Beijing Botanical Garden is bringing people a blooming festival with the beautiful flowers in its tropical plants greenhouse.
The garden has introduced nearly 80 kinds of flowers abroad for the exhibition.
There is also an exhibition of potted narcissus (水仙) landscapes (盆景). More than 300 mini landscapes involving imported narcissus will be displayed, people can get a preview of the show by visiting www.beijingbd.com, the garden’s website.
* Time: 8:30 am-5 pm until January 28
* Place: Wofosi Lu near the Fragant Hills
* Tel: 8259-5547

Suppose you are too far away from Beijing or you can’t spare time to go there in person, which of the following shows can you enjoy all the same?

A.Russian dances. B.Kite show
C.Folk music D.Flower festival

The phrase “get a preview of” used in the passage means ______.

A.watch in advance B.see more clearly
C.get good position of D.get a general idea of

If you and your classmates have a free evening to spend on the 19th of January, which is a useful number to call?

A.6606-4258 B.6491-2902
C.6559-8285 D.8259-5547

When something goes wrong,it can be very satisfying to say,”Well, it’s so-and-so’s fault.” or “I know I’m late,but it’s not my fault;the car broke down.” It is probably not your fault,but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation,you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation. This is the winner’s key to success.
Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly. Or, you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need. For another example, if your colleague(同事) causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don’t rely on the person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of how your colleague fails to do his job well.
This is what being a winner is all about—creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. Winners don’t have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on “whose fault it is.” Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stop on for success.
According to the passage, winners.

A.deal with problems rather than blame others
B.meet with fewer difficulties in their lives
C.have responsible and able colleagues
D.blame themselves rather that others

The underlined word remedy in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to.

A.avoid B.accept
C.improve D.consider

When your colleague brings about a problem, you should.

A.find a better way to handle the problem
B.blame him for his lack of responsibility
C.tell him to find the cause of the problem
D.ask a more able colleague for help

Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A.A Winner’s Problem
B.A Winner’s Secret
C.A Winner’s Opportunity
D.A Winner’s Achievemen

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