The Internet will open up new vistas (前景), create the global village——you can ma

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The Internet will open up new vistas (前景), create the global village——you can make new friends all around the world. That, at least, is what it promised us. The difficulty is that it did not take the human mind into account. The reality is that we cannot keep relationsh

ips with more than a limited number of people. No matter how hard the Internet tries to put you in communication, its best efforts will be defeated by your mind.
The problem is twofold（双重的）. First, there is a limit on the number of people we can hold in mind and have a meaningful relationship with. That number is about 150 and is set by the size of our brain. Second, the quality of your relationships depends on the amount of time you invest in then. We invest a lot in a small number of people and then distribute what’s left among as many others as we can. The problem is that if we invest little time in a person, our engagement with that person will decline until eventually it dies into “someone I once knew”.
This is not, of course, to say that the Internet doesn’t serve a socially valuable function. Of course it does. But the question is not that it allows you to increase the size of your social circle to include the rest of the world, but that you can keep your relationships with your existing friends going even though you have to move to the other side of the world.
In one sense, that’s a good thing. But it also has a disadvantage. If you continue to invest in your old friends even though you can no longer see them, then certainly you aren’t using your time to make new friends where you now live. And I suspect that probably isn’t the best use of your time. Meaningful relationships are about being able to communicate with each other, face to face. The Internet will slow down the rate with which relationships end, but it won’t stop that happening eventually.
小题1:The number of friends we can keep relationships with is decided by__________.

A．the Internet

B．the time we have

C．the place we live

D．the mind

小题2:The underlined word “engagement” in the seco

nd paragraph probably means “__________”.

A．appointment

B．connection

C．interview

D．agreement

小题3:The author holds the view that___________.

A．the Internet helps to keep in touch with friends far away

B．the Internet determines the quality of social relationships

C．the Internet greatly increases the size of social

circles

D．the Internet is of no value in social communication

小题4:What will the author encourage us to do?

A．To keep in touch with old friends when we have moved away.

B．To chat with friends often on the Internet.

C．To make more new friends face to face.

D．To stop using the Internet to make new friends.

小题5:What is the author’s attitude towards the use of the Internet to strengthen relationships?

A．He thinks it useless	B．He is hopeful of it.
C．He approves of it.	D．He doubts it.

答案

小题1:D
小题1:B
小题1:A
小题1:C
小题1:D

解析

略

举一反三

Phys ed (physical education) is making a comeback as a part of the school core curriculum(核心课程)，but with a difference. While group sports are still part of the curriculum, the new way is to teach skills that are useful beyond gym class. Instead of learning how to climb a rope, children are taught to lift weights, balance their diets and build physical endurance(忍耐力). In this way，kids are given the tools and skills and experiences so they can lead a physically active life for the rest of their life.
Considering that 15 percent of American children aged 6 to 18 are overweight, supporters say more money and thought must be put into phys ed curriculum. In many cases, that may mean not just replacing the old gym-class model with fitness programs but also starting up phys ed programs because school boards often "put P.E. on the chopping block (砧板), cutting it entirely or decreasing its teachers or the days it is offered," says Alicia Moag-Stahlberg, the executive director of Action for Health Kids. The difference in phys ed programs is partly due to the lack of a national standard. "Physical education needs to be part of the core curriculum," she added.
The wisdom of the new approach has some scientific support. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have showed how effective the fit-for-life model of gym class can be. They observed how 50 overweight children lost more weight when they cycled and skied cross-country (越野)than when they played sports. The researchers also found that teaching sports like football resulted in less overall movement, partly because some reluctant（不情愿的）students were able to sit on the bench.
Another problem with simply teaching group sports in gym class is that only a small percentage of students continue playing them after graduating from high school. The new method teaches skills that translate to adulthood.
小题1:According to the passage, what is usually taught in the old gym class?

A．Lift weights

B．Climb a rope

C．Cycle

D．Have a balanced diet

小题2:What does Alicia Moag-Stahlberg mean by saying “some school boards put P. E. on the chopping block”?

A．Schools do not pay enough attention to P. E..

B．Schools welcome P. E. but do not have time for it.

C．Schools put P.E. in the first place.

D．Schools cut down other subjects’ time for P. E..

小题3:Which is NOT the reason to carry out phys ed programs according to the passage?

A．More teenagers are overweight.

B．Traditional group sports teaching is not effective.

C．Students need to learn some skills to help them lead a physically active life.

D．Phys ed programs need less money to support.

小题4:How many problems are mentioned in the passage with simply teaching group sports?

A．Two

B．Three

C．Four

D．One

小题5:What’s the difference between the come-back phys ed and the ordinary gym-class model?

A．The Phys ed teaches group sports.

B．The Phys ed provides more fitness programs.

C．The Phys ed teaches tools and skills which could be used in the future life.

D．The Phys ed has more support from the government.

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In today"s world of cell phones, mini laptops and MP3 players, most people have at least one time-telling tool with them. Since these devices are so common, is time running out for the 500-year-old watch? According to some consumers, yes. New Jersey teenager Charlie Wollman says a watch is "an extra piece of equipment with no necessary function." Many young adults agree ─ and use their cell phones to tell time. Louis Galie, a senior vice president at Timex, said that fewer young people wear watches today than five years ago. As a result, some people claim that the watch industry is at a crossroads.
However, watchmakers optimistically say that watches regain popularity when consumers reach their 20s and 30s. By then, they are willing to spend money on a quality timepiece that doesn"t just keep good time. Fifty years ago, watchmakers boasted(自夸) about their products" accuracy. But in recent years, the watch industry has transformed itself into an accessory(附件，配件) business. And for many today, the image(外形) a watch communicates has become more important than the time it tells.
"Complications" ─ features that go beyond simple timekeeping ─ are an important part of a watch"s image. Today"s watches offer a host of features that suit almost any personality. These features include altitude trackers(追踪器), compasses(指南针), lunar calendars, USB drives, and even devices that measure the effectiveness of golf swings!
Creativity is also a key element in today"s watches. For example, Japanese watchmaker Tokyoflash makes watches that don"t even look like watches. The company"s popular Shinshoku model uses different color lights to tell the time. It looks more like a futuristic bracelet(手镯) than a watch. Another Japanese watchmaker, EleeNo, makes a "handless" watch. Using a ring of circles to keep time, this watch makes an excellent conversation piece.
Whether a watch communicates fashion sense, creative flair or a love of sports, consumers want their timepieces to stand out. Nowadays, everyone has the same kind of gadget in their bags, so people want to make a statement with what"s on their wrists(手腕). Will this interest in wrist fashion last? Only time will tell!
小题1:Why aren’t watches popular with young people as before?

A．Because watches cannot keep good time as cell phones, mini laptops and MP3 players.

B．Because watches are featured by the disadvantages of simple function

C．Because watches are too expensive to afford.

D．Because watches don’t have beautiful appearance as other modern time telling tools.

小题2: What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 mean?

A．Watching-making is facing a survival crisis challenge.

B．Watching-making is faced with the developing opportunity.

C．Watching-making becomes the sun rising industry.

D．Watching-making has a specific development target.

小题3: It can be implied that ____________________.

A．people will gradually lose interest in watches as they grow older

B．watchmakers hardly change the development strategy for watches

C．today’s watches are better than those in the past in quality

D．customers used t

o be more concerned with the quality of a watch than with its image.

小题4:The following qualities can make a watch popular EXCEPT _________.

A．multifunction

B．accuracy

C．nice design

D．low price

小题5:What’s the best title of the passage?

A．Watches and Teenagers	B．The History of Watches
C．The Accuracy of Watches	D．Watches Tell More Than Time

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Howling is a behaviour commonly observed among a wolf pack. As pack animals, wolves work together to hunt and rely on howling as an important means of communication among each other. There are different explanations of a wolf’s howl and it appears that there may be more to discover.
One theory is that wolves howl to bond better together. It’s almost as if howling together helps the pack stay together. Perhaps something similar to people feeling a sense of involvement with each other when singing a song together. But this theory may be wrong, explains Fred H. Harrington, a professor who studies wolf behaviour.
Indeed, there have been times when wolves have been seen one moment howling in a chorus, and the next, quarreling among each other. It appears that usually the lowest-ranking members of the pack may actually be “punished” for joining in the chorus at times. So is howling a way to strengthen a social bond or just a way to reconfirm status a

mong its members? —Why do wolves howl for sure?
What is clear, however, is that howling is often used among packmates to locate each other. Hunting grounds are distant and it happens that wolves may separate from one another at times. When this happens, howling appears to be an excellent means of gathering.
Howling, interestingly, is a contagious behaviour. When one wolf starts to howl, very likely others will follow. This is often seen to occur in the morning, as if wolves were doing some sort of “roll call” where wolves all howl together to report their presence.
小题1:What is the possible similarity between wolves’ howling together and humans’ singing in chorus?

A．The act of calling each other.	B．The sense of accomplishment.
C．The act of hunting for something.	D．The sense of belonging to a group.

小题2:Why does Harrington think the “social bond” theory may be wrong?

A．Wolves separate from each other after howling.

B．Wolves tend to protect their huntin

g grounds.

C．Wolves sometimes have quarrels after howling together.

D．Wolves of low rank are encouraged to join in the chorus.

小题3:Researchers are sure that wolves often howl to ______.

A．show their ranks	B．find their companions
C．report the missing ones	D．express their loneliness

小题4:“Howling… is a contagious behaviour” (in the last paragraph) means _______.

A．howling is a signal for hunting

B．howling is a way of communication

C．howling often occurs in the morning

D．howling spreads from one to another

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Why should I teach my children history? That sounds like a stupid question to even ask．But, as I hear different home schooling teachers discuss history, I get the idea that there may be different reasons for teaching history．Let me briefly explain the three good reasons for studying history and two bad reasons for studying history．
The major reason I see for studying history is that we can learn from the past．I am convinced that the world would be a much better place if more people understood the successes and failures of the past and the things that made these successes and failures．However, as the unfortunately true statement goes "the one thing we seem to learn from history is that we don"t seem to learn from history". Perhaps at least in teaching history, to my children I can do a small part in changing this．
A second major reason for studying history is th

at it is hard to understand the current political climate in the absence of an understanding of its historical context．We can’t even understand why we are and where we are without history, much less （更不必说） try to figure out where we are going or how we should get where we want to be．
I teach my children history, for one more reason．I purchased a set of historical audio （录音机） tapes for our children．My seven-year-old son listened to them over and over．It was my hope that he would become inspired by the accomplishments of people like the Wright brothers to accomplish things by himsel

f．I think that it is good that we celebrate the accomplishments of people like Martin Luther King Jr．if, in doing so, young people are called on to stand for the principles that he stood for and accomplish what he accomplished．I also think that by studying people like Adolph Hitler, people can learn to stand against the things that he stood for．
小题1:What message can we get from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 ?

A．Many people aren"t clever enough to learn well from the past．

B．Many people fail to make good use of history and make the same mistakes．

C．Many people feel it hard to understand history．

D．Many people have no interest in studying history．

小题2:In Paragraph 3, the author shows that history is useful because _______________．

A．It makes the current political situation go smoothly

B．It helps us realize the importance of historical events

C．It helps us understand why things are the way they are

D．It helps people accept the present situation where they live

小题3:Some historical figures are mentioned in the last paragraph to show ______________．

A．People can be inspired to do good, while also learning to fight against evil

B．People may also learn from bad historical figures

C．More celebrations should be held to honor their achievements

D．Today’s people can also achieve what they achieved

小题4:What would be talked about in the following paragraph?

A．How to teach history effectively．

B．Some negative reasons for studying history．

C．Ho

w to get more people to study history．

D．Some bad historical figures．

小题5:The main purpose of this passage is to ____________．

A．inspire the parents to teach their children history

B．show the importance of history in politics

C．explain the reasons why children study history

D．introduce the writer" s own way of teaching history

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Do you think it is ever a good idea for a teenager to have a credit card?
My kids watch closely as I swipe the card through the register．They’ve seen me do it hundreds, thousands of times．Cool．They are itching to swipe it through the machine themselves． When we walk out of the store with our groceries or pet food, or whatever, it’s almost as though money has not changed hands, painless, easy．
So it shouldn’t be shocking to discover that teenagers are becoming card carrying consumers in their own right．The question is, should they?
While some argue it’s best to teach kids how to use a credit card while still living under the family roof, not everyone agrees． Dave Ramsey, financial expert says getting a credit card for your teenager is actually, “an excellent way to teach him or her to be financially irresponsible．”
Now parents are required to co-sign on credit cards for children under 21．“If their name is on the credit card, then the parent may say, ‘Hey, my name is on this．Don’t get me into trouble,” says Mary Beth Pinto, a marketing professor．“When parents were the co-obligors（共同借贷人），the children caused less debt．If the parents are the co-obligors, the tendency is that the parents were explaining how to use the cards．” Still, Pinto believes parents should start

the process much earlier．“Yes, there has to be teaching going on and it has to start when they’re younger． You’re not going to get rid of credit cards．They are here to stay． You have to have them． You can’t fight progress,” Pinto said．
Ramsey, however, disagrees．“Throwing teens into a pool of （credit）sharks is a sure way to guarantee a life-time of heartache,” he said．“You can make online purchases and rent a car with a credit card．Of course, you must have money in your bank account before you can make a purchase with a credit card．But paying for things with money is what you are supposed to do．”
小题1:The author mentioned her experience in Para 2 mainly to______．

A．prove the convenience of using credit cards

B．tell what impression credit cards le

ave on kids

C．give advice on using credit cards wisely

D．explain the pleasure credit cards bring to customers

小题2:The underlined word in Para 2 can be replaced by __________．

A．eager

B．afraid

C．embarrassed

D．thankful

小题3:What’s Ramsey’s attitude towards teens’ using credit cards?

A．He feels it is worth a try

B．He is very supportive

C．He is strongly against it

D．He considers it as a pleasant experience

小题4:Pinto will most likely agree that __________．

A．parents should let teens own their credit cards earlier

B．you shouldn’t be in control of credit cards

C．it is never good for anyone to get a credit card

D．learning to use credit cards is practical

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