Teens don’t understand the big fuss. As the first generation to grow up in a wired world, they hardly know a time when computers weren’t around, and they eagerly catch the chance to spend hours online, chatting with friends. So what?
But researchers nationwide are increasingly worried that teens are becoming isolated, less skillful at person-to-person relationships, and perhaps numb to the cheatings that are so much a part of the e-mail world. “and a teen’s sense of self and values may be changed in a world where personal connections can be limitless,” said Sherry Turkle.
Another researcher, Robert Kraut, said he’s worried about the “opportunity costs” of so much online time for youths. He found that teens who used computers, even just a few hours a week, showed increased signs of loneliness and social isolation. “Chatting onine may be better than watching television, but it’s worse than hanging out with real friends,” he said.
Today’s teens, however, don’t see anything strange in the fact that the computer takes up a central place in their social lives, “School is busy and full of pressure. There’s almost no time to just hang out.” said Parker Rice, 17. “Talking online is just catch up time.”
Teens say they feel good about what they say online or taking the time to think about a reply. Some teens admit that asking someone for a date, or breaking up, can be easier in message form, though they don’t want to do so. But they insist there’s no harm.She researchers argue that___．
| A．teens may develop a different sense of values |
| B．nothing is wrong with teens' chatting online |
| C．teens can manage their social connections |
| D．spending hours online does much good to teens |
Teens think that talking online can help them ____．
| A．use computers properly | B．improve their school work |
| C．develop an interest in social skills | D．reduce their mental pressures |
The text mainly deals with __ _．
| A．teens' pleasant online experience |
| B．teens' computer skills and school work |
| C．the effects of the computer world on teens |
| D．different opinions on teens' chatting online |
The purpose of the text is to ____．
| A．describe computer research results |
B．draw attention to teens' computer habits |
| C．suggest ways to deal with problem teens |
| D．discuss problems teens have |
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 to 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 a high quality |
B．the popularity of “i” products may not last long |
| C．the letter “b” replaces letter “i” to name the products |
| D．iTeddy is a live bear |
Just 25 years ago, the top three career hopes for young people in Britain were teacher, banker and doctor. Now, they want to be sports star, pop star and actor, according to a survey by the Guardian newspaper.
Rachel, a character in the popular TV show Glee, may be said to speak for British teenagers. “Nowa
days being nobody is worse than being poor.” He said.
Emma Brockes, a reporter with the Guardian, believes it is “the bad influence of celebrity(名人) culture” that is to blame. “When children wanted to be doctor, it wasn’t because they were really more interested in the functions of human organs than they are now; you go where the respect is.” She wrote.
It could explain why there has been such an increase in levels of anxiety and depression. Dr Carlo Stranger, of Tel Aviv University, studied the sense of self for his new book The Fear of Insignificance: Searching for Meaning in the 21st Century. He told the Daily Mail that young people now are “affected by the close connection to the global entertainment network, which has turned ranking and rating people according to wealth and celebrity into an obsession(痴迷).”
“As humans, we naturally measure ourselves to those around us, but now we live in a global village. We are comparing ourselves with the most ‘important’ people in the world and finding ourselves wanting…” he said. Today, even high achievers constantly fear that they are insignificant when they compare themselves to success stories in the media.
The way out? Simply stop measuring your achievement through a fantasy of wealth and celebrity. Dr Strenger said that it is a process called “active self-acceptance through a constant search for self-knowledge through life.”
“The fear of insignificance can only be overcome through strong individual and cultural identity over and above measurable achievement,” he said..Nowadays, young people in Britain want to .
| A．choose jobs based on interests | B．become famous |
| C．be teacher, banker and doctor | D．earn more money |
.．According to Emma Brockes, what causes the increasing level of anxiety?
| A．Choices of future careers. | B．Access to the global network. |
| C．Bad influences of celebrities. | D．Endless comparison with others. |
.．Which of the following is true of Dr Carlo Strenger?
| A．He is a newspaper reporter. | B．He is the spokesman of teenagers. |
| C．He tells success stories on TV. | D．He is against ranking people with wealth. |
.．Dr Carlo Strenger suggests that young people should .
| A．seek active self-acceptance | B．stick to their own dreams |
| C．make great achievements | D．search for the secret of wealth |
.The text is mainly written to .
| A．talk about job choices | B．analyse a social phenomenon |
| C．encourage celebrity culture | D．introduce three famous people |
When an emergency situation occurs, observers are more likely to take action if there are few or no other witnesses. This phenomenon is referred to as the bystander （旁观者）effect．
The bystander effect is also called the Genovese effect, which is named after Catherine “Kitty" Genovese, a young woman who was cruelly murdered on March 13, 1964. Early in the morning, 28-year-old Genovese was returning home from work. As she approached her apartment entrance, she was attacked and stabbed（刺）by a man later identified as Winston Moseley. Despite Genovese's repeated cries for help, none of people in the nearby apartment building who heard her cries called police for help. The attack first began at 3:20, but it was not until 3:50 that someone first contacted police．
Many psychologists were set thinking by the incident, as well as most Americans. As the conclusion, the bystander effect came out and later proved by a series of studies and experiments.
There are two major factors that contribute to the bystander effect. First, the presence of other people creates a division of responsibility. Because there are other observers, individuals do not feel as much pressure to take action, since the responsibility to take action is thought to be shared among all of those present. The second reason is the need to behave in correct and socially acceptable ways. When other observers fail to react, individuals often take this as a signal that a response is not needed or not appropriate.
Other researchers have found that onlookers are less likely to take action if the situation is ambiguous. In the case of Kitty Genovese, many of the 38 witnesses reported that they believed that they were witnessing a "lovers' quarrel", and did not realize that the young woman was actually being murdered．. The bystander effect is also called the Genovese effect because a woman surnamed Genovese．
| A．it somehow caused the murder of |
| B．its discovery resulted from the murder of |
C．it was actually disc overed by |
| D．it always makes people think of |
. Genovese was murdered . ．
| A．while she was going out |
B．in her apartment |
| C．halfway home | D．near her apartment |
. Which can NOT have been a possible reason for the neighbors NOT offering Genovese help?
| A．They believed in the bystander effect． |
| B．They thought someone else might help her． |
| C．They didn't think they should help． |
| D．They didn't think she needed help． |
. Before deciding to offer help, observers may , according to the psychologists．
| A．wait for sort of a signal |
| B．hesitate and estimate the risk of getting hurt |
| C．want to be sure it's appropriate to react |
| D．wonder if the victim is worth helping |
. The article seems to suggest that, if there had been observers, Genovese might not have been murdered．
| A．no | B．fewer | C．more | D．braver |
That col
d January night, I was growing sick of my life in San Francisco. There I was walking home at one in the morning after a tiring practice at the theater. With opening night only a week away, I was still learning my lines. I was having trouble dealing with my part-time job at the bank and my acting at night at the same time. As I walked, I thought seriously about giving up both acting and San Francisco. City life had become too much for me.
As I walked down empty streets under tall buildings, I felt very small and cold. I began running, both to keep warm and to keep away from any possible robbers. Very few people were still out except a few sad-looking homeless people under blankets.
About a block from my apartment, I heard a sound behind me. I turned quickly, half expecting to see someone with a knife or a gun. The street was empty. All I saw was a shining streetlight. Still, the noise had made me nervous, so I started to run faster. Not until I reached my apartment building and unlocked the door did I realize what the noise had been. It had been my wallet falling to the sidewalk.
Suddenly I wasn't cold or tired any more. I ran out of the door and back to where I'd heard the noise. Although I searched the sidewalk anxiously for fifteen minutes, my wallet was nowhere to be found.
Just as I was about to give up the search, I heard the garbage truck pull up to the sidewalk next to me. When a voice called from the inside, “Alisa Camacho？” I thought I was dreaming. How could this man know my name？ The door opened, and out jumped a small red-haired man with an amused look in his eyes. “Is this what you're looking for？” he asked, holding up a small square shape.
It 
was nearly 3 a.m. by the time I got into bed. I wouldn't get much sleep that night, but I had got my wallet back. I also had got back some enjoyment of city life. I realized that the city couldn't be a bad place as long as people were willing to help each other... How did the writer feel when she was walking home after work？
| A．Cold and sick | B．Lucky and hopeful |
| C．Satisfied and cheerful | D．Disappointed and helpless |
. From the first paragraph, we learn that the writer was busy . .
| A．solving her problem at the bank | B．taking part in various city activities |
| C．learning acting in an evening school | D．preparing for the first night show |
.On her way home the writer . .
| A．lost her wallet unknowingly |
| B．was stopped by a garbage truck driver |
| C．was robbed of her wallet by a man with a knife |
| D．found some homeless people following her |
. In the fifth paragraph, why did the writer say she was dreaming？
| A．Someone offered to take her back home | B．A red-haired man came to see her. |
| C．She heard someone call her name | D．Her wallet was found in a garbage truck |
. From the text, we can infer that the writer . .
| A．would stop working at night | B．would stay on in San Francisco |
| C．would make friends with cleaners. | D．would give up her job at the bank |
I arrived at the bus station much too early for the London bus, which was not to leave until five to twelve. I pushed through the crowds, looking for somewhere to sit down. Scores of people were standing about, or struggling along with their bags and the cases to find the right lines. There was a party of school girls. I could see teachers trying to keep them in order. But there was nowhere for me to sit.
I stepped into the station buffet. I looked up at the clock there. It was only twenty to twelve. I found a seat opposite a large mirror on the wall. Just then a friend of mine called Jim came in and sat with me. "What time is your bus?" asked Jim. "Oh, there's a plenty of time yet," I answered. "Oh, I'll get some drinks then," said Jim. We talked while drinking. Then I looked at the clock again. "Good heavens! It's going backward!" I cried. "A moment ago it was twenty to twelve and now it's half past
eleven." "You are looking at the clock in the mirror," said Jim. I could kick myself for being so stupid. I had not realized that the marks for one and eleven on the face of the clock were the same. The next bus was not to leave for another hour. I have never liked mirror since then. . The London bus left ________.
| A．at five to twelve | B．before five to twelve |
| C．after five to twelve | D．until five to twelve |
.. The writer went to the station buffet because ________.
| A．he was thirsty |
| B．he saw the station buffet was not so crowded |
| C．it was still early for his bus and he couldn't find a place to sit at the bus station |
| D．he had changed his mind; he wouldn't go to London |
.. The writer sat ________.
| A．behind a mirror | B．facing a mirror |
| C．under a mirror | D．near a mirror |
. Jim came to the station buffet at about ________.
| A．twenty to twelve | B．twenty past twelve |
| C．half past one | D．twenty past eleven |
. What time was it when the writer looked at the clock again?
It was ________.
| A．half past eleven | B．twelve thirty |
| C．twelve twenty | D．eleven thirty |
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