Microblogging is a broadcast medium in the form of blogging. A microblog differs from a traditional blog in that its content is typically much smaller, in both actual size and aggregate file size. Microblogs “allow users to exchange small elements of content such as short sentences, individual images, or video links”.
As with traditional blogging, microbloggers post about topics ranging from the simple, such as "what I'm doing right now," to the thematic(主题的), such as "sports cars.” Commercial microblogs also exist, to promote (促进) websites, services and/or products, and to promote collaboration within an organization.
Some microblogging services offer features such as privacy settings, which allow users to control who can read their microblogs, or other ways of publishing rights besides entering the web-based interface.(界面) These may include text messaging, instant messaging, E-mail, or digital audio.
The first microblogs were known as tumblelogs. The term was invented in a blog post on April 12, 2005. However, by 2006 and 2007, the term microblog came into greater usage for such services provided by Tumblr and Twitter. Other leading social networking websites Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and XING also have their own microblogging features, better known as status updates.
Several studies, especially by Harvard Business School have tried to analyze the usage behavior of Microblogging services. Many of these studies show that for services such as Twitter, there is a small group of active users contributing to most of the activity.
Twitter, Facebook and other microblogging services are also becoming a platform for marketing and public relations, with a sharp growth in the number of social media marketers. The Sysomos study shows that this specific group of marketers on Twitter is much more active than general user population, with 15% following more than 2,000 people. Why is a microblog different from a traditional blog?
| A．Because a microblog doesn’t include pictures, but a traditional blog does. |
| B．Because a microblog doesn’t include videos, but a traditional blog does. |
| C．Because a microblog has smaller contents than a traditional blog in actual and total file size. |
| D．Because a microblog can only be written on the cell-phones. |
What is the meaning of the underlined word “collaboration” in the second paragraph?
| A．Competition. | B．Discussion. | C．Tradition. | D．Cooperation |
Microblogging can protect the following privacy EXCEPT_______.
| A．deciding the readers of the microblogs |
| B．allowing readers to publish their views |
| C．readers’ deleting what a microblog says |
| D．deciding whether readers can enter it |
We can infer from the passage that______.
| A．microbloggers always post about the thematic topics instead of the simple ones |
| B．microblogging has developed so quickly and brought the owners more and more benefits. |
| C．microblogging protects both the owners’ and the readers’ privacy |
| D．the studies by Harward Business School have analyzed the usage of microblogging services |
One windy spring day, I observed young people having fun using the wind to fly their kites. Multicolored creations of varying shapes and sizes filled the skies like beautiful birds dashing and dancing in the exciting atmosphere above the earth. As the strong winds gusted against the kites, a string kept them in check.
Instead of blowing away with the wind, they arose against it to achieve great heights. They shook and pulled, but the controlling string and the clumsy tail kept them in tow(牵引), facing upward and against the wind. As the kites struggled and trembled against the string, they seemed to say, “Let me go! Let me go! I want to be free!” They flew beautifully even as they fought the forced restriction of the string. Finally, one of the kites succeeded in breaking loose. “Free at last,” it seemed to say. “Free to fly with the wind.”
Yet freedom from control simply put it at the mercy of an unsympathetic gentle wind. It flew ungracefully to the ground and landed in a twisted mass of weeds and string against a dead bush. “Free at last”. Free to lie powerless in the dirt, to be blown helplessly along the ground, and to settle down lifeless against the first roadblock.
How much like kites we sometimes are. There always exist misfortunes and restrictions, rules to follow from which we can grow and gain strength. Prohibition is a necessary counterpart to the winds of opposition. Some of us pulled at the rules so hard that we never fly fast to reach the heights we might have obtained. If we keep all the commandment(戒律), we will never rise high enough to get our tails off the ground.
Let us each rise to the great heights, recognizing that some of the prohibitions are actually the steady force that helps us climb and achieve.In the passage the writer watched _____.
| A．many young people enjoying the sunny day |
| B．many birds dashing and dancing in the sky |
| C．many young people flying multicolored kites |
| D．the strong winds blowing against the sky |
What enables a kite fly gracefully in the sky according to the story?
| A．The kite itself and strange shapes. |
| B．A long string and blowing wind. |
| C．A windy spring day and blue sky. |
| D．The size of the kite and a long string. |
What didn’t happen to the freed kite?
| A．It kept flying freely in the air. |
| B．It lay powerless in the dirt. |
| C．It was trapped in a dead bush. |
| D．It was blown helplessly around. |
What is the purpose of the author in writing this passage?
| A．To give up tips on how to fly kites effectively. |
| B．To warn us that freedom is actually powerless. |
| C．To explain that restrictions are really unnecessary. |
| D．To teach us a lesson that rules are important in life. |
Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
| A．Fly with Restrictions |
| B．Where to Fly |
| C．Why to Fly Kites |
| D．Fly to Freedom |
It’s a tradition that dates back to the 1930s’ and it’s designed to give all children in Finland, no matter what background they’re from, an equal start in life.
The maternity(母性) package — a gift from the government — is available to all expectant mothers. It contains bodysuits, a sleeping bag, outdoor gear, bathing products for the baby as well as nappies, bedding and a small mattress.
With the mattress at the bottom, the box becomes a baby’s first bed. Many children, from all social backgrounds, have their first naps within the safety of the box’s four cardboard walls.
The tradition dates back to 1938. At first, the scheme was only available to families on low incomes, but that changed in 1949. In the 1930s Finland was a poor country and the infant death rate was high — 65 out of 1,000 babies died. But the figure decreased rapidly in the decades that followed. Over 75 years, the box has been an established part of the Finnish rite(仪式) of a passage to motherhood, uniting generations of women.
Reija Klemetti, a 49-year-old woman from Helsinki, remembers going to the post office to receive a box for one of her children. “My partner Milla and I were living in London when we had our first child, Jasper, so we weren’t eligible (有资格) for a free box. But Milla’s parents didn’t want us to miss out, so they bought one and put it in the post office. We couldn’t wait to open the box. There were all the clothes I had expected, with the addition of a snowsuit for Finland's cold winter.”
“We now live in Helsinki and have just had our second child, Annika. She did get a free box, from the Finnish government. This felt to me like evidence that someone cared — someone wanted our baby to have a good start in life,” Reija Klemetti said.In Finland the maternity package is probably seen as a symbol of_____.
| A．wealth |
| B．equality |
| C．pride |
| D．fame |
The fourth paragraph implies that_____.
| A．the rich refused to use the boxes |
| B．there were not enough boxes at first |
| C．the boxes were given to poor families only |
| D．the boxes helped cut down the death rate of babies |
Why couldn’t Reija Klemetti get a free box when her first child was born?
| A．They were not citizens of Finland. |
| B．They lived outside Finland. |
| C．They didn't apply for the box. |
| D．They had got one from their neighbors. |
How did Reija Klemetti feel when she received the box from the post office?
| A．Worried. | B．Disappointed. |
| C．Puzzled. | D．Excited. |
What did Reija Klemetti want to tell us in the last paragraph？
| A．A free box came at last. |
| B．She was longing for a free box for her child. |
| C．She returned to Finland to get a free box. |
| D．The free box gave her a feeling of warmth. |
Dear Guest,
Welcome to Pacific International Apartments. At present we are updating our information folders in the rooms so as to assist you during your stay. Please note the following:
Phone number
Reception Dial 7
Housekeeping Dial 4
Apartment-to Apartment: Dial the Apartment number(except 1st floor Apartments: dial the Apartment number followed by the﹟key)
Outside line: Dial 0, wait for dial tone, and then the number required.
Please keep your key with you at all times. The main doors to the apartments are locked from 10:30pm— 07:00am, and you will need to swipe your key to gain access to the apartments.
Please see reception for any advice on tours and Sydney’s attractions, and please dial 7 if you require any further information.
We hope your stay with us is an enjoyable one.
Kind regards!
Paul Williams
Guest Services ManagerHow can you dial from your room in Pacific to Room 115 on the 1st floor?
| A．Just dial 115. |
| B．Dial 6, then 115. |
| C．Dial 115 and press the﹟key. |
| D．Press the﹟key, then dial 115. |
A guest who wants to go back to his room in Pacific at 11:45 pm can _____.
| A．open the main door with his key |
| B．dial 0, and phone the reception |
| C．go to his room via the reception |
| D．use the lifts |
In case of fire in Pacific, guests should _____.
| A．dial 7 and wait for the hotel security’s instructions |
| B．take their keys and leave Pacific by way of lifts |
| C．leave Pacific through the fire exits |
| D．be together with the Fire Brigade |
What does the underlines word “evacuation” mean in English?
| A．concentrating in a place |
| B．withdrawing from a place |
| C．searching for a place |
| D．taking up a place |
This letter most probably appears in _____.
| A．a guest’s room |
| B．the official guide |
| C．a staff member’s office |
| D．advertisements for hotel |
FIVE Americans swept the three Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology (生理学) or Medicine last week. It was the first American sweep of the Nobel science prizes since 1983.
It’s rare for Americans not to receive any of the science prizes, especially in recent years. In 2004, seven Americans were among the 10 laureates (获奖者) for the science prizes. Last year, the figure was five out of 10.
The huge sums of money invested in scientific research is one factor that has helped many Americans to win awards. Another reason is the vast number of researchers working in the US. American universities also often have a more “creative university environment”where people can focus on research for a long period without any pressure, said Anders Liljas, member of the Nobel Committee.
New hope for AIDS patients?
AMERICAN scientists Craig Mello (top) of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Andrew Fire (above) of Stanford University School of Medicine won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine last Monday. Their discovery is a process that researchers hope to use to silence disease-causing genes (基因). It offers new ways for disease treatment.
Scientists now hope to develop a new technique that could be used to treat diseases, such as cancers, AIDS and Parkinson’s disease.
Like father, like son?
AS the son of a Nobel Prize winning professor, Roger D. Kornberg (left) had a lot to live up to. But, nearly half a century after his father, won his award, Kornberg, 59, a Stanford University professor, won his own last Wednesday: The Nobel Prize in Chemistry. His research into how cells read their genes is very important. It could help lead to the development of new drugs to fight cancer (癌症), heart disease and other illnesses, experts said.
First light of the universe
TWO Americans won the Nobel Prize in Physics last Tuesday for measuring the oldest light in the heavens. It is considered as “one of the greatest discoveries of the century”. It convinced (使确信) scientists that the Big Bang theory (大爆炸理论) of the universe’s origin is correct. George F. Smoot (top), 61, of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, and John C. Mather (above), 60, of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre, will share the US$1.4 million prize for their work. Beginning in 1989, they measured weak light that originated (源于) as early as 380,000 years after the Big Bang.What does the underlined word “swept” in Paragraph 1 mean ?
| A．cleaned by brushing | B．crossed completely |
| C．spread quickly | D．took each of the winning |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Craig Mello and Andrew Fire have found the way to cure cancers, AIDS and Parkinson’s disease.
B. Roger D. Kornberg’s father once won a Nobel Prize.
C. George F. Smoot will get US$1.4 million prize for his work.
D. Roger D. Kornberg is the youngest of the Nobel Prize owners of this time.The passage is probably taken from________.
| A．a science report | B．a news report |
| C．a history lecture | D．an advertisement |
Teenagers at one German school are learning how to achieve happiness alongside subjects like maths and languages.
The class sit in a circle with their eyes shut and count from one to ten: one begins, the next voice comes from the far right, a third from the other side. The aim is to listen for an opportunity to shout the number without clashing(冲突) with another voice or leaving a pause. On the first try, most of the young Germans try to be first, while a few are too shy to join in. But by the fifth round, they develop a rhythm.
The message: giving other people space but also confidently claiming your own space is a requirement for social well-being.
While the game suggests a soft course for the less bright, the school says it is trying to make it affect even clever pupils. The Willy Hellpach School is the first in the nation to develop a happiness course, intended for 17-19-year-olds preparing for university-entrance exams. “The course isn’t there to make you happy,” Ernst Fritz-Schubert, the school principal, warned the pupils who were taking the course, “but rather to help you discover the ways to become happy.” Cooking a meal together will be one of the class exercises, along with improving body language under the guidance of two professional actresses.
“In the first period, we had to each say something positive about another member of the class and about ourselves. No laughing at people or teasing,” said Fanny, 17.
The message: self-esteem(自尊) improves happiness too.
The course is taught for three periods a week and will be graded as a part of overall assessment. Despite the happy subject, the pupils themselves insist it is no laughing matter. Max, 18, says he is happy when he finds people who share his interests. Janina, 18, says she needs to be fit to feel happy.
“We want to show how proper food or exercise can help in becoming happy,” the principal said. He hopes other schools in Germany will copy the idea. The school has attracted national interest since it announced its new course.What would be the best title of this passage?
| A．Basic Things for Happiness. |
| B．Tips to Be Happy. |
| C．Learning How to Be Happy. |
| D．Laughing a Lot at School. |
Why is the happiness course compared with maths and languages?
| A．It has been developed as a school subject. |
| B．It is more important than traditional courses. |
| C．It is part of the research. |
| D．It arouses the students’ interest. |
Who are expected to take the course at the school?
| A．First year students. |
| B．All the students. |
| C．Students with mental problems. |
| D．Students who are going to graduate. |
Which of the following is NOT true about the happiness classes?
| A．Students learn through playing games. |
| B．Cooking a meal together is a class activity. |
| C．Students are only made to be happy. |
| D．Students say positive things about each other. |
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