Sir,
Just over six months ago, I saw an advertisement in the Morning Mail for a set of the complete works of William Shakespeare. Your company, Cosmo books Ltd., offered this set (eight books of plays and two books of poetry) at what was claimed to be a ‘remarkable’ price: fifteen pounds and fifty pence, including postage and packing. I had wanted a set of Shakespeare’s plays and poems for some time, and these books, in red imitation leather, looked particularly attractive; so I sent for them.
Two weeks later, the books arrived, together with a set of the complete works of Charles Dickens which I had not ordered. So I returned the Dickens books to you, with a cheque for fifteen pounds and fifty pence for the works of Shakespeare. Two more weeks passed. Then there arrived on my door step a second set of the works of Shakespeare, the same set of novels by Dickens and a six book set of the plays of Moliere, in French. Since I do not read French, these were of no use to me at all. However, I could not afford to post all these books back to you, so I wrote to you at the end of August of last year, instructing you to come and collect all the books that I did not want, and asking you not to send any other books until further notice.
You did not reply to that letter. Instead you sent me a bill for forty two pounds, and a set of the plays of Schiller, in German. Since then, a new set of books has arrived every two weeks, the works of Goethe, the poems of Milton, the plays of Strindberg; I hardly know what I have. The books are still all in their boxes, in the garage, and my car has to stand in the rain outside.
I have no room for any more books, and even if I read from now until the Last Judgment, I should not finish reading all the books that you have sent me.
Please send no more books, send no more bills, send no more angry letters demanding payment. Just send one large lorry and take all the books away, leaving me only with the one set of the complete works of Shakespeare for which I have paid.
Yours faithfully,
SIMON WALKERSimon Walker wrote the letter to ________
| A．show his anger to Cosmo Books Ltd.. |
| B．complain about getting books he didn’t want. |
| C．advise readers not to order books from Cosmo Books Ltd.. |
| D．urge for the final solution to the problem with the unwanted books. |
The advertisement that Mr. Walker saw in the Morning Mail was for ________
| A．unlimited number of Cosmo Books. |
| B．a set of 10 books of the works of Shakespeare. |
| C．fifteen pounds and fifty pence. |
| D．a book containing all the plays and poems of Shakespeare. |
Mr. Walker answered the advertisement because ________
| A．he wanted a set of Shakespeare’s works which was a good bargain |
| B．he claimed that the books were being offered at a remarkable price. |
| C．he had ordered the set and had been waiting for them to come for some time. |
| D．the set he already had was not particularly attractive. |
When you're surfing the Internet on your laptop from your dorm or home, do you know your personal details are being gathered secretly? And would you be surprised to know the information may be sold cheaply to advertisers and marketers?
According to an investigation by The Wall Street Journal, all it takes is a tiny file in a computer-a single code consisting of a long series of numbers and letters to record the computer user's age, gender, location, favorite movies and hobbies.
The newspaper reports that Lotame Solutions Inc., a New York company, uses sophisticated (高科技) software called a “ beacon" to capture what people are typing on a website.
Lotame packages that data into profiles (个人资料) about individuals, only without their names, and sells the profiles to companies seeking customers. Batches of such data may be sold for a few dollars.
The Wall Street Journal survey discovered that spying on Internet users is one of the fastest-growing businesses on the World Wide Web.
The "cookie" a tiny text file put on your PC by websites or marketing firms which might be used to remember your. preferences for one site, or to track you across many sites is already old news. There are new and more complex tools such as “beacons ” which scan in real time what people are doing on a webpage. These beacons instantly assess the Internet user's location, income, shopping interests and even medical conditions.
Millions of Internet users around the world also face unprecedented (空前的) threats. Private, sensitive, personal and business information is being gathered and sold without their knowledge.
Companies insist the information they gather is anonymous and the data is used harmlessly. But the technology has grown so powerful that even some of the biggest websites in the US don't know that they were installing intrusive files on visitors' computers. These include MSN. com and Yahoo. com.
Next time you visit a webpage and find an ad banner advertising something you've been planning to buy, don't be amazed that your computer can read your mind.The purpose of the passage is to __________.
| A．introduce a tiny file in a computer-a single code |
| B．show how your individual information was let out when you surf the Internet |
| C．show how to protect your privacy |
| D．introduce a sophisticated software called a “ beacon" |
All of the following statements are False except __________.
| A．Lotame sells the profiles about individuals to companies seeking customers with their age, gender, location, hobbies and names |
| B．spying on Internet users is the fastest-growing businesses on the World Wide Web |
| C．some of the biggest websites in the US know they were installing intrusive files on visitors' computers |
| D．a tiny file in a computer-a single code consisting of a long series of numbers and letters can record users' information |
It can be inferred that __________.
| A．because the data is used harmlessly the Internet users around the world will not face threats |
| B．when a person surf the Internet, his personal details may be let out without his knowledge |
| C．your __________ computer can really read your mind |
| D．MSN. com and Yahoo. com. use software to capture what people are typing on a website |
According to the passage, "beacon" __________.
| A．is a tiny text file put on your PC by websites |
| B．is a soft ware that can package that data into profiles about individuals |
| C．can assess the Internet user's location, income, shopping interests and even medical conditions |
| D．is not more complex than the "cookie" |
What's the writer's attitude to this problem?
| A．Neutral | B．Worried | C．Optimistic | D．Indifferent |
Personal computers and the Internet give people new choices about how to spend their time.
Some may use this freedom to share less time with certain friends or family members, but new technology will also let them stay in closer touch with those they care most about. I know this from personal experience.
E-mail makes it easy to work at home, which is where I now spend most weekends and evenings. My working hours aren't necessarily much shorter than they once were, but I spend fewer of them at the office. This lets me share more time with my young daughter than I might have if she'd been born before electronic mail became such a practical tool.
The Internet also makes it easy to share thoughts with a group of friends. Say you do something fun—see a great movie perhaps and there are four or five friends who might want to hear about it. If you call each one, you may be tired of telling the story.
With E-mail, you just write one note about your experience, at your convenience, and address it to all the friends you think might be interested. They can read your message when they have time, and read only as much as they want to. They can reply at their convenience, and you can read what they have to say at your convenience.
E-mail is also an inexpensive way to stay in close touch with people who live far away. More than a few parents use E-mail to keep in touch, even daily touch, with their children off at college.
We just have to keep in mind that computers and the Internet offer another way of staying in touch. They don't take the place of any of the old ways.The purpose of this passage is to __________.
| A．explain how to use the Internet |
| B．describe the writer's joy of keeping up with the latest technology |
| C．tell the merits (价值) and usefulness of the Internet |
| D．introduce the reader to basic knowledge about personal computers and the Internet |
The use of E-mail has made it possible for the writer to __________.
| A．spend less time working |
| B．have more time with his child |
| C．work at home on weekends |
| D．work at a speed comfortable to him |
The best title for this passage is __________.
| A．Computer: New Technological Advances |
| B．Internet: New Tool to Maintain Good Friendship |
| C．Computers Have Made Life Easier |
| D．Internet: a Convenient Tool for Communication |
Having Fun "Growing" and "Stealing"
Recently, an Internet game has become a new fashion among young office workers and students. People can "farm" on a piece of "land" and "grow", "sell" or "steal" "vegetables", "flowers" and "fruit" on the Net. They can earn some e-money and buy some "seeds ", "pets" and even "houses".
Joyce interviewed some young people. Here are their opinions.
Harold: I don't quite understand why they are so mad about the childish game. Maybe they are just not confident enough to face the real world.
Allan: I enjoy putting some "bugs" (小虫子) in my friends' gardens and we've become closer because of the game. Having fun together is the most exciting thing about it.
Laura: You know, people in the city are longing for (渴望) the life in the countryside. It reduces my work pressure; besides, it gives me the exciting feeling of being a "thief".
Ivy: Well, it's just a waste of time. Teenagers playing the game spend so many hours on it that they can not pay more attention to their study.According to the passage, people can't __________ things in this game.
| A．grow | B．borrow | C．steal | D．sell |
Among the people Joyce interviewed, __________ likes the game while __________ dislikes the game.
| A．Laura; Allan | B．Allan; Harold |
| C．Harold; Ivy | D．Ivy; Allan |
From Laura's words, we can guess that she's most probably __________.
| A．a student | B．an office worker |
| C．a farmer | D．a thief |
Which is NOT the reason why people like the game?
| A．They are longing for country life. |
| B．They can have fun with friends. |
| C．The game can relax people and give them a new experience. |
| D．They are confident enough to face the real world. |
We're so well educated—but we're useless students who have lost the ability to do anything practical. The only thing we've mastered is consumption.
Large numbers of students have entered higher education in the past 10 years, but despite being the most educated generation in history, it seems that we've grown increasingly ignorant when it comes to basic life skills.
Looking back on my first couple of weeks of living in student halls, I consider myself lucky to still be alive. Unfamiliar to fresher's, there are many hidden dangers in the dirty corners of students accommodation.
I have survived a couple of serious boiling egg incidents and lots of cases of food-poisoning, probably from dirty kitchen counters. Although some of my clothes have fallen victim to ironing experimentation, I think I have now finally acquired all the domestic (居家的) skills I missed out in my modern education.
In 2006 and 2010, the charming educationist Sir Ken Robinson gave two very amusing talks in which he discussed the importance of creativity in education. Robinson's main viewpoint is that our current education system dislocates people from their natural talents. I would like to go a step further and propose that besides our talents, the system takes away what used to be passed from generation to generation—a working knowledge of basic life skills.
Today's graduates may have earned themselves honor in history, law or economies, but when it comes to simple things like putting up a shelf to hold all their academic books, or fixing a hole in their on-trend clothes, they have to call for help from a professional handyman or tailor.
Since the invention of the Internet, it has never been easier for people to access information, but our highly specialized education has made us more one-sided than ever.
I suggest that we start with the immediate reintroduction of some of the most vital aspects of "domestic science" education, before the current lack leads to serious accidents in student halls.People call us useless students for the reason that __________.
| A．what we've learned is beyond consumption |
| B．we are educated generation |
| C．we've entered higher education |
| D．our living skills are so poor |
Which is NOT the incident the writer had during the first few weeks in student halls?
| A．He was seriously burnt by boiled eggs. |
| B．He was accidentally poisoned by food. |
| C．He damaged his clothes while ironing. |
| D．He was severely beaten by freshers. |
According to Robinson's opinion, our current education __________.
| A．focuses on the importance of creativity |
| B．dislocates people from their natural talents |
| C．has equipped students with basic life skills |
| D．has followed the tradition properly |
Why are the graduates poor at basic life skills?
| A．Because they are not interested in them. |
| B．Because they have little relevant practice. |
| C．Because they are affected by the Internet. |
| D．Because they are easy to be one-sided. |
The main purpose of writing the passage is that __________.
| A．there is no need to introduce "domestic science" |
| B．it's time we did something to current education |
| C．more attention should be paid to natural science |
| D．accidents should be prevented in student halls |
Everyday we talk about and use the Internet, but how many of us know the history of the Internet?
Many people are surprised when they find that the Internet was set up in the 1960s. At that time, computers were large and expensive. Computer network didn't work well. If one computer in the network broke down, then the whole network stopped. So a new network system had to be set up. It should be good enough to be used by many different computers. If part of the network was not working, information could be sent through another part. In this way computer network system would keep on working all the time.
At first the Internet was only used by the government, but in the early 1970s, universities, hospitals and banks were allowed to use it too. However, computers were still very expensive and the Internet was difficult to use. By the start of the 1990s, computers became cheaper and easier to use. Scientists had also developed software that made "surfing" in the Internet more convenient.
Today it is easy to get on-line and it is said that millions of people use the Internet every day. Sending e-mail is more and more popular among students. The Internet has now become one of the most important parts of people's life.The Internet has a history of more than __________ years.
| A．sixty | B．forty | C．fifty | D．twenty |
A new network system was set up to __________.
| A．make computers cheaper |
| B．make itself keep on working all the time |
| C．break down the whole network |
| D．make computers large and expensive |
__________ made "surfing" the Internet more convenient.
| A．Computers | B．Hardware | C．Software | D．Information |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．In the 1960s, computer network worked well. |
| B．in the early 1970s, the Internet was easy to use. |
| C．Today it's still not easy to get on-line. |
| D．Sending e-mail is now more popular among students than before. |
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