Everywhere I look outside my home I see people busy on their high-tech devices, while driving, walking, shopping, even sitting in toilets. When connected electronically, they are away from physical reality.
People have been influenced to become technology addicted. One survey reported that “addicted” was the word most commonly used by people to describe their relationship to iPad and similar devices. One study found that people had a harder time resisting the allure of social media than they did for sleep, cigarettes and alcohol.
The main goal of technology companies is to get people to spend more money and time on their products, not to actually improve our quality of life. They have successfully created a cultural disease. Consumers willingly give up their freedom, money and time to catch up on the latest information , to keep pace with their peers or to appear modern.
I see people trapped in a pathological(病态的) relationship with time-sucking technology, where they serve technology more than technology serves them. I call this technology servitude（奴役）. I am referring to a loss of personal freedom and independence because of uncontrolled consumption of many kinds of devices that eat up time and money.
What is a healthy use of technology devices? That is the vital question. Who is really in charge of my life? That is what people need to ask themselves if we are to have any chance of breaking up false beliefs about their use of technology. When we can live happily without using so much technology for a day or a week, then we can regain control and personal freedom, become the master of technology and discover what there is to enjoy in life free of technology. Mae West is famous for proclaiming the wisdom that “too much of a good thing is wonderful.” But it’s time to discover that it does not work for technology.
Richard Fernandez, an executive coach at Google acknowledged that “we can be swept away by our technologies.” To break the grand digital connection people must consider how life long ago could be fantastic without today’s overused technology.The underlined word “allure” in Paragraph 2 probably means________.
| A．advantage | B．attraction |
| C．adaption | D．attempt |
From the passage, technology companies aim to_______.
| A．attract people to buy their products |
| B．provide the latest information |
| C．improve people’s quality of life |
| D．deal with cultural diseases |
It can be inferred from this passage that people ________.
| A．consider too much technology wonderful |
| B．have realized the harm of high-tech devices |
| C．can regain freedom without high-tech devices |
| D．may enjoy life better without overused technology |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the overusing of high-tech devices?
| A．Neutral. | B．Doubt. |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Sympathetic. |
IV. 阅读理解 30%
阅读下列短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
A
When Cathleen Gardiner’s twins were born 17 years ago, doctors told her that they were a pair in a million. One had Down syndrome(低能综合症), while the other did not. Here, Cathleen tells their touching story.
Since Sean was born 17 years ago, I have always thought that he is just as wonderful as his brother and sister. Though he had a disability(残疾), we have never viewed him as a burden. He has always been a blessing. The doctors explained that though they were twins, they came from two different eggs. Lisa could walk at 11 months old, while Sean didn’t take his first steps till he was three. By two, Lisa was talking a lot, but Sean wasn’t able to speak until he was nearly four.
For the first five years of his life, Sean needed a great deal of care. Looking after him was my full-time job, though I also worked as a technical adviser in a computing company. We never treated them differently. We gave them the same toys and spoke to them in the same way. We encouraged Sean to keep up with Lisa, even though he never could, and we would help him develop his abilities. We sent them to the same primary school even after doctors advised us that Sean should go to a school for the disabled.
We had to explain to Lisa that he wouldn’t learn as quickly as she would. She told us that she’d help him with his school work. Having a non-disabled twin has really helped Sean develop. The love they share has given him a great deal of support. Now Sean and Lisa are both about to finish high school. I don’t think he would have done nearly as well today without Lisa’s help.
56. At least how many children does Mrs. Gardiner have?
A. Two. B. Three. C. Four. D. One.
57. The third paragraph mainly tells us that _______.
A. the couple treated the twins equally
B. Cathleen did all she could to look after Sean
C. the couple didn’t follow the doctor’s advice
D. the couple encouraged Sean to grow up
58. All of the following statements are true except_________.
A. Sean couldn’t develope so well without his parents’great effort.
B. As a twin sister,Lisa gave Sean a lot of help.
C. As a mother of a disabeled child,Cathleen must have suffered a lot.
D. Cathleen loved Sean more than Lisa because of his disability.
59. This passage tells us that _________.
A. love can do wonders B. nobody is foolish or clever
C. being stupid doesn’t matter D. all men are born equal
E
“Who is Gogo?”
Almost every pupil in Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand will tell you: “Gogo is from outer space and
is teaching children to speak and read English.”
Gogo has visited Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand and Korea. Now he is in China’s mainland—“Gogo has Adventure with English” has been published by Addison Wesley Longman China Ltd (AWL).
The six level English course, full of exciting stories, educates and delights children at the same time. Gogo learns English from his friends, Tony and Jenny. The children will learn along with Gogo, enjoying all the fun he produces. Gogo has a warm place in every young learner’s heart wherever he goes.
A presentation (介绍) about Gogo was given by Beijing AWL Information Centre last November. All the pupils in Huijia School attended the presentation. A foreign teacher at Huijia later said, “The children were attracted by Gogo after only a 45-minute presentation. They remember a song taught by Gogo seven weeks later. Parents often ask me how they can help their children learn English and now there’s a programme I can direct them to.”
Clive Sawkins, Paul Price-Smiths and Gregg Schroeder worked closely at AWL to make sure that Gogo will become an easily recognized symbol (标志) of learning English wherever English is studied. “Gogo is our baby,” said Gregg. “It is very easy to get children going with Gogo.”
72. What is the passage mainly about?
A. Gogo visits Asian countries. B. Gogo receives high praise.
C. Children love to learn with Gogo. D. AWL introduces Gogo.
73. It can be learned from the passage that Gogo is_________.
A. an English teacher B. an English boy
C. an English textbook D. a character in an English textbook
74. In what way is Gogo a great help to young learners?
A. He teaches them English through songs.
B. He teaches them English through adventure stories.
C. He helps them to remember English words.
D. He makes English lessons full of fun.
75. The underlined word “them” in the fifth paragraph refers to_________.
A. parents B. children C. teachers
D. textbooks
D
Earth is the third planet from the sun. It is one of the four inner planets. The other three inner planets are Mercury, Venus, and Mars. The inner planets are also called the rocky planets, because th
ey are made of rocks.
Earth is often called the “Water Planet”, because it is the only planet in our solar system which has liquid water on its surface. About 70% of the surface of Earth is covered by water! The other part of Earth is made up of continents and islands which have different landforms on them. Examples of landforms are mountains and plains. Plants and animals can live on Earth, because it has so much water.
Earth spins very quickly compared to other planets. It only takes Earth 24 hours to spin around its axis one time. One Earth day is 24 hours long! Earth orbits the sun in 365 days! This makes one Earth year 365 days long!
Earth is the only planet in our solar system where humans, other animals, and plants can live. There is plenty of water to drink or to live in. Water is present on Earth in its big oceans and in the air! Clouds are made of water vapor. The atmosphere has a lot of oxygen in it for animals to breathe, but the rest of our “air” is made up of water vapor, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and other gases. The air is perfect for plants to grow. Earth temperature is not the same in all places, but the temperature is just right for plants, animals, and humans in most places on Earth.
Like the other inner planets, Earth has volcanoes. Volcanoes on Earth are different from those on other planets, because they still erupt. Scientists think that there may be active volcanoes on other planets and moons in our solar system, but they are still studying this.
Earth has one planet which we call the Moon. The surface of the Moon has many craters on it These were caused when meteorites hit it. It has many volcanoes on it which do not erupt anymore. We can see the moon at night without using a telescope. It is the closest space object to our planet ,Earth.
68.Earth is called the Water Planet,______.
A. because animals need water B. the water makes it look blue from space
C. it has liquid water on its surface D. Earth is the third planet from the sun
69. It takes Earth ______to orbit the sun in one year.
A.24 hours B.24 days C.365 days D.360 days
70. Life exists on Earth,______.
A. because the water, air, and temperature are just right
B. there is water vapor in clouds
C. Earth is the planet closest to the sun
D. earth has volcanoes
71.The craters on the moon were caused by______.
A. meteorites hitting its surface B. active volcanoes
C. volcanoes which do not erupt anymore D. some reasons that are not mentioned
C
Dear Ariel,
I got a job offer from a high-tech company with a fairly satisfactory payment and benefits．Even the work environment is cool．But I heard that the job requires a lot of overtime and even weekends．I know it’s important for newcomers to get their feet planted firmly on the ground to reach their goals, but I’m scared of the idea of having nearly no free time．I still need to find a girlfriend and look after my parents．So, shall I accept the job or give it up for another one with much less pay and more freedom?
Amoretto
Dear Amoretto,
I have two things to say: First, you’re lucky to have such an excellent offer, especially at a time when so many talented people are struggling to find any work at all; and second, you can’t figure out your work-life balance until you’re actually working.
Take the job．You’ll be learning, doing interesting things, working in a cool environment, and making money．If you’re given contract, make sure you understand the terms before you sign．Ask your boss how many hours a week you’re expected to work．If he tells you a number that’s much lower than what you find once you’re working, you’ll be in a better position to talk to him about it．
Give your work 100 percent．Work energetically and efficiently．If you’re devoted and focused, you might achieve more than your co-workers in less time．Showing yourself to be a productive and talented worker from the beginning will give you more bargaining power．Finally, remember that taking a job doesn’t have to be a life commitment．Try to give it at least a year（two is better）．If you’re really miserable after that time, look for another job that will give you more freedom．By then, you’ll have workplace experience, bosses and colleagues who can speak positively about your work and some savings as well．
Good luck!
Ariel
64．When considering the job offer, Amoretto is most concerned about whether he’ll have______．
A．a pay rise B. a girlfriend C．free time D. cool working condition
65．We can infer that Ariel thinks________．
A．young people are faced with a fierce competition in job-hunting
B．a good start and 100% devotion to the work are of great importance
C．Amoretto should ask nothing until he actually works in the company
D．beginning workers with bargaining power are not popular with bosses
66．Ariel recommended Amoretto to_____．
A．balance his life and work before taking the job
B．analyze the contract carefully before signing it
C．spare no effort to please his boss and colleagues
D．be a lifelong worker for the company whatever happens
67．In the first letter, the underlined part “get their feet planted firmly on the ground” means______．
A．present themselves truthfully B．face the reality bravely
C．be conscious of their abilities D．work heart and soul
B
The worst danger is a house on fire when people are asleep. Always be ready to leave through a window into the garden by making sure you can open it if necessary. If you should be on holiday in a tall building or hotel, make sure you know where the fire escape(太平梯) is. When you can’t find any way out, try to find pieces of cloth and make a rope to get out of a window to safety. If you smell burning in your home, get out right away. If you can’t breathe properly because of smoke on your way out, crawl(爬) on your hands and knees because smoke rises and the air will be cleaner near the floor. Smoke is a killer and more people die from breathing it in than actually being burned.
Fire in a cinema hall or public place often means people pushing to reach a door. Keep your head up with arms up in front of your chest. This protects your chest and gives you the best chance to breathe. Above all, don’t get frightened!
60. When a tall building is on fire, people______.
A.can leave by coming down the fire escape B.should first check the room window
C.had better find a long rope D.must lie down on the floor at once
61. People can leave a burning house through a window if ______.
A.there is smoke in the room B. there is no other way out
C .they can’t breathe properly D. they want to put out the fire
62. There are several things to do to keep one safe. Which of the following is not talked about in the passage?
A.Leave the house right away when you smell something burning.
B.Raise your head and keep your chest from being hurt.
C.Get out of the house by crawling on the floor.
D.Rush out of the house, dressed in wet clothes.
63. Which of the following is not true?
A.In a fire, more deaths are caused by smoke.
B.The most important thing is not to be frightened in a fire.
C.When a public place is on fire, people usually push to leave.
D.Be ready to leave a burning house through a window if there is a garden down below.
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