“People are ruder today because they are rushed and more ‘time poor’ than ever before,” says Patsy Rowe, “ Manners have fallen off the radar(雷达)．” Due to our strong attraction to electronic equipment it is a wonder that more people don’t wake up each morning and greet the singing birds with complaining about the noise．Here are some examples of rudeness．
Some people prefer to do almost everything over the Internet．To them, dealing with an actual human is like an evolutionary step backward． It feels very slow because humans don’t work at 4G speeds．When you have dinner with friends, you will often notice someone paying more attention to his mobile phone．We have programmed ourselves to think that every new message brings life-changing news, so taking calls and checking our texts are more important than talking to the people we are with．What is worse, some people even tend to send anonymous（匿名的）rude messages by email．
However, rudeness is never acceptable．Don’t assume it is OK to be rude if the person you’re in touch with won’t recognize you．If you have something awful to say, have the courage to face the person and say it, write a letter or email and sign it, or forget it．Upsetting people with unsigned messages is cruel and disgusting．
We shouldn’t blame technology for our shortcomings．Technology is here to help us, but we should not allow it to take over our lives．An important step is acknowledging our shortcomings．People spend a lot of time pointing out bad manners but it would be even more helpful if we’d publicly acknowledge good manners when we see them．What can be inferred from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1?
| A．People can tell good from bad behavior． |
| B．Radar is able to observe human behavior． |
| C．People care little about their behavior． |
| D．Radar can be used to predict human behavior． |
Some people are less willing to deal with humans because__________．
| A．they are becoming less patient |
| B．they are growing too independent |
| C．they have to handle many important messages |
| D．they have to follow an evolutionary step backward． |
The author thinks sending unsigned awful messages is ___________．
| A．Ridiculous |
| B．disgusting |
| C．acceptable |
| D．reasonable |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．We should applaud good behavior． |
| B．Technology can never be blamed |
| C．We should keep pointing out mistakes． |
| D．Technology will take over lives one day． |
Shenzhen’s transport police recently declared a policeman a “star” member of staff, after he continued to serve in his post even after losing his newborn son. After a netizen made that known, internet users were merciless in their criticism, claiming Sun had sacrificed his son for his career and was unqualified to be a father or even a human being. Though Sun’s wife said via her micro blog he was the best husband and father in the world, it didn’t stop the tide of condemnation.
I feel deeply sorry for this man. It’s not that he should have received the award. It’s traditional in China for individuals to make sacrifices for a group or the country, which remains to be questioned. What annoys me is the netizens pouring anger on the father instead of showing sympathy. Why are they so quick to claim the moral high ground and set themselves up as judges? Whether the father accompanied his son until the last moment or not is a personal affair. The treatment of Sun is a case in point—of the “tyranny(专制)of the majority”. And the majority is not always correct or fair.
Micro blogs have been a growing trend in China in the last few years, becoming a channel for ordinary people to express their opinions, which was previously the preserve of elites(精英) and the media. The positive side of this has been praised enough. But we also need to examine the downside: Self-proclaimed（自诩的）online arbiters of what is right and wrong form another type of unfair rule running cruelly over opinions that don’t match their own. Without knowing enough details and without any serious thought, they pronounce their judgment as opinion of the “majority”.
We should question this expression of personal opinion and the commonness of group attacks. What we need is real, independent critical thinking instead of an Internet mob（暴徒）.
I have no idea how to change the situation but I do hope it happens.
What do we know about the policeman referred to ?
| A．He was a model policeman but a failure as a father. |
| B．He cared little about the loss of his newborn son. |
| C．He was severely under verbal（言语上的） attack of the netizens. |
| D．He did not even have his wife’s understanding. |
The writer of the passage probably will agree that .
| A．the policeman quite deserved the honor of the award. |
| B．individuals’ sacrifice for a group is undoubtedly a good act. |
| C．micro blogs are a preserved channel for elites and the media only. |
| D．some netizens claim their unsound judgments as opinion of the majority. |
The underlined word “arbiters” in the third paragraph is closest in meaning to .
| A．bloggers | B．referees |
| C．criminals | D．programmers |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．Tyranny of the majority online goes wild |
| B．Policeman who lose baby son got awarded |
| C．Micro blogs need tough control |
| D．How to stay away from Internet mobs |
Today’s museums include plenty of high culture, but you can still find shrines（圣地）to the extraordinary. Here’s a look at five curious museum stops across Canada.
Vancouver Police Museum
The setting, terrible enough, is the old Coroner’s（验尸官）Court and forensics lab, including the morgue(room where dead bodies are kept). Artifacts, from the 1870s on, include badges, uniforms, police equipment, items from criminals, and even preserved organs—all in all an arresting experience.
Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station
Designed to resemble a spacecraft, the Treck Station celebrates Vulcan’s coincidental relationship to Mr. Spock’s planet, Go to a building that features an 800-piece collection of Star Trek memorabilia — including Spock’s ears and floor-to-ceiling space paintings. If you want to know more about it, click here: http//www. Vulcantourism. com
Accordion（手风琴）Museum
Through instruments, photos and recordings, the museum traces the history of the accordion and its influence on Quebec culture. They’ve even acquired Asian instruments that show the use of the free reed— call them ancient ancestors of the accordion—that date back 4000 years.
Chocolate Museum
It’s chocoholic heaven — whole museum featuring displays on how chocolate is made, hands-on exhibits, collections of historic chocolate boxes, and antique candy- making equipment and, of course, lots of chocolate treats ,located in an old candy factory building. Click below to learn all about their hours and admission rates. http:// www. Chocolate museum .ca
Potato museum
A 14--foot high potato greets you at what’s billed as the world’s largest exhibit of potato artifacts. Explore the humble potato’s role in the economy, a collection of farm tools related to growing and harvesting potatoes, Hall of Fame.
If you are very interested in thrilling movies, you will probably be attracted by .
| A．potato Museum |
| B．Chocolate Museum |
| C．Vancouver Police Museum |
| D．Accordion Museum |
We can infer from the passage that the ancestors of accordion originated in .
| A．Canada | B．America |
| C．Africa | D．Asia |
People having a sweet tooth may prefer visiting .
| A．Accordion Museum |
| B．Potato Museum |
| C．Chocolate Museum |
| D．Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station |
The passage is most likely to be taken from .
| A．a magazine | B．a website |
| C．a newspaper | D．a brochure |
We have an amazing 99 friends at the age of 21--more than at any other time in our life, according to a new study. The typical 21-year-old’s social circle nearly hits 100, with 13 “best” friends, 17 “close” friends and 70 acquaintances.
The research undertaken by skin care brand Nivea found our social circle peaks at 21 as we meet people at work while keeping in touch with friends from school and university. But as our working lives take over，we lose contact with some old friends causing the number to drop to around 68 by the time we are 29 years old. Although this decline continues into old age，it slows down slightly for people in their 30s when many of them become first-time parents. It is believed that this is because people form new friendships while on the maternity ward(产科病房)，at post-natal(产后) groups and when taking their toddlers(学步时期的小孩) to nursery.
The Nivea Closeness Report found the balance between our numbers of “best friends”，“close friends” and “acquaintances”，remains fairly constant throughout our lifetime. The average Briton has 18 close friends and a friendship circle，when all Facebook and other social networking “friends” are included，of 208 people. The report found that men have more than twice the number of close friends，with around 27 compared to women who have just 12. Londoners are also the most sociable，with 39 “close friends”，while the Welsh have just 11.
The age of 21 is such a critical junction in life and that’s why we have so many friends then. As we get older we become more selective and have fewer close friends with whom we talk about the things that are really important to us. Perhaps when we are younger，instead of having one trusted confidante(知己) we share different things with a variety of different people.
According to the Nivea Closeness Report，who have the largest number of close friends?
| A．Canadians. | B．The Welsh. |
| C．Londoners. | D．Americans. |
Older people have fewer friends than the 21-year-olds because .
| A．they think friends are no longer important |
| B．they are more selective and cautious |
| C．they are less interested in making friends |
| D．they have little time to make friends |
The research suggests that the number of friends in one’s late twenties reduces by or so, compared to that in one’s early twenties.
| A．70 | B．20 | C．30 | D．200 |
Why does the number of one’s friends decrease slowly when he is about 30 years old?
| A．Because they achieve success in business and get acquainted with more colleagues. |
| B．Because many parents make friends with people who have similar experiences in bringing up children . |
| C．Because they make more friends through Facebook or the Internet. |
| D．Because as they grow older, they have more confidantes instead of acquaintances. |
A
A group of 1309 passengers boarded the MS Balmoral on Sunday, in Southampton, England, on a voyage to retrace(重走) the path of the Titanic. The Titanic was the biggest ship in the world when it sailed on its ill-fated first voyage on April 10, 1912. Of the 2227 passengers and crew aboard, more than1500 died. The ship, which was headed for New York City, carried the rich and famous on its first voyage. It also carried immigrants who were seeking a better life in America.
Relatives of people who sailed on the Titanic, historians, authors and people fascinated by the story of the unsinkable ship were on the Balmoral. They wanted to remember the Titanic and those who died on her first and last voyage.
The Balmoral is following Titanic's original route from Southampton. First, the modern-day cruise liner docked（进港） in the port of Cherbourg, France, where the Titanic had picked up more passengers. On Monday afternoon, the Balmoral stops in Cobh, Ireland, the Titanic's last port of call before sailing to New York.
The Balmoral then sailed the North Atlantic Ocean to the location where Titanic hit an iceberg . On Sunday, April 15, at 2：20 a. m. --- the time the Titanic went down---passengers and crew held a memorial service. The next two days were spent in Halifax, Canada, where many victims of the sinking are buried. Then, the Balmoral will reach its final destination in New York City, where Titanic was supposed to dock—but never did.
So far, several teams of divers have explored the site. They have recovered some items such as dishes and silverware and put them on public display. And more trips are planned to the wreckage in the future. The Titanic and its passengers and crew have been remembered in books, movies and TV programs. But there's a much more important contribution that Titanic gave us. After she sank, lawmakers and shipbuilders made ships safer. It took a terrible tragedy to make ship travel safer for all.
We learn from the first paragraph that .
| A．about 700 passengers of the Titanic survived. |
| B．the Titanic sank on its second voyage. |
| C．less than 2000 passengers boarded the Titanic. |
| D．all the passengers’ hopes of the Titanic lay in America. |
Which of the following shows the correct route of the Balmoral?
a. Halifax b. New York City c. Cobh d. Southampton e. Cherbourg
| A．e-d-a-b-c | B．d-e-c-a-b |
| C．e-c-a-b-d | D．d-c-e-a-b |
What might be the most important contribution of the Titanic?
| A．Its site attracts more exploring teams. |
| B．It makes the later ships more secure. |
| C．Some of its items are on public display. |
| D．More trips are planned to its wreckage. |
In a world with limited land, water and other natural resources, the harm from the traditional business model is on the rise. Actually, the past decade has seen more and more forests disappearing and the globe becoming increasingly warm. People now realize that this unhealthy situation must be changed, and that we must be able to develop in sustainable ways. That means growth with low carbon or development of sustainable products. In other words, we should keep the healthy while using its supply of natural resources.
Today, sustainable development is a popular trend in many countries. According to a recent study, the global market for low-carbon energy will become three times bigger over the next decade. China, for example, has set its mind on leading that market, hoping to seize chances in the new round of the global energy resolution. It is now trying hard to made full use of wind and solar energy, and is spending a huge amount of money making electric cars and high-speed trains. In addition, we are also seeing great growth in the global markets for sustainable products such as palm oil(棕榈油), which is produced without cutting down valuable rainforest. In recent years the markets for sustainable products have grown more than 50%.
Governments can fully develop the potential of these new markets. First, they can set high targets for reducing carbon emissions(排放) and targets for saving and reusing energy. Besides, stronger arrangement of public resources like forests can also help to speed up the development. Finally, governments can avoid the huge public expenses that are taking us in the wrong direction, and redirecting some of those expenses can accelerate the change from the traditional model to a sustainable one.
The major challenge of this century is to find ways to meet the needs of a growing population within the limits of this single planet. That is no small task, but it offers abundant new chances for sustainable product industries.
The traditional business model is harmful because of all the following EXCEPT that____.
| A．it makes the world warmer |
| B．it consumes natural resources |
| C．it brings severe damage to future |
| D．it makes growth hard to continue |
What can we infer from Paragraph2?
| A．China lacks wind and solar energy. |
| B．China is the leader of the low-carbon market. |
| C．High-speed trains are a low-carbon development. |
| D．Palm oil is made at the cost of valuable forests. |
To fully develop the low-carbon markets governments can______.
| A．cut public expenses |
| B．forbid carbon emissions |
| C．develop public resources |
| D．encourage energy conservation |
We can learn from the last paragraph that businesses have many chances to _______.
| A．develop sustainable products |
| B．explore new natural resources |
| C．make full use of natural resources |
| D．deal with the major challenge |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To introduce a new business model |
| B．To compare two business models |
| C．To predict a change of the global markets |
| D．To advocate sustainable development |
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