some form of postal service, the history of which goes back a long way. Indeed, the Egyptians began
sending letters from about 2000 BC, as did the Chinese a thousand years later.
Of course, modern postal service now are march more developed and faster. depending as they do on
cars and planes fore delivery. Yet they are still too slow for some people to send urgent documents (紧急
文件) and letters.
The invention of the fax (传真) machine increased the speed of delivering documents even more. When
you send a fax you are sending a copy of a piece of correspondence to someone by telephone service. It
was not until the early 1980s that such a service was developed enough for businesses to be able to fax
documents to each other.
The fax service is still very much in use when copies of documents require to be sent, but, as a way of
fast correspondence, it has been largely taken the place of by email. Email is used to describe messages sent
form one computer user to another.
There are advantages and disadvantages with emails. If you send some one an email,then he will receive
it extremely quickly. Normal postal services are rather slow as far as speed of delivery is concerned.
However, if you write something by email, which you might later regret, and send it immediately, there
is no chance for second thoughts. At least, if you are have to address and seal (封) the envelope and take it
to the post box. There is plenty of time to change your mind. The message is think before you email!
B. the postal service has over the years become faster
C. the postal service has over the years become slower
D. the fax service has a history as long as the postal service does
B. letters have been used in China for about 1,000 years
C. the fax machine was invented after the 1980s
D. letters have been used in Egypt for about 2,000 years
B. you may regret before you send something by email
C. you"d better not send your email in a hurry
D. you need plenty of time to send an email
B. the advantage of fax machines
C. the advantage of emails
D. the invention of fax machines
If you"re like most students, you probably read both at home and outside your home: perhaps somewhere
on your schoolyard and maybe even at work during your breaks. Your reading environment can have a great
effect on your understanding, so give some thought to how you can create (营造) or choose the right reading
environments. The right environment allows you to stay alert (专注的) and to keep all of your attention on the
text, especially when it is both interesting and difficult.
When you"re at home, you can usually create effective conditions for reading. You might want to choose
a particular place-a desk or table, for example-where you always read. Make sure the place you choose is well
lighted, and sit in a chair that requires you to sit straight. Reading in a chair that"s too soft and comfortable is
likely to make you sleepy! Keep your active reading tools (pens, markers, notebooks or paper) and a dictionary
close at hand.
Before you sit down for a reading period, try to reduce all possible interruptions. Turn off your phone, the
television, and the radio. Tell your family members or roommates that you"ll be busy for a while. If necessary,
put a "Do not disturb" sign on your door! The more interruptions you must deal with while you read, the harder
it will be to keep your attention on the task at hand.
B. helps readers a lot in their readers a lot in their reading tasks
C. can only be created at one"s home
D. can only be created outside one"s home
B. Paper
C. Phone calls
D. Notebooks
B. Creating an Effective Reading Environment
C. The Ways to Reduce Possible Interruptions
D. What to Read
scientists were overjoyed with the chance to examine the remains of the past. The ship construction
showed how ships were built and operated during the seventeenth century. In this way, artifacts, objects
made by human beings, provided a picture of daily life almost 400 years ago.
Underwaterarchaeology-the study of ships, aircraft and human settlements that have sunk under large
bodies of water-is really a product of the last 50 years. The rapid growth of this new area of study has
occurred because of the invention of better diving equipment.Besides the Swedish ship wreck (残骸),
underwater archaeologists have made more exciting discoveries such as the 5000-year-old boats in the
Mediterranean Sea.
Underwater archaeology can provide facts abut the past. In ancient ports all over the world are ships
sunken in the past 6,000 years. There are also sunken settlements in seas and lakes telling of peoples way
of life and their systems of trade in ancient times. Underwater archaeologists want to study these objects
to add to the world"s knowledge of history, but they have to fight two enemies. One enemy is treasure
hunters who dive for ancient artifacts that they can sell to collectors. Once sold, these objects are lost to
experts. The second enemy is dredging machines (挖掘机) often used to repair ports. These machines
destroy wrecks and artifacts or bury them deeper under sand and mud. By teaching the public about the
importance of underwater "museums" of the past, archaeologists are hoping to get support for laws to
protect underwater treasures.
B. To attract readers" attention to the topic
C. To use an example to support the topic
D. To offer basic knowledge of the topic
B. search for underwater life
C. study underwater artifacts
D. examine underwater environment
B. their knowledge of world history is limited
C. dredging machines cause damage to the ports
D. sold artifacts can hardly be regained for research
B. To discuss the scientists" problems.
C. To explain people"s way of life in the past.
D. To describe the sunken ships.
of water per day survive in a desert environment?
In the southwest African country of Namibia, and the Sahara lands of Mali further north, the desert
elephant does just that.
Although not regarded as a separate species from the African elephant, the desert cousin differs in
many ways. Their bodies are smaller, to absorb less heat, and their feet are larger for easier walking across
sandy surfaces, They are taller, to reach higher branches. They have shorter tusks (象牙), and most
importantly, longer trunks to dig for water in riverbeds.
Desert elephants can travel over 70 kilometers in search for feeding grounds and waterholes, and have
a larger group of families. They drink only every 3-4 days, and can store water in a "bag" at the back of
their throat, which is only used when badly needed. Desert elephants are careful feeders-they seldom root
up trees and break fewer branches, and thus maintain what little food sources are available. Young elephants
may even eat the dung (粪便) of the female leader of a group when facing food shortage.
During drought they are unlikely to give birth to their young but with good rains the birthrate will increase
greatly. Desert elephants have sand baths, sometimes adding their own urine (尿液) to make them muddy!
As we continue to overheat our weak planet, it can only be hoped that other animal species will adapt as
extraordinarily well to change as the desert elephant.
B. drinks 120 liters of water a day
C. manages to live in desert areas
D. eats 150 kilograms of food daily
B. drink only every 3-4 days
C. search for food in large groups
D. protect food sources for their young
B. facts and descriptions
C. examples and conclusion
D. evidence and argument
B. Not all animal species are so adaptable.
C. The planet will become hotter and hotter.
D. Not all animals are as smart as desert elephants.
fact that such fears are common and normal doesn"t mean they can be taken lightly. Kids experience fears
and phobias (恐惧症) much more strongly than adults. And the influence of the fear can be physical as well
as psychological (心理的). It can build up so they almost seem scared of everything-a kind of childhood
anxiety. Dr. Creswell says: "Your child may always seem to expect the worst to happen and lack confidence
in his or her ability to deal with any challenge." So don"t make the same old mistake of treating them as if
they"re silly for being a "scaredy cat". Handling the fears is essential.
Children can be born nervous and, if you have such a baby, you"ll tend to prevent them from getting
worried. So if they fear dogs, you"ll keep them away from dogs, but in fact that can just confirm to the child
that dogs are scary. What is worse, keeping your child away from what they fear can turn that feeling into
a phobia. Instead, you should encourage them to get in touch with the thing they fear, in a safe and supportive
environment. Dr. Andy Field, a researcher of childhood fears, says: "You shouldn"t force, for example, a dog
anxious child to go up to a dog. But you can approach it yourself, show them there is nothing to be afraid of,
stroke (抚摸) it, and talk about the dog being friendly. Once your child dares to stroke a dog-one that"s good
with children, of course-then you should encourage them to carry on until they feel calmer, and reward them
for "being brave"."
B. their influence is psychological
C. they exist widely in the world
D. they will disappear gradually
B. overcome them by themselves
C. experience the worst of things
D. grow up lacking self confidence
B. show the child how to approach it
C. keep the child away from it
D. ask the child to stroke it
out ten factors that make a difference. Our feelings of well-being at any moment are determined to a
certain degree by genes. However, of all the factors, wealth and age are the top two.
Money can buy a degree of happiness. But once you can afford to feed, clothe and house yourself,
each extra dollar makes less and less difference.
Researchers find that, on average, wealthier people are happier. But the link between money and
happiness is complex. In the past half-century, average income has sharply increased in developed countries,
yet happiness levels have remained almost the same. Once your basic needs are met, money only seems
to increase happiness if you have more than your friends, neighbors and colleagues.
"Dollars buy status, and status makes people feel better," conclude some experts, which helps explain
why people who can seek status in other ways-scientists or actors, for example-may happily accept
relatively poorly-paid jobs.
In a research, Professor Alex Michalos found that the people whose desire-not just for money, but for
friends, family, job, health-rose furthest beyond what they already had, tended to be less happy than those
who felt a smaller gap (差距). Indeed, the size of the gap predicted happiness about five times better than
income alone. "The gap measures just blow away the only measures of income." Says Michalos.
Another factor that has to do with happiness is age. Old age may not be so bad. "Given all the problems
of aging, how could the elderly be more satisfied?" asks Professor Laura Carstensen.
In one survey, Carstensen interviewed 184 people between the ages of 18 and 94, and asked them to fill
out an emotions questionnaire. She found that old people reported positive emotions just as often as young
people, but negative emotions much less often.
Why are old people happier? Some scientists suggest older people may expect life to be harder and learn
to live with it, or they"re more realistic about their goals, only setting ones that they know they can achieve.
But Carstensen thinks that with times running out, older people have learned to focus on things that make
them happy and let go of those that don"t.
"People realize not only what they have, but also that what they have cannot last forever," she says. "A
goodbye kiss to a husband or wife at the age of 85, for example, may bring far more complex emotional
responses than a similar kiss to a boy or girl friend at the age of 20."
B. increases gradually with age
C. has little to do with wealth
D. is measured by desires
B. provide chances to make friends
C. improve their social position
D. satisfy their professional interests
B. successful
C. practical
D. emotional
B. they have a stronger desire for friendship
C. their income is below their expectation
D. the hope for good health is greater
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