When Gretchen Baxter gets home from work as a New York City book editor, she checks her Blackberry at the door. “I think we are attached to these devices in a way that is not always positive,” says Baxter, who’d rather focus at home on her husband and 12-year-old daughter. “It’s there and it beckons(召唤). That’s human nature (but)…we kind of get crazy sometimes and we don’t know where it should stop.”
Americans are connected at unprecedented(前所未有的) levels—93% now use cell phones or wireless devices; one third of those are “smart phones” that allow users to browse the web and check e-mails, among other things. The benefits are obvious: checking messages on the road, staying in touch with friends and family, efficiently using time once spent waiting around. The downside: often, we’re effectively disconnecting from those in the same room.
That’s why, despite all the technology that makes communicating easier than ever, 2010 was the year we stopped talking to one another. From texting at dinner to posting on Facebook from work or checking e-mails while on a date, the connectivity revolution is creating a lot of divided attention, not to mention social anxiety. Many analysts say it’s time to step back and reassess (再评价).
“What we’re going to see in the future is new opportunities for people to be plugged in and connected like never before,” says Scott Campbell. “It can be a good thing, but I also see new ways the traditional social construction is getting somewhat torn apart.”
Our days are filled with beeps and pings—many of which pull us away from tasks at hand or face-to-face conversations. We may feel that the distractions(干扰) are too much, but we can’t seem to stop posting, texting or surfing. “We’re going through a period of adjustment and rebalancing, ” says Sherry Turkle and she wants to remind people that technology can be turned off. “Our human purposes are to really have connections with people,” she says. “We have to reclaim it. It’s not going to take place by itself.”
小题1:According to Paragraph 1, Gretchen Baxter thinks _____. | A．the new technology always influences people’s life in a positive way | | B．the new technology always influences people’s life in a negative way | | C．the family isn’t that important compared to the new technology | | D．people are too dependent on the new technology to let go |
小题2: The underlined word “downside” in Paragraph 2 probably means _____. | A．advantage | B．weakness | | C．strength | D．effect |
小题3: Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? | A．The wide use of mobile devices has nothing to do with the traditional social construction. | | B．Mobile devices play a less important part in American life. | | C．Mobile devices create a lot of divided attention and social anxiety. | | D．Many analysts speak highly of the wide popularity of mobile devices. |
小题4: What can be inferred from the last paragraph? | A．Something must be done to get connection with people in reality again. | | B．Using mobile services can help people get con- nection with each other. | | C．Mobile services have a strong impact on people’s life. | | D．The connection with people can happen naturally. |
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小题1:D
小题2:B
小题3:C
小题4:A |
小题1: D 推理判断题。从第一段可知，Gretchen Baxter认为人们非常迷恋这些电子设备，以至于不知道该在哪儿停下来。也就是说，人们太依赖新科技而不能放手。
小题2:B 词义猜测题。前一句说的是新科技的优点，本句说的是缺点，所以downside意为“缺点”。
小题3:C 细节理解题。从第三段第二句From texting at dinner to posting on Facebook from work or checking e-mails while on a date, the connectivity revolution is creating a lot of divided attention, not to mention social anxiety.可知，移动设备引起了注意力分散和社会焦虑。
小题4: A 推理判断题。从最后一段可知，人类的意图是与人真正地交流，可是科技对我们的干扰太多了，一时难以停下来，所以要想重新恢复人们之间真正意义上的交流，还需作出努力。 |
核心考点
试题【When Gretchen Baxter gets home from work as a New York City book editor, she che】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
I was an extremely verbal child, and growing up with my dad was an experiment in linguistics(语言学). My father was a man of few words. Whenever I wanted his permission for a certain activity, I planned a speech that included who would be there, where it would take place, how long it would last, and why it was an incredibly wonderful opportunity for me. He would listen and then say either “Yes” or “No.” There were never any qualifiers; not “Yes, but be home by dinner” or “No, unless you can convince me otherwise.” It was yes or no, plain and simple.
My father’s phone messages were also lessons in patience and long-suffering to a teenage girl. I was quite active in high school. Not only did I enjoy being involved in many areas, but I came into contact with many a great teenage guy. I can recall one busy day when I had met two great guys and had given each of them my phone number. The first words out of my mouth when I walked through the front door were, “Dad! Did anyone call?” His answer, of course, was simply “Yes”.I required for a more accurate description of the caller. His answer: “A boy.” Since I had met two guys that day, this did not help me. I ran to my room in tears.
Knowing my dad’s dislike of language in general and his fondness for briefness, it surprised me to hear that he was going to teach the eleven-year-old boys’ Sunday school class. He did so for not one, but many years. I always wondered if he actually said anything, or if they all just sat in their chairs and stared at each other. I was sure that if people were waiting on my father to break the ice with brilliant conversation or a springboard comment, they’d be badly disappointed. Still, September after September, my father hung his sign outside the Sunday school room: Mr. Ernst—Eleven-Year-Old Boys.
小题1: In order to get Dad to agree to the author’s outing, the author had to make up the following EXCEPT _____.| A．the friends I shall meet in the activity | | B．the activity is a chance for anyone | | C．the place where the activity is to be held | | D．the time that I shall spend in the activity |
小题2: When the author says “My father’s phone messages were also lessons in patience and long-suffering to a teenage girl.”, it means that when she was young _____.| A．her father once gave her a lesson about patience and long-lasting pain | | B．her father’s brief phone messages angered her a lot but made her patient | | C．she was trained to be patient and brave because of her father’s brief phone messages | | D．she suffered and had to be patient because of her father’s brief phone messages |
小题3: What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase “break the ice” in Paragraph 3?| A．Make the ice crack. | B．Stop talking. | | C．Start a talk. | D．Interrupt a talk. |
小题4: Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?| A．My father would answer me with “Yes, but be home by dinner” sometimes. | | B．I came into contact with just a few great teenage guys because I was active in high school. | | C．That my father would teach the eleven-year-old boys’ Weekday school class surprised me. | | D．I always wanted to know how my father, who talked so little, taught the boys. |
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Some years ago I was offered a writing assignment that would require three months of travel through Europe. I had been abroad a couple of times, but I could hardly claim to know my way around, the continent. , my knowledge of foreign languages was limited to a little college French.
I . How would I, unable to speak the language, familiar with local geography or transportation systems, conduct interviews and do
research? It seemed impossible, and with considerable I sat down to write a letter rejecting the . Halfway through, a
ran through my mind: you can"t learn if you don"t try. So I the assignment.
There were some bad . But by the time I finished the trip, I was an experienced traveler. And ever since, I have never hesitated to head for even the most places, without guides or advancebookings, confident that somehow I will .
The point is that the new, the different, is almost by definition . But each time you try something, you learn, and as the learning , the world opens to you.
I"ve learned to ski at 40, and flown up the Rhine River in a(n) . And I know I"ll go on doing such things. It"s not because I"m braver or more daring than others. I"m not. But I"ll accept worry as another name for and I believe I can wonders.
| 小题1: | | A．aboard | B．abroad | | C．away | D．out |
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| 小题2: | | A．claim | B．declare | | C．hope | D．deny |
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| 小题3: | | A．Somehow | B．However | | C．Instead | D．Moreover |
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| 小题4: | | A．accustomed | B．added | | C．limited | D．suited |
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| 小题5: | | A．resigned | B．hesitated | | C．trembled | D．suspected |
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| 小题6: | | A．only too | B．more than | | C．apart from | D．far from |
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| 小题7: | | A．operations | B．experiments | | C．research | D．business |
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| 小题8: | | A．regret | B．doubt | | C．terror | D．disappointment |
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| 小题9: | | A．request | B．job | | C．trust | D．assignment |
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| 小题10: | | A．reaction | B．thought | | C．meaning | D．conflict |
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| 小题11: | | A．accomplished | B．received | | C．accepted | D．resisted |
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| 小题12: | | A．exchanges | B．conditions | | C．trips | D．experiences |
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| 小题13: | | A．remote | B．accessible | | C．interesting | D．crowded |
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| 小题16: | | A．astonishing | B．frightening | | C．fascinating | D．exciting |
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| 小题17: | | A．comes up | B．shows up | | C．piles up | D．steps up |
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| 小题18: | | A．airport | B．motorboat | | C．surfboard | D．balloon |
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| 小题19: | | A．goal | B．opportunity | | C．struggle | D．challenge |
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| 小题20: | | A．work | B．own | | C．win | D．achieve |
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IMAGINE that you are in school, giving a speech to your class.
Now think what it feels like when stammering(口吃)makes it a struggle to communicate your thoughts and feelings to other people.
The King’s Speech, which won the best picture at
the Academy Awards, highlights(突出) stammering along with other speech-related problems. The movie tells the story of Britain’s King George Ⅵ, who became king after his brother Edward Ⅷ gave up the crown to marry an American woman.
As a result of British actor Colin Firth’s performance, people are starting to realize that stammering can damage a person’s self-confidence and cause him/her to escape from life.
“The problem is unseen and unheard,” said Norbert Lieckfeldt, an expert at the British Stammering Association, in an interview with The Guardian newspaper.
“Stammering masks(遮盖) your ability,” he said, “It"s a serious disability(残疾).”
Most stammerers face bullying(欺负) in school, something that is “usually carried over into the workplace”.
George Ⅵ’s stammer took away his confidence as a speaker. But Samantha Mesango, a speech coach based in the UK, believes that speech problems are more common than most people realize. “Some simply don"t like the sound of their own voice; others are scared of speaking in public,” she said.
Travis Treats from Saint Louis University’s department of communication sciences in the US, praised The King’s Speech. He said it shows that “how one’s speech does not mean what one is inside”.
He also added that people who stammer need to be heard and our society should recognize that they have a lot to give to the world.
小题1: What is the point of the first two paragraphs?| A．To tell readers about speech speaking. | | B．To show how harmful a stammer is. | | C．To draw the attention of readers to the problem of a stammer. | | D．To show how a stammer makes a person popular |
小题2: According to the article, King George Ⅵ _____.| A．was a hero during World War Ⅱ | | B．took the place of his brother | | C．married a divorced American woman | | D．was a failure because of his stammer |
小题3: What is Norbert Lieckfeldt’s view of the challenge of a stammer?| A．A stammer can destroy a person’s self-confidence. | | B．A stammer is a serious problem for many people but it is often ignored. | | C．People who stammer need to have their own voice. | | D．People who stammer do better in work than in school. |
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What is Home stay? Literally it is a home for you to stay at when you are not at home. To be specific, home stay provides foreign language students with the opportunity to speak native language outside the classroom and the experience of being part of a British home. Here is what you will experience in our British Home-stay Program.
What to Expect
The host will provide accommodation and meals. Rooms will be cleaned and bedcovers changed at least once a week. You will be given the house key and the host is there to offer help and advice as well as to take an interest in your physical and mental health.
Accommodation Zones
Homestays are located in London mainly in Zones 2, 3 and of the transport system. Most hosts do not live in the town centre (Zone 1) as much of central London is commercial and not residential(居住的). Zones 3 and 4 often offer smaller accommodation in a more crowded area. It is very convenient to travel in London by underground.
Meal Plans Available
• Continental Breakfast
• Breakfast and Dinner
• Breakfast, Packed Lunch and Dinner
It’s important to note that few English families still provide a traditional cooked breakfast. Your accommodation includes Continental Breakfast which normally consists of fruit juice, cereal(谷物类食品), bread and tea or coffee. Cheese, fruit and cold meat are not normally part of a Continental Breakfast in England. Dinners usually consist of meat or fish with vegetables followed by desert, fruit and coffee.
Friends
If you wish to invite a friend over to visit, you must first ask your host’s permission. You have no right to entertain friends in a family home as some families feel it is an invasion of their privacy.
Self-Catering Accommodation in Private Homes
Accommodation on a room-only basis includes shared kitchen and bathroom facilities and often a main living room. This kind of accommodation offers an independent lifestyle and is more suitable for the long-stay student. However, it does not provide the same family atmosphere as an ordinary homestay and may not benefit those who need to practise English at home quite as much.
小题1:The passage is probably written for _____.| A．host willing to receive foreign students | | B．foreigners hoping to build British culture | | C．travellers planning to visit families in London | | D．English learners applying to like in English homes |
小题2: Which of the following will the host provide?| A．Medical care. | B．Room cleaning. | | C．Free transport. | D．Physical training. |
小题3: What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?| A．Zone 3 is more crowded than Zone 2. | | B．The business centre of London is in Zone 2. | | C．Hosts dislike travelling to the city centre. | | D．Zone 1 offers bigger accommodation. |
小题4: According to the passage, what does Continental Breakfast include?| A．Dessert and coffee. | B．Fruit and vegetables. | | C．Bread and fruit juice. | D．Centre and cold meat. |
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A daughter thought life was unpromising(无前途的) to her and complained to her father about it. She did not know how she was going to and wanted to give up. She was of fighting and struggling. It seemed as if one problem was just solved before a new one .
Her father, a cook, took her to the . He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high
. Soon the pots came to the . In one he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
The daughter sucked her teeth and waited, asking repeatedly what he was doing. In about twenty minutes he turned off the He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then he spooned the coffee out and placed it in another. Turning to her he asked, “Darling, what do you see?”
“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.
He brought her closer and asked her to
the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the , she observed the hard-boiled egg! Finally, he asked her to taste the coffee. She smiled she tasted its rich flavor. She humbly asked, “What does it mean, Father?”
He explained that each of them had faced the same , boiling water, but each differ-
ently. The carrot went in and hard. But after being subjected to the boiling water, it and became weak. The egg had been . Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But after sitting the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, . After they were in the boiling water, they had the water.
“Which are you?” he asked his daughter. “When adversity(逆境) knocks on your door, do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?”
| 小题1: | | A．make out | B．make it | | C．make up | D．make through |
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| 小题2: | | A．typical | B．conscious | | C．tired | D．warned |
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| 小题3: | | A．raised | B．arose | | C．disappeared | D．faded |
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| 小题4: | | A．room | B．market | | C．kitchen | D．grocery |
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| 小题5: | | A．shelf | B．temperature | | C．fire | D．table |
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| 小题6: | | A．boil | B．cool | | C．hot | D．smoke |
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| 小题7: | | A．happily | B．calmly | | C．casually | D．impatiently |
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| 小题8: | | A．lights | B．burners | | C．tap | D．water |
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| 小题9: | | A．see | B．carry | C．feel | D．fetch |
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| 小题10: | | A．shell | B．pack | C．bag | D．cover |
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| 小题12: | | A．occasion | B．point | | C．variety | D．adversity |
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| 小题13: | | A．reflected | B．answered | | C．abandoned | D．reacted |
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| 小题14: | | A．stable | B．weak | | C．strong | D．sensitive |
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| 小题15: | | A．softened | B．widened | | C．shortened | D．sharpened |
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| 小题16: | | A．half-done | B．easily-broken | | C．easily-got | D．hard-boiled |
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| 小题18: | | A．however | B．otherwise | | C．besides | D．moreover |
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| 小题19: | | A．melted | B．absorbed | | C．polluted | D．changed |
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