题目内容
People tend to become more personal and hide less of themselves when using email . Researchers from Open University in Britain have found in a recent study that there are good reasons for this .
The team of researchers asked 83 pairs of students , all strangers to each other , to solve a problem . They had to discuss this question : If only five people in the world could be saved from a world disaster , who should they be ? The pairs of students had to talk over the problem either face to face or by computers . Dr. Johnson said , “They told their partners four times as much about themselves when they talked over the Internet as when they talked face to face . When the computers were fitted with cameras so that students could see each other , this limited the personal side of the conversation.”
Generally the information was not extremely personal . It was mainly about things such as where they went to school, or where they used to live . But some students discussed their love stories , and personal childhood experiences .
Dr. Johnson believes that emailing encourages people to focus on themselves . And when they do this , they become more open , especially if there are no cameras. “If you cannot see the other person, it becomes easier to talk about yourself . This is because you are not thinking what the other person is thinking of you. So emailing has become the modern way of talking,” said Dr. Johnson. However , this style of talking is not entirely new . “In the 19th century people started to use the ‘telegraph’ to communicate . Now the same kind of thing has happened and people ended up speaking more freely .”
Dr. Johnson thinks that emailers need to know about these effects of emailing , especially when they start work in a company . “If you don’t know about it , you could find yourself saying more about yourself than you wanted to .”
1.The subject discussed in this passage is .
|
A．how people open up when emailing |
B．how people do research studies |
|
C．how to communicate at work |
D．how to discuss and solve a problem |
2.The reason that some couples talked freely about themselves is that .
|
A．they didn’t talk about very personal things |
B．they couldn’t see each other |
|
C．the cameras on the computers were turned on |
D．they had to discuss a question |
3.What do the underlined words (in para. 4) refer to ?
|
A．The telegraph |
B．The computer |
C．Emailing . |
D．Face-to-face talk . |
4.．In the writer’s opinion , one should .
|
A．focus on oneself when emailing |
B．talk more freely in email than usual |
|
C．discuss any subject that one wants to |
D．consider how one uses email at work |
1.A2.B3.C4.D
【解析】略
Do you know that many clowns go to school to learn how to be funny? How would you like to go to that school? You could learn how to walk and talk like a clown. Then you could make people laugh.
Clowns may go to school for a year. There they learn to move in funny ways. They learn to run and jump like different animals. They also learn how to fall down in a special way. They make sure they don’t get injured. They make every move look easy. But really it’s hard work.
In a school clowns decide how they will look. They make funny pants and tops. Then clowns have their funny long shoes made. They also learn to make up their faces. Clowns carefully put special paint on, so they look silly.
They start by making every part of their feces white. Then they use red paint around their mouths to make them look big. Clowns may paint re spots on each side of their faces, too. Big red noses are added. They put on funny hair or funny hats.
Now they look silly. They are ready to go to work! You can see clowns at the circus or parade. They do funny things to surprise people. Ten big clowns may get out of a very small car. Or they may walk on a high rope. Then they almost fall. The faces they make when they try to stand up again make people laugh.
【小题1】The word “clown” in this passage refers to ____.
A．a person who tries to make people laugh by th is funny looks, clothes and tricks and actions |
| B．a person who copies others in speaking, actions and way of walking |
C．a person who gives performances only to make p eople laugh. |
| D．a person whose job is very easy to do. |
| A．Clowns learn to be funny at school to make people laugh |
| B．Clowns wear strange pants and tops and funny long shoes. |
| C．Clowns don’t feel frightened when they walk on a high rope. |
| D．Clowns put on funny hair and hats and make faces |
| A．a parade | B．the circus | C．school | D．both A and B |
| A．there are quite a number of clown schools in the world |
B．people laugh when they watch clowns play at the circus |
| C．clowns like animals very much so they jump like different animals |
D．clowns make people laugh b ut they seldom laugh |
Today, bicycles are elegantly simple machines that are common around the world. Many people ride bicycles for recreation, whereas others use them as a means of transportation. The first bicycle was invented in Germany in 1818. Because it was made of wood, it wasn’t very strong nor did it have pedals (脚踏板）.Riders moved it by pushing their feet against the ground.
In 1839, Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a Scottish blacksmith, invented a much better bicycle. Macmillan’s machine had iron-covered wheels to keep them from getting worn down. He also used foot-operated levers, similar to pedals, so his bicycle could be ridden at a quick pace. It didn’t look much like the modem bicycle, though, because its back wheel was substantially larger than its front wheel. Although Macmillan’s bicycles could be ridden easily, they were never produced in large numbers.
In 1861, Frenchman Pierre Michaux and his brother Ernest invented a bicycle with an improved pedal mechanism. They called their bicycle a velocipede，but most people called it a “bone shaker” because of the effect of the wood and iron frame. Despite the impolite nickname, the velocipede was a hit. After a few years, the Michaux family was making hundreds of the machines annually, mostly for fun-seeking young people.
Ten years later, James Starley , an English inventor, made several innovations that revolutionized bicycle design. He made the front wheel many times larger than the back wheel, put a gear on the pedals to make the bicycle more efficient，and lightened the wheels by using wire spokes. Although this bicycle was much lighter and less tiring to ride, it was still clumsy, extremely top-heavy，and ridden mostly for entertainment.
It wasn’t until 1874 that the first truly modern bicycle appeared on the scene. Invented by another Englishman, H. J. Lawson, the safety bicycle would look familiar to today’s cyclists. The safety bicycle had equal-sized wheels, which made it easier to ride. Lawson also attached a chain to the pedals to drive the back wheel. By 1893，the safety bicycle had been further improved with air-filled rubber tires, a diamond-shaped frame, and easy braking. With the improvements provided by Lawson; bicycles became extremely popular and useful for transportation. Today, they are built, used, and enjoyed all over the world.
【小题1】This passage was most likely written in order to _____.
| A．compare bicycles used for different purposes |
| B．describe the problems early bicycle makers experienced |
| C．persuade readers to use bicycles for transportation |
| D．tell readers about the early history of the bicycle |
| A．add weight to the bicycle |
| B．make the bicycle easier to ride |
| C．allow the wheels to last longer |
| D．let the bicycle be more comfortable |
【小题4】Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．Two hundred years ago，bicycles did not exist. |
| B．The first bicycle could be ridden at a very quick pace. |
| C．The Michaux brothers called their bicycle a “bone shaker”. |
| D．Macmillan’s machine had wheels with rubber tires. |
| A．importance | B．time | C．place | D．Interest |
