题目内容
For computer users, there is no bigger excitement than tossing out your old PC and upgrading to a newer, faster and cleaner machine. With hardware designers like Intel, pushing newer, faster products every year, and new software requiring even more powerful machines, companies and consumers have little choice but to go along.
But this rapid turnover is having a serious effect on the planet. Producing a personal computer consumes large quantities of natural resources. A recent study by the United Nations estimates the energy required to produce a single new computer is equivalent to nearly two barrels of oil. And that doesn't include the 22 kg of chemicals or the 1,500 kg of water used in the manufacturing process.
In fact, pound for pound（均等地）, the process for making a car is about 500% more efficient than that for making a computer. That doesn't matter so much 20 years ago when personal computers were few and far between, but times have changed. These days, computers are found nearly everywhere and sales continue to grow. The number of PCs in use topped one billion in 2002.
Waste in production is only half the problem. Old computers, especially the monitors, are full of dangerous substances, which need to be carefully recycled. The problem is sure to expand over the coming years as users replace their boxy CRT monitors with LCD flat displays.
Europe now requires that 70% of parts from old computers be recycled, but the study’s authors say that’s also part of the problem. The solution, they insist, is for governments and companies to encourage people to use their computers longer, and upgrade rather than replace. But considering that much of the world’s recent economic growth has come from spending on computers and information technology, that advice may sound like wishful thinking.
What do computer users have to do every few years according to the passage?
A. Push newer, faster products.
B. Produce more powerful machines.
C. Consume large quantities of natural resources.
D. Upgrade to a newer, faster computer.
What does the underlined word “that” in paragraph 3 refer to?
A. The pound. B. The process.
C. The car. D. The computer.
We can infer from the last paragraph that ____.
A. governments and companies will surely encourage people to use their computers longer
B. governments and companies will probably encourage people to replace their personal computers
C. the world's economic has been growing without people's spending on computers and information technology
D. all parts from old computers are now recycled in Europe
The purpose of writing this passage is ____
A. to encourage companies to push newer, faster personal computers
B. to encourage people to design more new software
C. to encourage people to save their personal computers
D. to encourage people to spend more money on computers and information technology
Being able to multitask---doing several things at the same time---is considered a welcome skill by most people. But if we consider the situation of the young people aged from eight to eighteen, we should think again.
What we often see nowadays is that young people juggle an ever larger number of electronic devices as they study. While working, they also surf on the Internet, send out emails, answer the telephone and listen to music on their iPods. In a sense, they are spending a significant amount of time in fruitless efforts as they multitask.
Multitasking is even changing the relationship between family members. As young people give so much attention to their own worlds, they seem to have no time to spend with the other people around them. They can no longer greet family members when they enter the house, nor can they eat at the family table.
Multitasking also affects young people’s performance at university and in the workplace. When asked about their opinion of the effect of modern gadgets on their performance of tasks, many young people gave a positive response. However, the response from the worlds of education and business was not quite as positive.
Educators feel that multitasking by children has a serious effect on later development of study skills. They believe that many college students now need help to improve their study skills. Similarly, employers feel that young people entering the job market need to be taught all over again, as modern gadgets have made it unnecessary for them to learn special skills to do their work.
What does the underlined word “juggle” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?
A. Want to buy.
B. Take the place of.
C. Use at the same time.
D. Seek for information from.
In Paragraph 3, the author points out that ________.
A. family members do not eat at the family table.
B. family members do not greet each other.
C. young people live happily in their families
D. young people seldom talk with their family members
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
A. multitasking is harmful to young people’s development.
B. Young people benefit a lot from modern gadgets.
C. Multitasking is an important skill to young people.
D. Yong people must learn skills for future jobs.
The author develops the passage mainly by ________.
A. providing typical examples
B. following the natural time order
C. comparing opinions from different fields
D. presenting a cause and analyzing its effects
Since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships. One strength of the human condition is our possibility to give and receive support from one another under stressful conditions. Social support makes up of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties. Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to deal with major life changes and daily problems. People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties. Studies over types of illnesses, from depression(沮丧) to heart disease, show that the presence of social support helps people defend themselves against illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely.
Social support cushions stress in a number of ways. First, friends, relatives and co-workers may let us know that they value us. Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others in spite of our faults and difficulties. Second, other people often provide us with informational support. They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them. Third, we typically find social companionship supportive. Taking part in free-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting (转移注意力) us from our worries and troubles. Finally, other people may give us instrumental support money aid, material resources, and needed services - that reduces stress by helping us resolve and deal with our problems.
Interpersonal relationships are important because they can ________
A. make people live more easily
B. smooth away daily problems
C. deal with life changes
D. cure types of illnesses
Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word "cushions"?
A. takes place of B. makes up of
C. lessens the effect of D. gets rid of
What is the subject discussed in the text?
A. Interpersonal relationships.
B. Kinds of social support.
C. Ways to deal with stress.
D. Effects of stressful condition.
A. make people live more easily B. smooth away daily problems
C. deal with life changes D. cure types of illnesses
A. Interpersonal relationships. B. Kinds of social support.
C. Ways to deal with stress. D. Effects of stressful condition.
____ is mentioned above, the number of the cattle here has been limited to 200.
A. It B. Which C. That D. As
