题目内容
Technology has totally transformed our ability to communicate with each other. Linking to each other both literally and figuratively, many of us connect through cell phones, email, instant messaging, blogs, and networking web sites, yet we may be less connected to each other than we think.
According to a study, Americans are becoming increasingly socially isolated(孤立的). The study suggests, for example, that one quarter of Americans say that they have no one to discuss important personal issues with, and that the number of close friends that Americans have has dropped from three to two. Meanwhile, the Boston Globe reports that this spreading isolation is experienced more sharply among those with less education, people of color, and older Americans. Unsurprisingly, those who are young, white, and well educated tend to have stronger social networks.
From my own experience I have to say that I’ve never felt more connected, thanks to a web of friends, family, and colleagues. One of my closest friends is someone I met through an online discussion group who lives hundreds of miles away from me. We have met face-to-face only twice, yet our regular electronic correspondence and cell phone calls maintain our close friendship. And, speaking of blogging, my blog has introduced me to people I would never have met otherwise and has led to enduring and important friendships.
On the other hand, I recently saw a scene unfold that proved to me how deeply disconnected we as Americans have become. I had just wrapped up a presentation on mediation at a family therapy (治疗) center.
As I was leaving, I noticed a mother and her teenage son who had just completed their session with their family therapist. After making their next appointment, they both took out their cell phones, placed calls, and began loud conversations with whoever was on the other end. I walked out behind them to the parking lot to my car. They both jumped into their cars, and, as I saw them drive off, they were still talking on their cell phones but not to each other.
68. What does the passage lead you to believe?
A. Americans are more socially isolated today.
B. Americans are more socially connected today.
C. Americans don’t make good use of technology.
D. Technology plays a bigger role in American society.
69. Which of the following has nothing to do with the isolation among Americans?
A. Sex. B. Education. C. Skin color. D. Age.
70. What is true about the mother and son in the passage?
A. They came for therapy in the same car.
B. They were quite close to each other.
C. There was not much communication between them.
D. They preferred talking to each other on cell phones.
71. What can we learn from the passage?
A. The writer is totally against the modern technology.
B. The mother and the son have finished their family therapist and get a better relationship.
C. As far as the writer is concerned, he has benefited a lot from the modern technology.
D. Those black and well-educated people have stronger social network than aged white people.
AACC
Keeping a busy social life among lots of friends may keep people thinner than spending hours doing some exercises, according to scientists. They say that socialising and meeting with friends help increase levels of brown fat in the body which burns calories(卡路里)to produce heat.
Living in an exciting social environment was found to reduce fat in mice's belly by half over four weeks, even if they ate more. US researchers say that social excitement aids weight loss by turning white fat into brown. White fat stores calories and makes us fatter, while brown burns energy to produce heat. Turning white fat into brown is extremely difficult,normally
requiring long- term stay in cold conditions or exciting part of the body's nervous system.
However, scientists from Ohio State University now think that having a busy social life is an even more effective way of changing white fat into brown. The team came up with their theory by studying the effects of various living environments on mice. Those, who lived alongside a greater number of mice, had more space and toys to excite themselves and then lost far more weight over the course of the study than their “couch potato" fellows.
Study author, Dr Matthew During, whose team's findings appear in the journal Cell Metabolism, said, "I'm still amazed at the degree of fat loss that occurs." Explaining how new technology had threatened face-to-face socialising, he added, "It's not just a sedentary(久坐 的)lifestyle and high calorie foods, but an increasing lack of social activities." Co-author Dr Lei Cao said,"Loneliness is a potential factor for cancer and death; it's equal to cigarette smoking to a certain extent. Social activities are very vital.,,
【小题1】What information can we get from the first two paragraphs?
A.Brown fat stores calories and makes us fatter. |
B.It doesn't take long to turn white fat into brown. |
C.Social excitement helps gain more weight. |
D.Brown fat can burn energy to produce heat. |
A.Levels of brown fat can be increased by socialising. |
B.The mice lacking social life lose more weight. |
C.The research findings haven't been published so far. |
D.Dr Matthew During wasn't convinced of the result. |
A.the fat in mice's belly was reduced because of the relaxing environment |
B.a sedentary lifestyle and high calories foods influence people's social life |
C.surfing the Internet may influence people's face-to-face communication |
D.cancer and death are mainly caused for lack of social life |
A.Brown fat is beneficial to people's health. |
B.Socialising is unnecessarily important in people's daily life. |
C.White fat can be changed into brown fat. |
D.Socialising contributes to people's losing weight. |
Hundreds of students from around the world gathered in New York City last week for the Microsoft Imagine Cup finals. They came to present their ideas for using technology to solve world problems.
Microsoft education director Suzi Levine says the nine-year-old program began mainly as a competition to create technology.
SUZI LEVINE: "When we realized that students really actually want to have a purpose for what they're creating, we introduced the idea of inspiring them with the UN Millennium Development Goals and suggesting that they use those for their muse(灵感). "This past year we also rolled out something called the Imagine Cup Solve This library(创新杯求解计划知识库), where IGOs, NGOs and nonprofits can submit some of the technical challenges that they would like students to consider for their solutions."
Microsoft says over 350,000 high school and college students registered for this year's competition. Judges chose more than four hundred of them to attend the finals.
SUZI LEVINE: "One from Thailand was called NewKrean, where they created a Windows Phone 7 application that allows you to broadcast your location to your social network of friends so that you can be more easily rescued." They named their application Terra.
Suzi Levine says there were also ideas from Egypt inspired by the revolution that overthrew president Hosni Mubarak in February.
SUZI LEVINE: "One was to use Bluetooth as sort of a Twitter equivalent so that if the government shuts down the Internet, you actually can still have a massive social distribution."
Students competed in nine categories. For example, in software design the top prize of twenty-five thousand dollars went to Team Hermes from Ireland. The students developed a device for cars to collect information on road conditions, driving behavior and traffic incidents.
A team from Taiwan's National Tsing Hua University won first place in the embedded(内嵌的) development category. They developed a network of wireless devices to help plot the safest escape routes during a fire.
Next year's awards ceremony will take place in Australia. Registration for Imagine Cup twenty-twelve opened Friday. Also, Microsoft announced plans for a three million dollar program to help Imagine Cup winners further develop their projects.
【小题1】Which of the following is true ?
A.The program is sponsored by Microsoft. |
B.Next year, the awards ceremony will be held in New York City. |
C.Any high school or college student can attend the finals. |
D.The initial purpose of the program is to solve world problems using technology. |
A.The UN offers great help to the program. |
B.Microsoft sets up a library for the students who want to achieve their goals. |
C.IGOs, NGOs and nonprofits also provide help for the students. |
D.Microsoft takes effective measures to inspire the students. |
A. Abandoned | B.Supported | C.Drove away | D.Overturned |
A.They want to replace Bluetooth with Twitter. |
B.They want to combine Bluetooth with Twitter. |
C.They want to replace Twitter with Bluetooth. |
D.Twitter can still be used without the Internet. |