题目内容

The computer keyboard helped kill shorthand---a system of rapid handwriting, and now it's threatening to finish off handwriting as a whole. When handwritten essays were introduced on the SAT exams for the class of 2011, just 15% of the most 1.5 million students wrote their answers in cursive (草写字母). The rest? Block letters.

And those college hopefuls are just the first edge of a wave of US students who no longer get much handwriting instructions in the primary grades, frequently 10 minutes a day or less. As a result, more and more students struggle to read and write cursive.

At Keene Mill Elementary School in Springfield, all their poems and stories are typed. Children in Fairfax County schools are taught keyboarding beginning in kindergarten. Older students who never mastered handwriting say it doesn't affect their grades.

There are those who say the culture is at a crossing, turning from the written word to the typed one. If handwriting becomes a lost form of communication, does it matter?

It was at University of Virginia that researchers recently discovered a previously unknown poem by Robert, written in his unique script. Handwritten documents are more valuable to researchers, historians say, because their authenticity (真实性)can be confirmed. Students also find them more fascinating.

The loss of handwriting also may be a cognitive (认知的)opportunity missed. Several academic studies have found that good handwriting skills at a young age can help children express their thoughts better--- a lifelong benefit.

It doesn't take much to teach better handwriting skills. At some schools in Prince George's County, elementary school students use a program called Handwriting Without Tears for 15 minutes a day. They learn the correct formation of manuscript letters through second grade, and cursive letters in third grade.

There are always going to be some kids who struggle with handwriting because of their particular neurological (神经系统的)wiring, learning issues or poor motor skills. Educators often point to this factor in support of keyboarding.

67. What is the author concerned about after 2011 SAT exams?

A. Keyboarding.      B. Shorthand.

C. Handwriting.      D. Block letters.

68. A poem by Robert mentioned in the passage is used to _________.

A. prove how valuable handwriting is

B. explain what a famous poet he is

C. show how unique his poem is

D. stress how fascinating the documents are

68. The example of Handwriting Without Tears helps to argue that_________.

A. the schools are responsible for the loss of handwriting

B. the loss of handwriting is a cognitive opportunity missed

C. it doesn't take much to teach better handwriting skills

D. the culture is turning from the written word to the typed one

70. What is the author’s attitude towards this debate?

A. Negative.     B. Encouragement.      C. Critical.       D. Objective.

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Televisions, stereos, telephones, and computers have changed the way we spend our time and what we know about the world. Some of the changes brought about by these material possessions have improved our way of life, but others have made it worse. Our young teenagers turn on the television, play the stereo, play games on the computer, talk on the telephone, and eat all the same time. This drives me right up the wall to instant insanity(精神失常).

However, teens of today place too great an importance on material property. They spend an average of several hours a day watching television, listening to stereos, playing on the computer, playing video games, and talking on the telephone. Families no longer watch television together and there is great lack of communication. Materialism is evident when an otherwise intelligent teenager drives their parents crazy, and into debt, when misusing communication equipment. Teens judge and admire other teens for what they own and have, rather than for what they are or what they can do. They no longer care about values, like honesty, integrity(正直), freedom, talent, quality and other values and morals.

However, good or bad, communication devices are here to stay. It is up to us, as parents, to stop our beloved teenagers from misusing and abusing our communication equipment and devices. We need to avoid the problems they present and to make the most of their opportunities they possess and hold for us all.

1.The writer’s attitude toward the modern material possessions is generally _____.

A.positive

B.negative

C.neutral

D.indifferent

2.According to the writer, teens’ overuse of communication equipment can do harm to _____.

A.their own health

B.their own study

C.their own morality

D.their neighbors’ life

3.The writer attributes (归咎) the unsatisfactory behavior of teens to _____.

A.teens’ too much free time

B.parents’ non-interference

C.inadequate school education

D.material property

4.It can be inferred from the passage that the writer seems to be most annoyed at ______.

A.all the modern material possession

B.eating while talking on the phone

C.the decline in teens’ morality

D.all the communication equipment

 

Futurologists predict that life will probably be very different in 2050.

TV channels will have disappeared. Instead, people will choose a program from a “menu” and a computer will send the program directly to the television. Today, we can use the World Wide Web to read newspaper stories and see pictures on a computer thousands of kilometers away. By 2050, music, films, programs, newspapers, and books will come to us by computer.

Cars will run on new, clean fuels and they will go very fast. Cars will have computers to control the speed and there won’t be any accidents. Today, many cars have computers that tell drivers exactly where they are. By 2050, the computer will control the car and drive it to your destination. Space planes will take people halfway around the world in 2 hours. Today, the United States Space Shuttle can go into space and land on Earth again. By 2050, space planes will fly all over the world and people will fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo in just 2 hours.

Robots will have replaced people in factories. Many factories already use robots. Big companies prefer robots — they don’t ask for pay rises or go on strike, and they work 24 hours a day. By 2050, we will see robots everywhere — in factories, schools, offices, hospitals, shops and homes.

Medical technology will have conquered many diseases. Today, there are devices(设备)that connect directly to the brain to help people hear. By 2050, we will be able to help blind and deaf people to see and hear again.

Scientist will have discovered how to control genes(基因). Scientists have already produced clones of animals. By 2050, scientists will be able to produce clones of people, and decide how they look, how they behave and how clever they are. Scientists will be able to do these things, but should they?

1.We can learn from the passage that some big companies prefer robots to human workers, because human workers __________.

A.often ask for more pay

B.can work 24 hours a day

C.are not clever enough

D.are often late for work

2.The underlined word “conquered” in Paragraph 5 most probably means ________.

A.discovered

B.treated

C.caused

D.cured

3.It can be inferred from Paragraph 5 that _________.

A.few diseases will attack people by 2050

B.there will be no blind and deaf people by 2050

C.medical technology will be more effective by 2050

D.devices are connected directly to the brain to help people hear

4.What is the author’s attitude towards the cloning technology?

A.The author does not support the use of cloning technology.

B.The author thinks human cloning is impossible.

C.The author does not really support the idea of human cloning.

D.The author is quite excited about human cloning.

5.According to the passage, which of the following can be realized today?

A.Read newspapers on a computer.

B.Make a space shuttle to go into the land.

C.Use computers to control car speed.

D.Choose TV programs freely from a “menu”.

 

By 2050

Futurologists(未来学家)predict that life will probably be very different in 2050.

TV channels(频道)will have disappeared. Instead, people will choose a program from a “menu” and a computer will send the program directly to the television. Today, we can use the World Wide Web to read newspaper stories and see pictures on a computer thousands of kilometers away. By 2050, music, films, programs, newspapers, and books will come to us by computer.

Cars will run on new, clean fuels and they will go very fast. Cars will have computers to control the speed and there won’t be any accidents. Today, many cars have computers that tell drivers exactly where they are. By 2050, the computer will control the car and drive it to your destination. Space planes will take people halfway around the world in 2 hours. Today, the United States Space Shuttle can go into space and land on Earth again. By 2050, space planes will fly all over the world and people will fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo in just 2 hours.

Robots will have replaced people in factories. Many factories already use robots. Big computers prefer robots—they don’t ask for pay rises or go on strike, and they work 24 hours a day. By 2050, we will see robots everywhere—in factories, schools, offices, hospitals, shops and homes.

Medical technology will have conquered many diseases. Today, there are devices(设备)that connect directly to the brain to help people hear. By 2050, we will be able to help blind and deaf people to see and hear again.

Scientist will have discovered how to control genes(基因). Scientists have already produced clones(克隆)of animals. By 2050, scientists will be able to produce clones of people, and decide how they look, how they behave and how clever they are. Scientists will be able to do these things, but should they?

1.According to the passage, the following can be realized today EXCEPT __________.

A.reading newspapers on a computer

B.making a space shuttle go into space and land on Earth again

C.creating cloned animals

D.choosing TV programs freely from a “menu”

2.We can learn from the passage that some big companies prefer robots to human workers, because human workers __________.

A.can work 24 hours a day

B.often ask for more pay

C.are not clever enough

D.are often late for work

3.From Paragraph 5 we can infer that __________.

A.there will be no blind and deaf people by 2050

B.few diseases will attack people by 2050

C.devices are connected directly to the brain to help people hear

D.medical technology will be more effective by 2050

4.What is the author’s attitude towards the cloning technology?

A.The author does not support the use of cloning technology.

B.The author thinks human cloning is impossible.

C.The author does not really support the idea of human cloning.

D.The author is quite excited about human cloning.

 

Now, it’s time for some brief news items.

Teens Go Online

Some 13 million European children under 18 use the Internet for schoolwork, games and music according to research done by Nielsen’s “Net-rating”. The study covered Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Experts advesed parents to limit the time their kids on line and keep them away from chat rooms.

Chat to the magic Mum

British author J.K.Rowling, mother of magic boy Harry Potter, will do an Internet interview about her new bool”Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”on June 26. Before the event, children are invited to send their questions about Harry to the website. The book will hit stores in the US and UK on June 21 and will arrive in China in August.

School Soldiers

Russian school students will have to do basic military training in their final year of school, the government has decided.The lesson will include learning to fire guns, marching drills and how to deal with a chemical, nuclear or biological attack. The activity is seen as part of a drive toward the education of their love for their country.

Is it hard for you to get up early and get ready for classes? Some students at Winter Park High School just roll our of bed in their pajamas(睡衣) and go to class in their own bedrooms. Of course, their teachers and classmates do not see them because all their class work is on the computer. The Florida High School, the state’s only online school, had 250 students who are taking classed at home by computer. Students in this first online program take classed in algebra(代数), American government , chemistry, computer, economics, and web-page design. They also have to go to regular school to attend other classes.

66.In the first news item, which country is NOT covered in the research?

A.Britain.  B.France.  C.Sweden.        D.Spain.

67.Why will Russian school students have basic military training?

A.To get ready for a milirary parade.       B.To learn to protect themselves.

C.To gain some military knowledge.        D.To develop their love for the country.

68.About Florida High School, which of these facts is true?

A.Some of the students have to attend classed at home instead of in the school.

B.There are altogether 250 students who take classes in the classrooms.

C.As the state’s only online school, it has 250 students who take classes by computer.

D.Students can’t take classes in algebra, American government, chemistry, computer and so on.

69.The news from Florida can be given a title”        ” .

A.Get up Lage                  B.Online School 

C.Magical Computers           D.No Teachers

70.What is the second news item mainly about?

A.J.K.Rowling will have an Internet interview.

B.Children will meet Harry Potter’s mother.

C.The Harry Potter book will be available on the Internet.

D.The Harry Potter book will arrive in China in early June.

 

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