题目内容
-Good heavens!I won’t wait here to get the ticket!
-Why?
-You see, the line of waiting people seems to be ________.
- A.endless
- B.speechless
- C.limitless
- D.friendless
endless意为“无尽的”;speechless意为“一言不发的”;limitless意为“无限的”;friendless意为“冷淡的”。根据句意:等候的队伍似乎无边无尽。
Today, there’s hardly an aspect of our life that isn’t being upended by the tons of information available on the hundreds of millions of sites crowding the Internet, not to mention its ability to keep us in constant touch with each other via electronic mail. “If the automobile and aerospace technology had exploded at the same pace as computer and information technology,” says Microsoft, “a new car would cost about $ 2 and go 600 miles on a small quantity of gas. And you could buy a Boeing 747 for the cost of a pizza.”
Probably the biggest payoff, however, is the billions of dollars the Internet is saving companies in producing goods and serving for the needs of their customers. Nothing like it has been seen since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, when power-driven machines began producing more in a day than men could turn out in nearly a year. “We view the growth of the Internet and e-commerce as a global trend,” says Merrill Lynch, “along the lines of printing press, the telephone, the computer, and electricity.”
You would be hard pressed to name something that isn’t available on the Internet. Consider: books, health care, movie tickets, construction materials, baby clothes, stocks, cattle feed, music, electronics, antiques, tools, real estate, toys, autographs of famous people, wine and airline tickets. And even after you’ve moved on to your final resting place, there’s no reason those you love can’t keep in touch. A company called FinalThoughts.com offers a place for you to store “afterlife e-mails” you can send to Heaven with the help of a “guardian angel”.
Kids today are so computer literate that it in fact ensures the United States will remain the unchallenged leader in cyberspace for the foreseeable(能预测的) future. Nearly all children in families with incomes of more than $75,000 a year have home computers, according to a study by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Youngsters from ages 2 to 17 at all income levels have computers, with 52% of those connected to the Internet. Most kids use computers to play games (some for 30 hours or more a week), and many teenage girls think nothing of rushing home from school to have e-mail chats with friends they have just left.
What’s clear is that, whether we like it or not, the Internet is an ever growing part of our lives and there is no turning back. “The Internet is just 20% invented,” says cyber pioneer Jake Winebaum. “The last 80% is happening now.”
【小题1】What can we learn from the Microsoft’s remark?
A.Today’s cars and airplanes are extremely overpriced. |
B.Information technology is developing at an amazing speed. |
C.Information technology has reached the point where improvement is difficult. |
D.There’s more competition in information technology industry than in car industry. |
A.it saves companies huge amounts of money | B.it speeds up profit making |
C.it brings people incredible convenience | D.it provides easy access to information |
A.there are some genius ideas on the Internet |
B.almost anything is available on the Internet |
C.people can find good bargains on the Internet |
D.some websites provide novel services to increase hits |
A.There is a link between income and computer ownership. |
B.Many American children don’t put computers to good use. |
C.Studies show that boys are more computer literate than girls. |
D.The U.S. will stay ahead in the information technology in years. |
A.The Internet is going to get firm hold of our lives some day. |
B.The Internet is going to influence our lives even more greatly. |
C.We should have a positive attitude towards the changes the Internet brings. |
D.Children should be well prepared for the challenges in the information age. |
Why is pink or purple a color for girls and blue or brown for boys?
The answer depends largely on cultural values as well as personal experiences. To the Egyptians, green was a color that represented the hope and joy of spring, while for Muslims, it means heaven. Red is a symbol (象征) of good luck in many cultures. In China, children are given money in a red envelope to bring good fortune in the New Year. For many nations, blue is a symbol of protection and religious beliefs. Greek people often wear a blue necklace hoping to protect themselves against evils (灾祸).
People’s choice of colors is also influenced by their bodies’ reactions (反应) toward them. Green is said to be the most restful color. It has the ability to reduce pain and relax people both mentally and physically. People who work in green environment have been found to have fewer stomach aches.
Red can cause a person’s blood pressure to rise and increase people’s appetites (食欲). Many decorators will include different shades of red in the restaurant. Similarly, many commercial websites will have a red “Buy Now” button because red is a color that easily catches a person’s eye.
Blue is another calming color. Unlike red, blue can cause people to lose appetite. So if you want to eat less, some suggest that eating from blue plates can help.
The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what color to decorate your room, think about the color carefully.
【小题1】 Muslims regard green as a symbol of heaven mainly because of their______.
A.cultural values | B.commercial purposes |
C.personal experiences | D.physical reactions to the color |
A.To relax people physically. |
B.To increase people’s appetites. |
C.To encourage people to make a purchase. |
D.To cause a person’s blood pressure to rise. |
A.Red. | B.Green. | C.Blue. | D.Purple. |
A.Colors and Human Beings |
B.The Cultural Meaning of Color |
C.The Meaning and Function of Color |
D.Colors and Personal Experiences |
Now came great news! It came from a neighboring state, where the family’s only surviving relative lived. It was Sally’s relative — a distant relative by the name of Tilbury Foster, seventy and single. Tilbury now wrote to Sally, saying he should shortly die, and should leave him thirty thousand dollars, cash; not for love, but because money had given him most of his troubles, and he wished to place it where there was good hope that it would continue its evil work. The bequest would be found in his will, and would be officially handed over provided that Sally should be able to prove to the executors (遗嘱执行人).
As soon as Aleck had partially recovered from the strong emotions created by the letter, she sent someone to the relative’s home and subscribed for the local paper.
For the rest of the day Sally made confusion with his books, and Aleck could not keep her mind on her affairs, not even take up a flower-pot or book or a stick of wood without forgetting what she had intended to do with it. For both were dreaming.
“Thirty thousand dollars!”
All day long Aleck was absorbed in planning how to invest it, Sally in planning how to spend it.
There was no romance-reading that night. The children took themselves away early, for their parents were silent, disturbed, and strangely unentertaining. Two pencils had been busy during that hour — note-making; in the way of plans. It was Sally who broke the stillness at last. He said, with excitement, “Ah, it’ll be grand, Aleck! Out of the first thousand we’ll have a horse and a buggy for summer, and a cutter and a skin lap-robe for winter.”
Aleck responded with decision and calmness.
“You can spend a part of it. But the whole of the capital must be put right to work.
“Why, yes. Yes, of course. Have you got it invested yet?”
“No, there’s no hurry about that; I must look around first, and think, er…, I’ve turned it over twice; once in oil and once in wheat.”
“Why, Aleck, it’s splendid! What does it amount to?”
“I think — well, to be on the safe side, about a hundred and eighty thousand clear, though it will probably be more.”
“My! Isn’t it wonderful? Good heaven! Luck has come our way at last, Aleck!”
Then they went up to bed, but they left the candle burning in the sitting room. They did not remember until they were undressed; then Sally was for letting it burn; he said they could afford it, if it was a thousand. But Aleck went down and put it out.
A good job, too; for on her way back she hit on a scheme that would turn the hundred and eighty thousand into half a million before it had had time to get cold.
1. Why would Tilbury like to give all his money to Sally?
A. Because Sally was Tilbury’s only relative alive.
B. Because Tilbury loved Sally and his family deeply.
C. Because Tilbury wanted his money to continue its function.
D. Because Sally and his wife are good at investing.
2.The underlined word “bequest” in Paragraph1 probably means _________.
A. a gift of personal property B. a proof of a person’s identity
C. a method of getting money D. a reason for giving money
3.What do we know about Sally and his wife after receiving the letter?
A. They were in deep sorrow and stayed up all night.
B. They cared little about the bequest and lived their life as usual.
C. They paid a visit to Tilbury to confirm the truth of the letter.
D. They had a big ambition to invest the money and make huge profits.
4. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A. Thrilling News B. Sally’s Distant Relative
C. The $30,000 Bequest D. A Smart Investment