When I opened my e-mail the other day, a pretty woman named Rachel appeared on my computer screen. She greeted me by name and started talking enthusiastically. Every now and then she stopped to smile at me or blow a kiss. She was reading to me an e-mail from my brother, and a lot of it was about his getting the phone company to give him a high="speed" Internet connection. It was pretty cool.
Rachel was there thanks to a new technology called Facemail. Facemail lets you send an e-mail that gets read to the receiver by an attractive male or female form or by a clown. The software, which is free, can be downloaded at www. Facemail.com.
Facemail faces are lifelike, and they copy emotions based on the ones that you put in your text. For example, type in X, and Rachel blows a kiss.
Life FX, the company that develops the Facemail is sure there are broad business uses. The reason e-business is not popular, the company says, is that buying over the Internet lacks the human touch. But what if you went to the Nike website and Michael Jordan greeted you by name, waited on you and personally closed the sale? And the company is talking with Whirlpool about using the technology in a computer screen on a fridge. Then if Mom can’t be home when the kids get back from school, she can leave a note with voice and image telling them what there is to eat.
Facemail could get hot fast. Personally, I’m a fan. But Facemail should be used with words in an e-mail and add angry emotions when you’ve got a psycho-mail.
Title: A New Technology on Facemail

—You went to the US last month , didn’t you?

   —Yes. That was the first time that I________ there.

  A. went           B. had gone        C. had been        D. have been

There are many American expressions about insects--- like bees, for example. Bees are known as very hard workers. They appear to be busy, moving around their homes, or hives. So you might say you were as busy as a bee if you spent your weekend cleaning your house. In fact, you might say your house was a beehive of activity if your whole family was helping you clean. You also might say you made a beeline for something if you went there right away. When we go to see a movie, my friend always makes a beeline for the place where they sell popcorn .

Here is an expression about bees that is not used much any more, but we like it anyway. We think it was first used in the 1920s. If something was the best of its kind, you might say it was the bee’s knees. Now, we admit that we do not know how this expression developed. In fact, we do not even know if bees have knees!

If your friend cannot stop talking about something because she thinks it is important, you might say she has a bee in her bonnet. If someone asks you a personal question, you might say “that is none of your beeswax”. This means none of your business.

Speaking of personal questions, there is an expression when their children ask, “Where do babies come from?” Parents who discuss sex and reproduction say this is talking about the birds and bees.

Butterflies are beautiful insects, but you would not want to have butterflies in your stomach. That means to be nervous about having to do something, like speaking in front of a crowd. You would also not want to have ants in your trousers. That is, to be unable to sit still.

1.If you make a beeline for something, you _____ .

A. are as busy as a bee                 B. go quickly and directly towards it

C. always go to the same place          D. buy something at a certain place

2.The underlined expression “ it is the bee’s knees” ______ .

A. is not used at all now               B. was first used in the 1820s

C. reminds us that bees have knees      D. means “it is very good”

3. If you ask your American friend Jack “How old is your wife?” he may say “_____.”

A. It is none of your beeswax           B. You have a bee in your bonnet

C. It is the bee’s knees               D. You are talking about the birds and bees

4. When you have butterflies in your stomach, you _____ .

A. are too sick to sit still           B. have ants in your trousers

C. are nervous about something          D. have a stomachache

Many years ago my student asked me the question, “Mrs. Kindred, why do you teach?” Without taking time to reflect, I answered ,“Because someday I might say something that might make a difference in someone’s life.” Even though I was sincere, that wasn’t a very good answer and my student didn’t let it slide.
“Let me get this straight,” he said, “You went to college for four years so you could come here every day because you have the hope that someday you might say something that will influence someone?” He shook his head as if I were crazy and walked away looking confused. I’m one of those people who look back and wish they had said something smart or witty, or swift.
Even though that particular student might no longer wonder why I teach, there are days when I wonder. On those days, I remind myself of the real reasons I teach:
It’s in my blood. My mother was my most influential teacher, and she was a 6^th grade reading teacher until her death in 1990. She instilled(逐渐灌输)in me a love of reading and the knowledge that education opens doors.
Teaching is a way to make a difference. If you throw a stone in a pond the ripples(波纹) go on and on until they reach the shore. You can’t have ripples without a “stone.” Good teachers throw stones that make a positive difference, and that’s what I strive to do.
I genuinely love teenagers. I want to share with others what I know and what I have learned through the years. Life is full of ups and downs, and if I can help students avoid some potholes on the road of life, I want to do so. If they’ll allow me to celebrate their victories with them, I want to do too. Teaching isn’t for everyone, but I know I made the right career choice.
【小题1】 Why did the student continue to ask the question about the writer’s being a teacher?

This is an open letter to the three people who stole my handbag from the department store I am employed as a shop assistant ．

When you took my bag, I don't know what you thought you were going to get．With my wages, there's not much left on a Tuesday．I hope the ￡5 was useful to you ．I have informed the  social security office so you won't be able to cash the child benefit next week ．I hope that won't leave you too short．But if you really need a couple of pounds, I suppose you could always cash one of the two checks left in my check book．Of course,I phoned the bank right away and the check-casing card is no longer valid, so it won’t be much use to you ．

Actually I don't mind about the money too much．We single parents who work to support our families understand only too well what it means to be short of cash ．However, I don’t suppose it went very far among the three of you．Sorry about that!

I wish you had left the bag behind and just taken the wallet and check book．There were all kinds of papers in it, and notes and things that I really need．I really think that was very inconsiderate of you ．I mean, how would you like something like that to happen to you?

Well, perhaps the bag will turn up．It wasn't even an expensive one．just a plain, old brown leather shoulder bag．You probably dumped it in the nearest rubbish bin or threw it into the bushes. We've looked around, of course, but no one saw which way you went after you left the shop．

I'm not really angry with you．I know how the pressures of modern living can affect us, but I am sad at the loss of my personal things．I feel violated and helpless．The police were very icy, and they just shrugged（耸） their shoulders．"It happens all the time," they told me ．Some small comfort, I suppose．But I've lost just a little more faith in human nature．And as my young son said when I told him what had happened, "Why? Mummy, why us?" I couldn't answer that question．I wonder if you can．

1.In writing Paragraph 2, the writer wants to            ．

    A．describe the contents of the bag in detail．

    B．give some suggestions to the three thieves

    C．tell the thieves hardly any money was available

    D．state the fact that she was careless with the money

2.Which of the following is the most valuable to the writer?

    A．The cash in her bag．                B．The papers and notes in the bag．

    C．The handbag itself．                 D．The check books in the bag．

3.What can we conclude about the police?

    A．They have doubts about human nature．

    B．They show sympathy for the woman．

    C．They think the case quite common．

    D．They are unable to find the thieves．

4.Why does the author write the letter?

    A．To give the thieves a serious warning．

    B．To complain about the fall of morality．

    C．To call people’s attention to their belongings．

    D．To express her affection for her valuable bag．