D
We all accept that sports should stress skill over luck，and fairness over privilege(特权)．
They should be accessible to many and fun to watch．In the end，a sport,s champion should re-
present shared values and served as a role model．
But with today,s advances in technology，the power of sports equipment makers offers great
opportunity for the athletes who have access to the latest technology.
In 2008,108 world records were broken in the sport of swimming．The average number of
world records set in swimming in all past Olympic years is about 22．The average number of
world records set in a non-Olympic year is about 5．Now there are no“old”world records．
Suit technology has been the most widely recognized difference．The sharkskin suit and the
“paper”suits were all made public by suit manufactures before the Olympic．
As records continue to be broken，the Internet message boards for the swimming community
have taken a darker view of suit technology．“Time is meaningless”is one quote．I tend to agree．Some of the times I see being posted today are simply legends(传奇)．
Am I against suit technology?Not really．But 2008 marked an unbelievable change in the
sport of swimming．People are saying，“Bigger，faster，stronger at any cost!”，wanting no limits on technology，either suits or drugs．I am not one of those people．
I am a guy that recognized the sport of swimming being as simple as man vs．water．It used
to be the swimmer in the suit，not the suit on the swimmer．How times have changed．
53．According to the first paragraph，it is a common belief that________.
A．only a few people have chances to take part in sports
B．the latest suit technology should not be used in sports
C．sports should be interesting for people to watch
D．luck plays an important role in Olympic Games
54．It can be learned from the passage that_______.
A．the author is against the latest technology in sports
B．the athletes have become more skilled than before
C．some records are hard to break without technology
D．advanced suits and drugs can be used in Olympics
55．What does“Time is meaningless”mean in the swimming community?
A．Breaking records in swimming is too easy for most athelets．
B．It,s technology rather than skill that counts in some records．
C．Many athletes break records by luck and taking drugs．
D．Some rules aren,t obeyed when Olympic records are broken．
56．What,s the author,s opinion of the present sports?
A．Latest technology should be encouraged in compitition among athelets．
B．Time should be measured in a different way in modern Olympic Games．
C．All of the athletes should wear the same suits to ensure fairness．
D. Competition in skill should come first instead of that in equipment。

D

We all accept that sports should stress skill over luck，and fairness over privilege(特权)．

They should be accessible to many and fun to watch．In the end，a sport,s champion should re-

present shared values and served as a role model．

But with today,s advances in technology，the power of sports equipment makers offers great

opportunity for the athletes who have access to the latest technology.

In 2008,108 world records were broken in the sport of swimming．The average number of

world records set in swimming in all past Olympic years is about 22．The average number of

world records set in a non-Olympic year is about 5．Now there are no“old”world records．

Suit technology has been the most widely recognized difference．The sharkskin suit and the

“paper”suits were all made public by suit manufactures before the Olympic．

As records continue to be broken，the Internet message boards for the swimming community

have taken a darker view of suit technology．“Time is meaningless”is one quote．I tend to agree．Some of the times I see being posted today are simply legends(传奇)．

Am I against suit technology?Not really．But 2008 marked an unbelievable change in the

sport of swimming．People are saying，“Bigger，faster，stronger at any cost!”，wanting no limits on technology，either suits or drugs．I am not one of those people．

I am a guy that recognized the sport of swimming being as simple as man vs．water．It used

to be the swimmer in the suit，not the suit on the swimmer．How times have changed．

53．According to the first paragraph，it is a common belief that________.

A．only a few people have chances to take part in sports

B．the latest suit technology should not be used in sports

C．sports should be interesting for people to watch

D．luck plays an important role in Olympic Games

54．It can be learned from the passage that_______.

A．the author is against the latest technology in sports

B．the athletes have become more skilled than before

C．some records are hard to break without technology

D．advanced suits and drugs can be used in Olympics

55．What does“Time is meaningless”mean in the swimming community?

A．Breaking records in swimming is too easy for most athelets．

B．It,s technology rather than skill that counts in some records．

C．Many athletes break records by luck and taking drugs．

D．Some rules aren,t obeyed when Olympic records are broken．

56．What,s the author,s opinion of the present sports?

A．Latest technology should be encouraged in compitition among athelets．

B．Time should be measured in a different way in modern Olympic Games．

C．All of the athletes should wear the same suits to ensure fairness．

D. Competition in skill should come first instead of that in equipment。

D

  We all accept that sports should stress skill over luck，and fairness over privilege(特权)．

They should be accessible to many and fun to watch．In the end，a sport,s champion should re-

present shared values and served as a role model．

  But with today,s advances in technology，the power of sports equipment makers offers great

opportunity for the athletes who have access to the latest technology.

    In 2008,108 world records were broken in the sport of swimming．The average number of

 world records set in swimming in all past Olympic years is about 22．The average number of

 world records set in a non-Olympic year is about 5．Now there are no“old”world records．

    Suit technology has been the most widely recognized difference．The sharkskin suit and the

“paper”suits were all made public by suit manufactures before the Olympic．

    As records continue to be broken，the Internet message boards for the swimming community

 have taken a darker view of suit technology．“Time is meaningless”is one quote．I tend to agree．Some of the times I see being posted today are simply legends(传奇)．

    Am I against suit technology?Not really．But 2008 marked an unbelievable change in the

 sport of swimming．People are saying，“Bigger，faster，stronger at any cost!”，wanting no limits on technology，either suits or drugs．I am not one of those people．

    I am a guy that recognized the sport of swimming being as simple as man vs．water．It used

to be the swimmer in the suit，not the suit on the swimmer．How times have changed．

53．According to the first paragraph，it is a common belief that________.

  A．only a few people have chances to take part in sports

  B．the latest suit technology should not be used in sports

  C．sports should be interesting for people to watch

  D．luck plays an important role in Olympic Games

 54．It can be learned from the passage that_______.

  A．the author is against the latest technology in sports

  B．the athletes have become more skilled than before

  C．some records are hard to break without technology

  D．advanced suits and drugs can be used in Olympics

55．What does“Time is meaningless”mean in the swimming community?

  A．Breaking records in swimming is too easy for most athelets．

  B．It,s technology rather than skill that counts in some records．

  C．Many athletes break records by luck and taking drugs．

  D．Some rules aren,t obeyed when Olympic records are broken．

56．What,s the author,s opinion of the present sports?

  A．Latest technology should be encouraged in compitition among athelets．

  B．Time should be measured in a different way in modern Olympic Games．

  C．All of the athletes should wear the same suits to ensure fairness．

  D. Competition in skill should come first instead of that in equipment。

Family Vs Technology

Modern technology certainly changes family behavior, but does it really damage family life as many people fear? Not necessarily, says Dr. Silva, a professor in Sociology(社会学) at the Open University, she also argues it is wrong to assume technology erodes(腐蚀，侵蚀) the quality of family life.

“There is the idea that technology has an influence on the family and the family suffers. My take is quite different,” she explains. “Technological change happens because people’s lives change. And it is people’s choices of how to live that creates processes of innovation(革新) as well. The family has a role like the economy or like technology itself in changing the world. The imagination is important in driving the things technologists want to find for our daily lives. People desire to see nature as it is, so color television comes about,” she says.

In another case, the increase in working mothers helped create a market for labor-saving kitchen equipment. “The time that women have to shop every day for food is no longer available so there is a need to have a refrigerator for food storage,” says Dr. Silva. “The need to cook that food more easily and quickly, means you have developments in cooking technology like the microwave oven(微波炉). The microwave oven already existed because it was developed for the navy during World War Two but it wasn’t used in ordinary families until the early 1980s.

“Technologies for housework were as important as those for work itself,” she says, “So washing machines, refrigerators and microwave ovens are terribly important. We couldn’t imagine what life would be like if we didn’t have them.” Technological changes in the kitchen have played an important role in the changes of family behavior, creating a new social focus in the home.

“With advanced technology, you can feed the family in an easier manner. People can do housework with less difficulty. But that doesn’t mean that family practices are not important — it’s just a different way of doing things.”

1.What is Dr. Silva’s attitude towards the effect that technology has on family life?

A．Worried.                              B．Optimistic(乐观的).

C．Puzzled.                              D．Uncertain.

2.What causes advances in technology according to Dr. Silva?

A．People’s love for nature.

B．Great changes in people’s way of life.

C．People’s desire to change the world.

D．The wonderful imagination in inventing things.

3.What can we learn from the passage?

A．The microwave oven was first used by working mothers.

B．People cook less because of modern kitchen equipment.

C．Technology has little effect on the changes of family behavior.

D．People need less skill to do housework due to advanced technology.

Family Vs Technology
Modern technology certainly changes family behavior, but does it really damage family life as many people fear? Not necessarily, says Dr. Silva, a professor in Sociology(社会学) at the Open University, she also argues it is wrong to assume technology erodes(腐蚀，侵蚀) the quality of family life.
“There is the idea that technology has an influence on the family and the family suffers. My take is quite different,” she explains. “Technological change happens because people’s lives change. And it is people’s choices of how to live that creates processes of innovation(革新) as well. The family has a role like the economy or like technology itself in changing the world. The imagination is important in driving the things technologists want to find for our daily lives. People desire to see nature as it is, so color television comes about,” she says.
In another case, the increase in working mothers helped create a market for labor-saving kitchen equipment. “The time that women have to shop every day for food is no longer available so there is a need to have a refrigerator for food storage,” says Dr. Silva. “The need to cook that food more easily and quickly, means you have developments in cooking technology like the microwave oven(微波炉). The microwave oven already existed because it was developed for the navy during World War Two but it wasn’t used in ordinary families until the early 1980s.
“Technologies for housework were as important as those for work itself,” she says, “So washing machines, refrigerators and microwave ovens are terribly important. We couldn’t imagine what life would be like if we didn’t have them.” Technological changes in the kitchen have played an important role in the changes of family behavior, creating a new social focus in the home.
“With advanced technology, you can feed the family in an easier manner. People can do housework with less difficulty. But that doesn’t mean that family practices are not important — it’s just a different way of doing things.”
【小题1】What is Dr. Silva’s attitude towards the effect that technology has on family life?