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“Life is speeding up. Everyone is getting unwell.”
This may sound like something someone would say today. But in fact, an unknown citizen who lived in Rome in AD 52 wrote it.
We all love new inventions. They are exciting, amazing and can even change our lives.
But have all these developments really improve the quality of our lives?
Picture this: You’re rushing to finish your homework on the computer. Your mobile phone rings, a QQ message from your friend appears on the screen, the noise from the television is getting louder and louder. Suddenly the computer goes blank and you lose all your work. Now you have to stay up all night to get it done. How calm and happy do you feel?
Inventions have speeded up our lives so much that they often leave us feeling stressed and tired. Why do you think people who live far away from noisy cities, who have not telephones, no cars, not even any electricity often seem to be happier? Perhaps because they lead simpler lives.
One family in the UK went “back in time” to see what life was like without all the inventions we have today. The grandparents, with their daughter, and grandsons Benjamin, 10, and Tomas, 7, spent nine weeks in a 1940s house. They had no washing machine, microwave, computer or mobile phones.
The grandmother, Lyn, said, “It was hard physically, but not mentally.” She believed life was less materialistic. “The more things you have, the more difficult life becomes,” She said. The boys said they fought less to fight over, such as their computer. Benjamin also noticed that his grandmother had changed from being a “trendy（时髦的）, beer-drinking granny, to one who cooked things.”
Here are some simple ways to beat the stress often caused by our inventions!
Don’t be available all the time. Turn off your mobile phone at certain times of the day. Don’t check your e-mail every day.
Don’t reply to somebody as soon as they leave a text message just because you can. It may be fun at first, but it soon gets annoying.
72．The passage is mainly about        .
A．problem with technology
B．improvements of our life with technology
C．the important roles technology plays in our everyday life
D．major changes which will be likely to happen to technology
73．The writer quoted（引用） what a citizen in ancient Rome said at the beginning of the story in order to        .
A．share a truth about life
B．tell us what life was like long time ago
C．make us wonder what causes such a thing to happen
D．point out that you experience some big problems and they may be the same
74．Why did the family choose to spend some time in a 1940’s house? Because        .
A．they liked to live simple lives
B．they were curious about how people lived without modern inventions
C．they were troubled by modern inventions
D．living in a different time would be a lot of fun for them
75．What do you think the underlined word “available” in the first suggestion offered by the writer mean?
A．Busy on line.   B．Free..       C．Be able to.       D．Be found by others.

I often reply to his blog only to show my        of his thoughtfulness .

九：书面表达（满分20分）。

假如你叫李华，是《二十一世纪英文报·中学生版》的一名编辑，最近收到很多中学生读者的来信，咨询如何提高学习成绩。请你写一封120词左右的回信，刊登在报纸上回复广大读者，信的内容如下（信的开头已给出，不计入总词数）：

1．好的学习习惯是提高学习成绩最关键的因素之一；

2．在学习中选择合适的环境，注意听课、及时复习、认真做笔记等；

3．鼓励中学生朋友树立信心。

参考词汇：

①关键因素 crucial factors    ②集中注意于 concentrate on

③充分利用 make good use of   ④树立信心  build confidence

⑤预习 preview the points      ⑥ 定期的 regular

Dear readers,

I’m very glad to receive your letters and it’s my great honor to reply to you.

Babysitter Wanted

     I am seeking a babysitter for my 6-month-old son. A few hours on Saturdays and Sundays to help me and then other times as needed. He or she should be over 18, responsible, loving, warm, and have some experience in caring for babies. This position also suits a college student with experience looking for a part-time job. The pay is $10 an hour.

     If this sounds like a good job to you, please reply to rebecharv@aol.comor call 800-4964.

Office Manager Wanted

     Our company is looking for a full-time experienced manager to run the business. Strong skills in organisation and business management are required for this position. The office manager will be responsible for keeping financial (金融的) records, so he or she should be familiar with computers.

     Please reply to jim@californiaaquatics.comor call 800-6978 to apply.

Waiter/ Waitress Wanted

     A restaurant is looking for an experienced waiter / waitress. Knowledge of wines and experience in dining are necessary. Must work well under pressure and understand the basics of fine dining and customer service.

    If you’re interested, please contact us at job-tkupe-1329358152@craigslist.orgto apply. This is a part-time job.

Office Cleaner Wanted

     Looking for a Part-time job? A position in the Mississauga area needs an office cleaner! Part-time 4 hours a day from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.

     Duties include:

●Cleaning the washrooms

●Cleaning the furniture

●Sweeping the floors

●Other general cleaning Some experience is necessary. Pay:$15 per hour

Replyto:job-p3b7u-1365632206@craigslist.orgor call 800-8197.

1.Which of the following position is a full-time job?

A. Babysitter.            B. Office manager.

C. Waiter / waitress.       D. Office cleaner.

2.If a college girl with some experience caring for children wants to apply for a job, where should she send an email?

A. job-p3b7u-1365632206@craigslist.org

B. job-tkupe-1329358152@craigslist.org

C. jim@californiaaquatics.com

D. rebecharv@aol.com

3.What can we learn from the passage?

A. The office cleaner has to work three hours each day.

B. One can apply for a waiter or waitress by telephone.

C. A babysitter earns $5 more than an office cleaner per hour.

D. Experience is necessary for all these four jobs.

4.Which of the following is necessary for a waiter / waitress?

A. Being familiar with computers.

B. Having knowledge of wines.

C. Knowing more about menus.

D. Working well with others.

文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号（^），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线（ ），并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及修改均仅限一词;
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Dear Brown,
Last summer I take a part-time job in the International Camp for children. I have been told one more worker will be needed in this year and I think you are fit to it. How about join us? The camp is at the foot of a small hill close to a river. It is so a beautiful place! We can hear birds singing happy all around. Everybody sleeps in tents, that is very exciting. We usually work only five hours a day, so we will have plenty of spare time visit the area and have a fun. I am sure it will be an unforgettable experience. If you are interesting in it, reply to me soon．
Yours, 
Li Hua