Contrary to common belief, social media websites such as Facebook do not weaken personal ties, they strengthen them in unique ways for different age groups, according to a new study．
The rapid spread of Facebook, which has more than 500 million users worldwide, has prompted concerns about its negative effects, but researchers at the University of Texas have reached a different conclusion．
"Our findings suggest that Facebook is not replacing face-to-face interactions between friends, family and colleagues," said S．Craig Watkins, an associate professor of radio, TV and film who headed the research team．
"In fact, we believe there is sufficient evidence that social media afford opportunities for new expressions of friendship, intimacy and community．"
The researchers questioned 900 college students and recent graduates about how and with whom they interact on Facebook．
More than 60 percent of Facebook users said posting status updates was among the most popular activities, followed by 60 percent who wrote comments on their profile and 49 percent who posted messages and comments to friends．
The researchers also found that although about the same number of men and women use Facebook, they do so in different ways．
"There is a noteworthy difference in aims in how to use a tool like Facebook．We found that for women the content tends to be more affectionate, and （they） are especially interested in using it for connection," said Watkins．
"For men, it's more functional," he added．
Watkins pointed out that, for example, women are more likely to post pictures of social gatherings with friends, while men are more likely to post pictures of hobbies, or post a political or pop-culture related link．
【小题1】What's the popular viewpoint of ordinary people about the function of social media websites? They think ____．

The State Council declared Wednesday it would restart China's nuclear power program, ending the hiatus（中断）in nuclear construction since Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster last year.

    China has been the most courageous country in building nuclear power, with the largest number of plants currently under construction. Nuclear power is facing a tough time in developed countries. The Japanese public is demanding the closure of all the country's nuclear power plants. China is at the forefront of nuclear power development. But it has been forced into this position.

    Rapid economic development coupled with improvements in people's life both demand more electricity. It is impossible to exploit fossil resources forever as the supply of coal, oil and natural gas is limited. China has no choice but to develop nuclear power.

    China must be the safest user of nuclear power. It should become a leading country in developing nuclear power technologies and increasing the world's knowledge of nuclear power. 

    It needs to do at least two things. First, it needs to promote safety in nuclear power plants, based on the technologies of the West. The former Soviet Union, the US and Japan all had severe nuclear accidents, proving there are risks. China should try to remove these risks.

    Second, China should establish effective communication mechanisms（机制）between the government, power plants and the public. It's wrong to think the government can control every aspect of nuclear power plant construction.

    The opposition to nuclear power program in developed countries has prevented them from building new plants, but they already have many. These governments are reluctant to close these plants despite strong opposition, because they cannot find better substitutes. 

    Nuclear power only occupies 1.8 percent of China's current electricity grid（输电网）, much lower than the proportion in many developed countries. China's nuclear power plan should introduce the advantages of the technologies of other countries and also be creative in providing security. Its space technology is not the most advanced, but its launch safety measures have proven to be among the best.

    China's high-profile high-speed railway development has drawn a lot of controversy, as will the active attitude towards developing nuclear power. But China cannot just copy what the developed countries have done. The development of nuclear power must be unique to China and it must be a ground-breaking success. But now, the real test lies ahead.

1.In the third paragraph the writer focuses on ______.

A. the reason why China is to develop nuclear power

B. the difficulty China has in developing nuclear power

C. the measures China will take to develop nuclear power

D. the benefits China will have by developing nuclear power

2.What attitude do people in developed countries have towards nuclear power program?

A. Supportive.           B. Opposed.     C. Indifferent.                      D. Objective.

3.. If the Chinese government is to develop nuclear power, it needs to ______.

A. copy exactly what the developed countries have done

B. depend entirely on domestic scientists and technologies

C. avoid people’s involvement in nuclear power plant construction

D. do everything in its power to guarantee safety in nuclear power plants

4.What is the future of China’s nuclear power program according to the text?

A. It will be unique but can hardly pass too many tests.

B. It will be full of controversy but carried out firmly.

C. It will be on a smooth way to a ground-breaking success.

D. It will receive much opposition from developed countries.

Self—employed private doctors who charge a fee each patient’s visit are the foundation of medical practice in the United States. Most doctors have contract relationship with one or more hospitals in the community. They send their patients to this hospital，which usually charges patients according to the number of days they stay and the facilities (operation room, tests, medicines that they use). Some hospitals belong to a city, a state or a government agency. Others are operated by religious orders (教会)or other non—profit groups.
Some medical doctors are on salary. Salaried doctors may work as hospital staff (员工)members, or residents, who are often still in training . They may teach in medical schools, or be hired by corporations to care for their workers to work for the government’s Public Health Service.
Doctors are among the best paid professionals in the United States. In the 1980s, it was not uncommon for medical doctors to earn incomes of more than $100,000 a year. Specialists, particularly surgeons, might earn several times that amount. Doctors list many reasons why they deserve to be so well rewarded for their work. One reason is the long and expensive preparation required to become a doctor in the United States. Most would—be doctors first attend college for four years, which can cost nearly $20,000 a year at one of the best private institutions. Then they attend medical school for four years. Tuition(学费)alone can more than $10,000 a year. By the time they have obtained their medical degrees, many young doctors are deeply in debt. They still face three to five years of residency(实习阶段) in hospital, the first year as an assistant. The hours are long and the pay is relatively low.
Setting up a medical practice is expensive, too. Sometimes several doctors will decide to establish a group practice, so they can share the expense of maintaining an office and buying equipment. These doctors also take care of each other’s patients in emergencies.
Doctors work long hours and must accept a great deal of responsibility. Many medical procedures, even quite practiced many times, still involve risk. It is understandable that doctors want to be well—paid for making decisions which can mean the difference between life and death.
【小题1】According to the passage, it is very unlikely that an American hospital is owned by         .

A．it’s difficult for one doctor to take care of too many patients

B．they can take turns to work for long hours

C．facilities may be too much of burden for one doctor to shoulder

D．no one wants to take too much responsibility

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Dear Wang Hai,
How are you doing?
Recently an American bestseller is popular among the students in our school.
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Yours,
Li Hua