When I stopped by to get a newspaper, a tall, sincere man came over to me asking for help with directions. With a printout of Google maps, he was looking for a on the main street, but just couldn't find it. After checking out his written directions, I mapped it on my phone and showed him where he needed to go.

He, in , mentioned that he had tried going there, but there was no such street number and he just couldn't locate his hotel. I it again for him. He thanked me with a big smile, shook my hand, and . I got into my car and he got into his, and we ways. As I drove to the next grocery store and went in, I sensed wrong about the directions-so I Googled the address again and _ that he was looking for the right address but in a city half an hour away!

it had been several minutes, and in the peak rush hour time, the chances of finding him a mile away-where he was surely still looking around-were . But I thought I'd give it a(an) and set off in that direction. I'd noticed what his car looked like, and was just about to give up. I parked my car as I considered what else I could do- , like magic, he drove right by and pulled over into a nearby parking spot, still about where the hotel was.

When I next to him, he couldn't believe it: " did you find me?!" he asked. "I'm not sure, but I that you are in the wrong city!" I showed him the right directions, and after more and a handshake, we . ' Likely that we'll never meet again, and that makes it much more _ .

1.A. museumB. parking spotC. hotelD. grocery store

2.A. constantlyB. exactlyC. absolutelyD. completely

3.A. reliefB. panicC. delightD. puzzlement

4.A. confirmedB. evaluatedC. analyzedD. adjusted

5.A. took offB. took upC. took downD.took over

6.A. lostB. partedC. foughtD. pushed

7.A. nothingB. anythingC. somethingD. everything

8.A. realizedB. consideredC. determinedD. acknowledged

9.A. HopefullyB. UnbelievablyC. ConsequentlyD. Unfortunately

10.A. bigB. vitalC. slimD. Obvious

11.A. beginningB. endC. changeD. try

12.A. hardlyB. merelyC. regularlyD. occasionally

13.A. whileB. beforeC. whenD. since

14.A. at a lossB. at a riskC. at easeD. at peace

15.A. put outB. put upC. pulled downD. pulled in

16.A.WhereB. WhyC. WhenD. How

17.A. tried outB. figured outC. burst outD. carried out

18.A. luckB. smilesC. greetingsD.praise

19.A. left togetherB. returned homeC. waved goodbyeD.rushed away

20.A. usefulB. sweetC. commonD.wrong

 

Picture a library without books? Well, I can’t. Ever since I was little I would go to the library and take out numerous books. From picture books to beginning chapter books to YA books, books have always been a part of my life. Unlike many people today, I don't own a Kindle or a Nook or any type of e-reader. I prefer the old-fashioned book. There is something about holding a book and being able to turn the pages that I find comforting. In today's 21st century, books may become obsolete. For me that's something I find scary.

I am a fan of the old TV science-fiction series Twilight Zone. One episode(一段情节)is about a librarian who has become obsolete. Though this episode aired in 1961, the writer of the series, Rod Serling was exactly on point when it came to predicting the future.

In fact, in San Antonio, Texas the first-ever bookless library in the country opened. The library is full of iMacs, tablets and iPads which cost a huge $2. 3 million. The library offers around 10,000 e-books. So the question is, is this what the future will soon be? Mary Graham, vice president of South Carolina's Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce states, "This is the future…If you're going to be building new library facilities, this is what you need to be doing."

It is our generation that will be the guinea pigs(试验品)of increasing technology like this. Is this a good or bad thing? Well, digital libraries may help the environment by not using paper; however, I feel like something will always be lacking with a digital book. A digital library is just the beginning.

With all of this new technology, people seem to be more absorbed in their own world. One of my biggest complaints is when I am with my friends and they can't seem to get off their smart phone and talk to me. To make plans with a friend and then have them stuck on their phone the whole time is extremely rude. Not only is it disrespectful, but it reflects the direction of where human interactions are heading. Though social media is great, it also is addicting and has negative effects.

Often when I go on Facebook it just makes me feel worse about myself. I'll see many of my 800 Facebook friends showing off their newest accomplishment or acceptance to college. Additionally, our society is becoming increasingly lazy. For instance, instead of doing mental math, people use their phone to solve 89 + 74. It is simple tasks like these that are allowing people to lack important educational and social skills.

It is up to us to find a balance between technology and human values and interactions. With new technology being created every day, we need to learn how to use it alongside our great minds. After all, inventions are supposed to benefit society not harm it. In the day of technology, who knows what's next?

1.The underlined word "obsolete" (Paragraph l)is closest in meaning to .

A. outdated B. complex C. expensive D. meaningless

2.What can we infer from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2_______?

A. The episode still enjoys great popularity nowadays.

B. Rod Serling liked making predictions about the future.

C. The situation of books today is similar to what Rod Serling predicted in the episode.

D. The episode airing in 1961 was the most entertaining of the TV science-fiction series.

3.What can we learn about the library in San Antonio, Texas?

A. It is the first-ever library in America.

B. It is of no practical use although it costs so much.

C. It holds an exhibition of much electronic equipment.

D. People can read e-books there with the help of the new facilities.

4.Which of the following will the writer probably disagree with_______?

A. Great as social media is, it does have some negative effects.

B. With the increasing use of social media, something will actually be lost.

C. Through social media, people can develop educational and social skills around.

D. As a result of social media, people may communicate less with the people around.

5.The tone of the passage is best described as .

A. Optimistic B. Skeptical C. Supportive D. Objective

 

Below is an introduction to Top 5 Teen Magazines from the US and the UK.

J-14

Marked to preteen and teenage girls ages 11-19, J-14 --a shortened name of “Just For Teens” --is packed with features like teen gossip, quizzes, fashion advice, posters, and celebrity(名人) interviews in every issue.

Some of the magazine’s most popular features include: “Hot Topic”, “Life’s Big Questions” and “Real Life”. Throughout the year, J-14 publishes several editions, such as “Summer Entertainment Guide”, “Back-to-School Special” and the annual “Best of Year Special and J-13 Teen Icon Awards” issue.

Teens who have a passion for pop culture would love a subscription to J-14 magazine!

Twist

Twist covers the latest fashion and stytles with lots of photos and easy-to-follow how-tos, giving teens both instruction and inspiration to experiment with what works for them. Body image(形象) and relationships are popular topics of interest to teens, and the magazine offers tips on building strong self-esteem.

Additional content in every monthly issue inculdes reader polls, teen celebrity gossip, news and interviews. During the yaer, Twist publishes several special editions about seasonal fashion and major teen events, like prom and back-to-school. The magazine publishes a “Best of Year” issue every December.

Teens who love fashion and celebrity news would love a subscription to Twist magazine!

Discovery Girls

First published in 2000, the magazine often addresses the topics of school, sports, and friendship.

Content in the magazine is created by girls, which gives it the authentic opinions of its target audience. Each bimonthly issus features quizzes, fashion advice, and games in addition to some regular sections that appear in each magazine. Mant of the following sections that appear in every issue also feature content submitted by readers: “The Worst Day”, “Embarrassing Moments”, “The Great Debate” and “Mailbag”.

Young girls and teens would find a friendly, identifiable voice in each issue of Discovery Girls, and parents would approve of giving a gift subscription to this award-winning magazine!

Boy’s Life

First published in 1911, Boy’s Life is written for young males ages 6 to 18 and is distributed in two editions. One edition is printed for the youngest members 6-to-10-year-old Tiger Cubs and first-year Webelos Scouts. The other is for ages 11-18 and is aimed at second-year Webelos Scouts through 18-year-old Boy Scouts.

A central focus of Boy’s Life is encouraging physical activity among boys, like camping, hiking, swimming, and kayaking. Each month, the magazine features articles on history, the outdoors, science, and much more. Fitness, technology, and video game and biik reviews are other common topics Boy’s Life often addresses.

A subscription to Boy’s Life magazine would make a great gift for active young boys!

Seventeen

Seventeen magazine celebrates teens where they are in life while also providing age-appropriate advice to the complex issues young women face every day.

The magazine organizes its content into five sections, such as “Your Body”, a range of fitness motivation and encouragement about positive body image, “Love & Guys”, advice columns and tips on understanding relationships with the opposite sex, and “Your Awesome Life”, personal development tips about hot topics like building confidence and selecting a college, plus inspirational stories about teens.

Special editions include the “Back-to-school Issue” in August and “The Freebie Issue” in May.

Teens who want to look good, feel great, and be their best would enjoy a subscription to Seventeen magazine!

1.According to the passage, what content do J-14, Twist and Discovery Girls share?

A. Teen gossip. B. Advice on fashion.

C. Sports and friendship. D. Self-respect building.

2.What content does Boys 'Life mainly center on?

A. Sports. B. Games.

C. Beauty. D. Education.

3.We can learn from the passage that .

A. J-14 is distributed in two editions for teens of different ages

B. the content of Discovery Girls is closely related to teen girls

C. Seventeen covers aspects like looking good, keeping fit and writing stories

D. all the five magazines mentioned publish special editions except Boys 'Life

4.The main purpose of the introduction to the five magazines is .

A. to distinguish their features

B. to explain the secret to their popularity

C. to encourage the subscription to the magazines

D. to arouse people's interest in reading teen magazines

 

During her junior year of high school, Diane Ray's teacher handed her a worksheet and instructed the 17-year-old to map out her future financial life. Ray pretended to buy a car, rent an apartment, and apply for a credit card. Then, she and her classmates played the "stock market game", investing(投资) the hypothetical(虚拟的) earnings from their hypothetical jobs in the market in the disastrous fall of 2008. "Our pretend investments crashed," Ray says, still frightened. "We got to know how it felt to lose money."

That pain of earning and losing money is a feeling that public schools increasingly want to teach. Forty states now offer some type of financial instruction at the high-school level, teaching students how to balance checkbooks and buy stock in math and social-studies classes. Though it's too early to measure the full influence of the Great Recession(大萧条), the interest in personal-finance classes has risen since 2007 when bank failures started to occur regularly. Now, many states including Missouri, Utah, and Tennessee require teenagers to take financial classes to graduate from high school. School districts such as Chicago are encouraging money-management classes for kids as young as primary school, and about 300 colleges or universities now offer online personal-finance classes for incoming students. "These classes really say, 'This is how you live independently,' " says Ted Beck, president of National Endowment for Financial Education.

Rather than teach investment methods or financial skills, these courses offer a back-to-the-basics approach to handling money: Don't spend what you don't have. Put part of your monthly salary into a savings account, and invest in the stock market for the long-term rather than short-term gains. For Ray, this means dividing her earnings from her part-time job at a fast-food restaurant into separate envelopes for paying bills, spending and saving. "Money is so hard to make but so easy to spend," she says one weekday after school. "That is the big takeaway."

Teaching kids about the value of cash certainly is one of the programs' goals, but teachers also want students to think hard about their finances long term. It's easy for teenagers to get annoyed about gas prices because many of them drive cars. But the hard part is urging them to put off the instant satisfaction of buying a new T-shirt or an iPod. "Investing and retirement aren't things teenagers are thinking about. For them, the future is this weekend," says Gayle Whitefield, a business and marketing teacher at Uth’s Riverton High School.

That’s a big goal for these classes: preventing kids from making the same financial missteps their parents did when it comes to saving, spending, and debt. Though the personal savings rate has increased up to 4. 2 percent, that’s still a far distance from 1982, when Americans saved 11. 2 percent of their incomes. “It’s hard for schools to reach strict money-management skills when teenagers go home and watch their parents increase credit-card debt. It’s like telling your kids not to smoke and then lighting up a cigarette in front of them,” Beck says.

Even with these challenges, students such as Ray say learning about money in school is worthwhile. After Ray finished her financial class, she opened up a savings account at her local bank and started to think more about how she and her family would pay for college. “She just has a better understanding of money and how it affects the world,” says her mother, Darleen-and that’s sown to the details of how money is spent from daily expenses to various taxes. All of this talk of money can make Ray worry, she says, but luckily, she feels prepared to face it.

1.The “stock market game” mentioned in Paragraph 1 is meant to .

A. introduce a new course to students

B. help students learn about investment

C. teach how to apply for a credit card

D. encourage students’ personal savings

2.How does the writer show us that schools’ interest in teaching financial classes has increased in paragraph 2_________?

A. By giving examples. B. By providing data.

C. By raising questions. D. By making comparisons.

3.According to the passage, taking money-management courses will .

A. better students’ learning methods

B. prevent students going into debt

C. help students get accepted by colleges

D. make students become very wealthy

4.After completing the financial class, Diane Ray is likely to .

A. pay off all her debts. B. handle her money better

C. find a job in a bank. D. manage the family income

5.The passage is mainly about .

A. ways to teach students to earn money

B. how Diane Ray learns to value money

C. the push to teach personal finance in school

D. how students choose a proper financial class

 

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