One dark and stormy night, an elderly man and his wife entered the hall of a small hotel in Philadelphia, hoping to get shelter for the night.

The clerk, a friendly man with a beautiful smile, explained that there were three conferences in town. “All of our rooms are taken,” the clerk said, “but I can't send a nice couple like you into the rain at one o’clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It’s not a suite, but it will be good enough to make you comfortable for the night.” The couple agreed.www..com

As the elderly man paid the bill the next morning, he told the clerk, “You are the kind of person who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States. Maybe someday I’Il build one for you.” The clerk looked at them and smiled. The three of them had a good laugh.

Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident when he received a letter from the elderly man, asking the clerk to pay him a visit. The elderly man met him in New York, and led him to the corner of the Fifth Avenue and 34th Street. He then pointed to a great new building there, a reddish stone one with watchtowers thrusting up to the sky, and told the clerk that it was the hotel he had just built for him to manage.

That wonderful building was the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. And this young clerk whose names was George C. Boldt never foresaw the return of events that would lead him into the manager of one of the world's most attractive hotels.

When the elderly couple left the hotel, they ________.          .

A .took what they said as a joke

B .wanted to build the same hotel in the future

C .hoped that the clerk would replace the boss of the hotel

D. thought the clerk was talented in managing hotels

Why did the elderly man build a hotel for the clerk?

A .He was grateful to the clerk.         B.They had a bet at first.

C.He wanted to please the clerk.        D. He wanted to sell the hotel.

According to the text, the clerk         

A. helped the couple because he thought they were poor

B. hoped that the old couple could give him a large amount of money

C. didn't expect to receive things in return from the old couple.

D. became rich, thanks to his own efforts

From the text, we can infer that        .

A. anybody can be a successful manager          B. old people are always very rich

C. good luck is always waiting for lucky people    D. kindness can bring a good return

What do you think of the clerk?

A. He was willing to help.                      B. He was very attractive.

C. He tried to make money for his hotel.         D. He liked making friends.

Professor Barry Wellman of the University of Toronto in Canada has invented a term to describe the way many North Americans interact (互动) these days. The term is “networked individualism”. This concept is not easy to understand because the words seem to have opposite meanings. How can we be individuals (个体) and be networked at the same time? You need other people for networks.

Here is what Professor Wellman means. Before the invention of the Internet and e-mail, our social networks included live interactions with relatives, neighbors, and friends. Some of the interaction was by phone, but it was still voice to voice, person to person, in real time.

A recent research study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project showed that for a lot of people, electronic interaction through the computer has replaced this person-to- person interaction. However, a lot of people interviewed for the Pew study say that’s a good thing. Why?

In the past, many people were worried that the Internet isolated (孤立) us and caused us to spend too much time in the imaginary world of the computer. But the Pew study discovered that the opposite is true. The Internet connects us with more real people than expected — helpful people who can give advice on careers, medical problems, raising children, and choosing a school or college. About 60 million Americans told Pew that the Internet plays an important role in helping them make major life decisions.

Thanks to the computer, we are able to be alone and together with other people — at the same time!

45. The underlined phrase “networked individualism” probably means that by using computers people ________.

   A. stick to their own ways no matter what other people say

   B. have the rights and freedom to do things of their own interest

   C. do things in their own ways and express opinions different from other people

   D. are able to keep to themselves but at the same time reach out to other people

46. According to the Pew study, what do many people rely on to make major life decisions?

   A. Networks.    B. Friends.     C. Phones.      D. Parents.

47. It can be inferred from the Pew study that _______.

   A. people have been separated from each other by using computers

   B. the Internet makes people waste a lot of time and feel very lonely

   C. the Internet has become a tool for a new kind of social communication

   D. a lot of people regard the person-to-person communication as a good thing

48. Which would be the best title for this passage?

   A. We’re Alone on the Internet.

   B. We’re Communicating on the Internet.

   C. We’re Alone Together on the Internet.

   D. We’re in the Imaginary World of the Internet.

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