We live in the information age, which is changing many of the ways in our daily life. One of the most interesting developments of the information age is the Internet, which is a vast network of computers that link people, businesses and communities around the world.

How do we make friends using the Internet? One way is to search for websites that have topics that interest us. For example, you might be interested in football. Then you could search for a site run by a popular football club. There are hundreds of football sites, and most of them have a special website for their fans. The same is true of popular culture, and many popular music bands have websites. Once you have located the right football club or pop group, then you will see where to click in order to “chat” with other fans. The word “chat” has got popular because of the Internet, which means a light conversation among friends. Another way to make friends using the Internet is to access sites that are devoted to this purpose. When you search the Internet for these sites you will find that there are plenty of opportunities to meet people of all ages and from many different backgrounds.

Making a new friend is only the first step. The key to a successful relationship over the Internet is to keep in touch with your friend. When the relationship works in this way, it is very rewarding for both partners. You can set the style and pace of the exchange to suit each other. If you use “ instant messenger ” systems, your chat becomes a dialogue, which is a lot of fun and can help strengthen the growing friendship.

You will soon find that the topics go far beyond a discussion of football or music, even though these topics brought you both together. Another way to strengthen the friendship is to include your school friends in your conversations too, and then you can form your own “chat” group that meets regularly and becomes a small community of friends.

It is like belonging to a club. Your club can extend to many new and old friends, and their conversations will enrich your life in ways that you could have never imagined. If your Internet club grows then perhaps you will find ways to meet your new friends face to face, which will be another story.

By far the most common difficulty in study is simple failure to get down to regular concentrated work. This difficulty is much greater for those who do not work to a plan and have no regular routine of study. Many students muddle along, doing a bit of this subject or that, as the mood takes them, or letting their set work pile up until the last possible moment.

Few students work to a set timetable. They say that if they did construct a timetable for themselves they would not keep to it, or would have to alter it constantly, since they can never predict from one day to the next what their activities will be.

No doubt some temperaments take much more kindly to a regular routine than others. There are many who shy away from the self-regimentation（严格控制）of a weekly timetable, and dislike being tied down to a definite programme of work. Many able students claim that they work in cycles. When they become interested in a topic they work on it intensively for three or four days at a time. On other days they avoid work completely. It has to be confessed that we do not fully understand the complexities of the motivation to work. Most people over 25 years of age have been used to a work routine, and the majority of really productive workers set aside regular hours for the more important aspects of their work. The “tough-minded” school of workers is usually very contemptuous （蔑视的） of the idea that good work can only be done spontaneously, under the influence of inspiration.

Those who believe that they need only work and study as the fit takes them have a mistaken belief either in their own talent or in the value of “freedom”. Freedom from discipline leads to unhappiness rather than to “self-expression” or “personality development”. Our society insists on regular habits, timekeeping and punctuality, and whether we like it or not, if we mean to make our way in society we have to comply with its demands.

76. The most widespread problem in applying oneself to study is that of _____.

A. the failure to keep to a routine of intensive work

B. changing from one subject to another

C. willingness to follow a systematic plan

D. applying oneself to a subject only when one feels inclined

77. Those workers with strict views on work _____.

A. are very critical of the belief that good work can be a natural product of instinct

B. reject the idea that good work is second nature to man

C. do not regard as serious the opinion that good work can be done at any time regardless of inspiration

D. pay no attention to the idea that good work can only be done when they are prompted by internal stimulus

78. In Paragraph 4 “as the fit takes them” means _____.

A. when they have the energy                            B. when they are in the mood

C. when they find conditions suitable                  D. when they feel fit

79. A suitable title for the passage might be _____.

A. Attitudes to Study                                  B. Study Plans

C. The Difficulties in Study                        D. Study and Self-discipline

After 10 seasons wearing the No.8 on his back, Kobe Bryant will become No.24 next season. The reason for the surprising decision by the Los Angeles Lakers super guard last week has become a hot topic for debate.

Bryant wore No.24 when he was in early high school, but he changed to No.33 in his senior year. He switched to No.8 when he was selected by the Lakers in 1996, and has been not changed since.

Bryant has refused to explain the decision until the end of the play-offs. So guessing Bryant’s motive has become a popular game among NBA fans and newspaper columnists.

There are all kinds of speculations（猜测）. Many say that Bryant wants to leave the past behind and have a fresh start. He has often been criticized for playing to benefit himself and not the team as a whole. Others say that he may be trying to compare himself to Michael Jordan. Jordan was famous for his No. 23 jersey（运动衫）. Some, such as NBC Sport columnist Michael Ventre, argue that it is “all about money”. Bryant will make more money by selling new jersey to his fans.

Some speculations are more about fun. For example, there is an opinion that Kobe is actually just a diehard fan of the popular TV drama “24”.

All this talk has turned the number change into a major issue. It seems that there is a lot of fuss over something that should be pretty simple.

Jersey numbers have their own special significance in American sports, especially basketball. Players choose their number when they join a team and they usually stick with that number for the rest of their career. When a great player retires, his team will honor him by retiring his number.

68. Bryant plays for _____.

A. The Los Angels Lakers               B. The Houston rockets

C. The Chicago Bulls                      D. The Miami Heats

69. Bryant wore No. 8 _____.

A. for two years and a half             B. for ten years

C. since he entered high school        D. since he left high school

70. Which of the following is NOT a speculation about Bryant’s motive to change his number?

A. He wants to leave his past behind and have a fresh start.

B. He wants to compare himself to Jordan.

C. He wants to earn more money.

D. He wants to show that he is man of great importance.

71. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A. When a great player retires, his team will reward him with much money.

B. A lucky number will be passed on to a new player.

C. An outstanding player’s jersey number won’t be used after his retirement.

D. A great player often changes his jersey number in the same team.

Contact Information

DESCRIPTION

Embassy Suites Hotel San Luis is currently accepting applications for Front Desk Services Agent. Full time day and part time night positions open.

Availability must include weekends and holidays.

This position has a combination of duties mainly related, but not limited to checking-in hotel guests.

We are seeking candidates who have the ability to:

Understand guest inquires and provide responses in a helpful, courteous（礼貌的） manner.

Promote positive relations with all individuals who approach the Front Desk and enter the hotel.

Focus on the guest needs remaining calm and courteous.

Work well under pressure.

Input and access data in the computer.

Ensure security and confidentiality of guest and hotel information.

Work cooperatively with other departments and co-workers as part of a team.

REQUIREMENTS

Customer service experience preferred.

Please apply online by submitting a resume, including a cover letter.

OR:

Apply in person, by submitting an application for employment, from the executive offices located within the hotel.

65. Which of the following is the job advertised?

A. Technical Engineer.                 B. Door Man.

C. Reservation Officer.                D. Front Desk Services Agent.

66. Those interested in this job may contact Rebecca Hyer _____.

A. by e-mail                                             B. by fax

C. by sending short messages                     D. by post

67. Which of the following is needed for the job?

A. College diploma or above.               B. Necessary PC skills.

C. Speaking at least three languages.     D. Five-year working experience.

No one would be willing to pay one-third of the price for the packaging or wrapping of what he or she purchases. But over-packaging has become a disease that leads to an   50   waste of resources and   51   environmental pollution.

The wasted packaging materials are   52   to be worth about 280 billion yuan annually. And such packages and wrappings thrown away by customers   53   up half of the volume of solid waste in cities.   54  , it is high time that regulations were   55   to stop enterprises from spending too much on unnecessary packaging and wrapping.

To produce paper packaging or wrapping, many more trees have to be cut down. Over-packaging also limits the interest of consumers when they have to spend quite a high percentage on something that they will have to throw into the dustbin. The simple truth is that the more a producer spends on packaging, the   56   the products it sells will be.

Product packaging and wrapping used to be very simple 30 years ago. "Shabby" was the word many had used to   57   the way Chinese products were packaged. And shabby packaging was blamed for making Chinese products   58   in the international market.

It is   59   to pay enough attention to packaging or wrapping products in such a manner that they can be   60   to customers' eyes. But that does not definitely justify that packaging should even outshine what is inside.

In the Chinese proverb, “maidu huanzhu,” the buyer returns the pearl and just keeps the case because the   61   is too fancy and luxurious. It not only laughs at the poor   62   of the buyer, but also criticizes the unnecessary   63   the seller has made in making the case. Another message from the proverb is that over-packaging helps cultivate an   64   consuming attitude - to buy fancy-looking stuff but not what they really need.

Big climate changes in the last million years might have come from something very small: dust from outer space.

Earth changes between ice ages and warm periods in a（n）   41   that includes several cycles, including a   42   one that lasts 100,000 years. Scientists   43   suggested this cycle might be due to changes in the inflow of cosmic（宇宙） dust.

The idea is that Earth   44   above and below the imaginary plane that runs through the sun and Jupiter（木星）, completing a cycle every 100,000 years. So maybe it encounters   45__ varying amounts of dust during each cycle that produce the climate trend.

Now there is some   46  , from ancient cosmic dust recovered in ocean-floor drilling near the Azores islands west of Portugal. The large quantity of the dust rises and falls with a wonderful 100,000 year cycle during the period analyzed, 253,000 years to 458,000 years ago. Periods of more dust are related to   47   climates.

But that is a long way from showing that the dust   48   climate. Some scientists argue that it is not clear how cosmic dust would make the climate warmer while dust from volcanoes is known to make it cooler. They say the cosmic dust is so thin that it is hard to see how it could have any climate   49  .

Nevertheless, the new study shows scientists have to take the cosmic dust idea seriously.

The behavior of gases is explained by _____ the kinetic （运动的） theory.

A. what do scientists call                      B. which it scientists call

C. scientists call it                                D. what scientists call

The elevated roads are flooded with large outdoor signboards of ads, which are intended _____ by passing car drivers.

A. to read       B. to be reading     C. to have read       D. to be read

The possibility never occurred to me _____ I would unexpectedly enter such a big bank and work in Wall Street.

A. when                      B. that                   C. /                       D. how