Are you tired of looking for love in all the usual places? Nowadays, millions of lonely singles are now going online instead．The World Wide Web is quickly becoming the world’s most popular matchmaker．With so many singles online, dozens of dating sites like Yahoo Personals and Match．com are helping singles find that special someone．Around the world, from America to China, love is now very much online．
Singles are flocking to the Internet mainly because their busy lifestyles leave them little time to look for a significant other．Using dating sites is quick and convenient．They can “meet” a lot more people online than they could by hanging out at a club．Besides , many singles say the regular dating scene has just led them from one bad experience to another and are ready to try something else．They also appreciate the first distance of online dating, which allows them to hide themselves until they are ready to meet someone face to face．Dating sites also make it easy to avoid someone you are not interested in．In the real world, however, ignoring someone you don’t like can be awkward．
Despite all the advantages, online dating also presents its own set of problems．People aren’t always who they claim to be in their online profiles．For instance, someone who tells you he is “handsome, successful and single” might turn out to be homely, unemployed and married．Safety is another concern．You are just as likely to find a criminal online as you are Mr or Miss Right．
Even so, supporters of online dating see things in a positive way．In their opinion, singles can safely play the online dating game with a little common sense．Online dating experts recommend following a few safety tips:
Guard your personal information．Never give out your personal information online．This includes your last name, phone number, home address and place of work．
Watch for red flags．Do any of the people you are chatting with make disrespectful comments? Do they try to control you? Do they give false information about themselves? If so, forget them!
Meet in a safe place．When meeting someone in person, choose a public location with other people around．
Following these tips and you might be able to find the person of your dreams．
1.According to the passage, many lonely singles don’t appreciate the regular dating scene because it is ___．
A．unpopular B．troublesome C．convenient D．forgettable
2.This passage is mainly about ．
A．getting tired of falling in love in a usual way
B．people with false information on the Internet
C．new technology to find love through the Interent
D．web sites such as Yahoo Personals and Match．com
3.Which of the following is NOT a suitable place for meeting someone you get to know through the Internet for the first time according to the text?
A．At his/her house． B．At a museum．
C．At McDonald’s． D．At a bookstore．
4.From this passage ,we can infer that ．
A．there are mostly homely and unemployed people online
B．the police had better find criminals online
C．we can find love only through the dating sites
D．following safety tips ensure a safe online dating experience
Could you imagine your parents choosing your husband or wife for you? And can you imagine not setting eyes on him or her until your wedding day? This situation is common in India, the Middle East and many parts of Africa．Marriage customs around the world often differ from our own．We don’t realize that people in other places often get married in very different ways and with different motives．
In many countries, marriage is a practical matter．A marriage provides a safe and stable home for the husband and wife．It also joins two families, which benefits the couple’s parents and makes them happy．Marriage also brings children, making sure the couple will be taken care of in old age．Because a marriage is important for the whole family, some cultures don’t let young people choose whom to marry．
Just as there are many different reasons for marriage, there are also many different wedding rituals．Every culture has its own ways of bringing good luck to the happy couple．In a typical Western wedding, the bride seeks good luck by wearing “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue”．Something old represents the past．Something new represents success in the future．Something borrowed reminds the bride she can get help from her friends and family．And something blue reminds her to be true to her husband．
In Poland, one wedding tradition is not only lucky, but also very practical．The wedding guests pin money to the bride’s dress while she is dancing．The money is meant to bring luck and to help the young couple build their new life．In Bermuda, the young couple plants a tree in the yard of their new home．Once they move in, they take good care of the tree and make it grow．The planting of the tree is a good metaphor（比喻） for marriage．A truly good marriage is something that grows with care．
1.Which of the following statements does NOT support the idea that marriage is a practical matter?
A．The couple may have a safe home through their marriage．
B．The parents had better help their children choose whom to marry．
C．A marriage benefits the couple’s parents and makes them happy．
D．A marriage brings children who will take care of the couple when they are old．
2.The underlined word “rituals” （Para．3） means ．
A．forms B．customs C．traditions D．ceremonies
3.Although cultures differ in different countries, one thing in common when a young couple gets married is that ．
A．people wish them to take care of each other
B．people wish them to get practical benefits from the marriage
C．people wish them to have good luck in their new life
D．people wish them to make money at the wedding ceremony
4.Which of the following statements best summarizes（总结） the subject of this passage?
A．People across the world get married in different ways and for different reasons．
B．Every culture has its own ways of bringing good luck to the young couple．
C．A truly good marriage is something that grows with care．
D．In many countries, marriage is a practical matter．
A White – bearded ancient man was walking over the hills and valleys of the world．On his back he carried a bag which moved uneasily as if something was trying to escape from it, but he 1it between his shoulders and walked on．
He was Father Time, traveling forever, and the bag he 2was filled with Tomorrows, all struggling to get out．
Each 3at twelve o’clock, he opened the bag and 4a Tomorrow, just one, with its wings of 5, and its shining feathers rose with hope．All the rest were kept 6by Time’s strong hands and pushed 7in the bag．
Down flew the Tomorrow 8its lovely feathers, but as it touched the 9, off fell its blue wings and it changed to a（n） 10white bird which could not fly．It had become a Today．Everyone knows that Today isn’t as 11as Tomorrow, for Today can be held in one’s 12, accepted, unloved, but Tomorrow is full of mystery（神秘）and beauty．It is 13by all the world．Even those with 14hope sigh, “Tomorrow may bring a（n） 15．Tomorrow’s life will be different．”
Everybody tried to 16the Tomorrow before it fell to the ground．They thought if they 17beforehand what the Tomorrow carries, they could 18for it．So they put great nets on the trees, seeking to catch one 19it changed his feather．Yet although they tried every means, the birds 20and flew to the ground as Todays．
1.A．relaxed B．worried C．excited D．settled
2.A．bore B．placed C．laid D．lifted
3.A．dawn B．morning C．night D．afternoon
4.A．got B．fetched C．took D．flew
5.A．blue B．pink C．black D．white
6.A．out B．off C．away D．back
7.A．along B．deep C．far D．over
8.A．shaking B．moving C．beating D．striking
9.A．earth B．floor C．tree D．grass
10.A．lovely B．ordinary C．beautiful D．especial
11.A．bad B．wonderful C．common D．familiar
12.A．hands B．mind C．heart D．head
13.A．noticed B．seen C．forgotten D．desired
14.A．little B．some C．much D．few
15.A．shock B．suggestion C．change D．advice
16.A．keep B．catch C．hold D．protect
17.A．expected B．watched C．guessed D．knew
18.A．wait B．long C．prepare D．look
19.A．as B．when C．before D．after
20.A．refused B．escaped C．struggled D．fought
Everyone of us has many responsibilities ______us．So we must work hard．
A．attaching B ．attaching to C．attatched with D．attatched to
The program was so fascinating that the children kept their eyes _____on the screen．
A．to fix B to be fixed C．fixed D．fixing
We must be sure that children in our country should get well ______．
A．educate B educating C．education D．educated
