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 being the world’s most popular matchmaker. With so many singles online, dozens of dating sites like Yahoo Personals and Match. 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 some one you don’t like can be embarrassing.
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 mon sense. Online dating experts remend following a few safety tips:
Guard you 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 your are chatting with make disrespectful ment? 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.
Title: Online dating
Phenomenon | Singles 1.__________ to look for love online. |
parisons between online dating sites and 2.__________ dating scene | They can “meet” more people than they could in the 3.__________world. The 4.__________of online dating allows them to hide themselves until they are ready to meet someone face to face. They can avoid someone they are not interested in. |
Some people are 5.__________ of the similar experiences. You will feel 6.__________if you ignore someone you don’t like. | |
7.__________of online dating | Some of the information may be 8._________. Another concern is safety. |
Safety tips | Guard your personal information, 9._________your last name, phone number, home address and place of work. Chat with the people who are honest and 10.__________. |
Last Friday, I was ing home late after spending time with friends and thought I’d go down to the $99 cent pizza place. On the way, I saw a man sitting on the stairs alone there. I’d seen him before every day I run late to work, but this time I had no place to rush off to.
There was something about him, a quiet manner, different from many of other homeless people I had seen in New York City. I walked past him, went to the pizza place, and those 10 seconds waiting in line was enough to practice stepping outside of my usual, familiar flow. So with a few slices in hand, I went back to join him. I asked him if he was hungry. He said yes, but not for pizza because it made him unfortable. He’d rather have a few bucks for chicken and rice since it was easier on his stomach. It’s funny, in that moment, he became more real to me.
This man I had seen almost every day was someone with specific conditions, needs, and experiences. We exchanged names and ended up talking for a little over an hour that night as Kevin told me stories from his life, how he had done things when “he was younger and didn’t know any better” and how he tried to make amends (补偿) but too much time had passed. He shared his views on the value for young adults to learn the history of other people.
He talked about his one wish being in his 60’s before he leaves this earth, which is to share his story with the teenagers and young adults so they could avoid the mistakes he went through. Throughout the conversation, he eventually got his chicken and rice and gifted me a rose he had been carrying. Shortly afterwards, I made my way home, thinking to myself, “I met an amazing homeless person”.
1.The writer’s purpose in writing the passage is to ____.
A. share his experience
B. show his generosity
C. express his thoughts
D. exchange his opinions
2.The homeless man refused pizza because he ____.
A. did not feel very hungry at that moment
B. had something wrong with his stomach
C. preferred some chicken and rice to pizza
D. might feel ashamed to be given something
3.What’s the homeless man’s last wish?
A. To bee a lot younger again.
B. To make amends for his early life.
C. To have enough chicken and rice to eat.
D. To teach the young not to follow his example.
4.It can be inferred from the text that ____.
A. The homeless man is different from others
B. The writer showed his pity to the homeless man
C. What the homeless man thought shocked the writer
D. What the homeless man did was not very meaningful
5.How do you like the homeless man after reading the passage?
A. Learned. B. Honorable.
C. Determined. D. Promising.
It is known to us that puter users are being warned by industry experts to pay attention to secret codes which could be used to record their conversation.
E-mails, screen savers, and electronic greeting cards can carry a secret code which is able to turn on the puter’s microphone, make a recording, and forward it to someone else without the user’s knowledge.
In fact any attachments (附件) sent to a puter, whether it is a game of Space Invaders, or a moving picture, can possibly be used to spy (窥探).
Experts say people should always think twice about opening attachments because --- although not mon --- bugging (窃听) by puter can and has been done.
Bill Lyons, head of the Internet Security pany Finjan, said, “People in the army have tested this and you can be sure, if people in general are aware of it, then puter hackers (黑客) are aware of it. The frightening thing is that there are tools on the Internet which people, using a simple search method, can find, and which will enable them to attach this dangerous code to simple attachments.”
【小题】What is the advice given in the passage?
A. Use secret codes to record other people’s conversation.
B. Be careful when opening an attachment.
C. Never open any attachments.
D. Never use secret codes.
【小题】What worries the experts is that ___ .
A. nobody seems to believe such things
B. nobody knows the danger of the code
C. tools can easily be used to tie dangerous codes to e-mails
D. effective ways can never be found to deal with the problem.
【小题】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. A moving picture cannot be used to spy.
B. Electronic greeting cards cannot carry a secret code.
C. A secret code is used to destroy the puter system.
D. Any attachments sent to a puter may carry a secret code.
Yasuda is 95 years old. Looking for easier ways to search the Web and send email, he bought Apple’s iPad. The pany has sold 3.27 million iPads since they entered the market in April. Although it’s impossible to know with certainty how many seniors (老年人) are buying them, evidence suggests that it’s a hit with seniors.
The iPad’s intuitive interface (直观界面) makes it attractive to seniors around the world, says Takahiro Miura, a researcher at the University of Tokyou. “The iPad is a good tool for seniors because it’s very easy to use,” he says. “Unlike the PC, it doesn’t require former knowledge.”
James Cordwell, a researcher in London, says the iPad’s popularity with seniors is helping Apple reach beyond its traditional base of young customers. “The world’s population, especially in developed markets, is getting older. It’s probably a market where Apple has least entered, ” Cordwell says. Senior users are “a key source of growth for them in the future.”
Seniors make up about 22 percent of the population in Japan. They may prove that seniors are willing to accept the iPad. Besides the customer group under 30, they spend more than any other group in the country, according to a report. Motoo Kitamura, 78, a former gas salesman, bought an iPad to help him municate with his 2-year-old grandson and prevent him from experiencing some of the mental problems that sometimes e with getting older. “Trying new things like that is good mental exercise,” he says.
1.The underlined part “a hit” in Paragraph 1 probably means ______ .
A. a sudden attack
B. a heavy burden
C. quite popular
D. very familiar
2.Which of the following is NOT an advantage of the iPad?
A. It has intuitive interface.
B. It is easy to operate.
C. Beginners can use it without similar experiences.
D. People can use it as a way to do mental exercise.
3.What can we learn from the text?
A. People above thirty are Apple’s largest customer group in Japan.
B. The traditional customers of Apple’s products are usually the young.
C. Seniors will soon grow into Apple’s largest customer group.
D. Seniors in Japan are fond of buying latest hi-tech products.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A. iPad leading Apple to seniors.
B. iPad influencing the customer group.
C. iPad’s arrival causing Japanese to think.
D. iPad beating the traditional PC.
Wildlife faces threats ( 威胁 ) from habitat destruction, pollution, and other human actions. Although protecting wildlife may seem too hard at times, even small actions in your own neighbourhood can help protect many different animals. Here are some tips on how to protect wildlife through small actions.
1.Create wildlife friendly areas in your backyard.
When trying to make your garden more beautiful , you can choose plants that can provide food and shelter to native wildlife . This will also help cut down on pollution . Add bird or bat houses to your yard or garden to attract and shelter these species.
2. Avoid harming the natural ecosystem ( 生态系统 ) in your area.
Some plants from other places can kill or harm native plants that provide food and shelter for wildlife.
3. ________________________________________________.
By using less water and fewer fuels, you will be helping to protect the wildlife around you . Take buses or the subway when you can, turn off electric devices when you’re not using them , take shorter shower, and keep your room temperature at or below 68 degrees during the winter.
4. Buy products that are wildlife friendly
Don’t buy products that are made from endangered animals. Keep in mind that some endangered animals are killed by traps , catches or hunters who are after other wildlife within the same habitat.
5. Donate money or time to organizations that protect wildlife and their habitats.
You can give money to organization or groups that protect wildlife species in your neighbourhood.
1.We infer that the purpose of this passage is to ________.
A. tell us why protecting wildlife is extremely important now
B. suggest that we protect wildlife through actions
C. explain why protecting wildlife is not as hard as people think.
D. give us some tips on how to protect wildlife through small actions
2.Which of the following threats to wildlife is NOT mentioned in the passage ?
A. Animal diseases
B. Loss of habitat
C. Pollution
D. Hunters
3.What’s the best title for the third point ?
A. Have a greener lifestyle.
B. Use less water and fewer fuels.
C. Take a bus when you go out
D. Try a new kind of life.
4.The writer suggests that we _________.
A. not buy products made from animals
B. share cars with others when we go out
C. grow as many kinds of plants in our gardens as possible
D. provide shelters for birds and bats in our gardens or yards
It was the end of the school term and my son Tom had less than three months left before he would finish his six years at high school. During this time he had developed a love for basketball. Sadly, because of my work over the last twelve months, I had only been able to attend a few of his games; however, I was determined to get to his last game for the school term.
Tom’s team came out in the first 10 minutes with a burst of goals that saw them leading by just over 20 points at the end of the first half. The second half changed as the other team quickly played themselves back into the game. Tom’s team started to miss an increasing number of shots. It was at that point that the coach called his first time out.
The noise of the spectators (观众) became quiet as the coach spoke to them. He had the team standing in a half circle, but he squatted (蹲) down, looking up at them and fiving some very calm and clear instructions on what they needed to do in the last couple of minutes. As he stood up to allow the team to return to the court, I saw him give some further words of encouragement to all of them.
You could see that he knew that the team was fighting to save the game and that he needed to lift them up. By squatting down he placed himself in a position where he was talking up to them, rather than down or at them, and as the players went back onto the court his words of encouragement served to lift their energy and spirits.
Well, Tom’s team went on to win the final by 5 points. As I drove away I thought about what can happen to us all in our everyday life. One of my favourite quotes is about the half filled glass of water --- “Is it half full or is it half empty?” Like the coach, the answer to this quote all depends on how you look at things.
1.Why did the writer e to see his son play basketball?
A. Because his son would graduate from high school.
B. Because he felt sorry for never watching his son play.
C. Because it was a final his son played a key role in.
D. Because he had a strong interest in basketball himself.
2.By squatting down, the coach wanted to _____ .
A. talk about what the players were doing wrong
B. make the players feel better
C. prevent spectators from hearing what he said
D. show his anger at the bad performance of the players
3.What is the writer’s attitude towards the coach?
A. Negative. B. Supportive. C. Interested. D. Unconcerned.
4.What can we infer from the passage?
A. A father should care about his son at school.
B. Playing hard is rewarded with a close match.
C. What a coach says has the most influence on players.
D. Looking at things positively is important in hard times.
