Modern inventions have speeded up people’s loves amazingly. Motor-cars cover a hundred miles in little more than an hour, aircraft cross the world inside a day, while computers operate at lightning speed. Indeed, this love of speed seems never-ending. Every year motor-cars are produced which go even faster and each new computer boats (吹嘘) of saving precious seconds in handling tasks.
All this saves time, but at a price. When we lose or gain half a day in speeding across the world in an airplane, our bodies tell us so. We get the uncomfortable feeling known as jet-lag; our bodies feel that they have been left behind on another time zone. Again, spending too long at computers results in painful wrists and fingers. Mobile phones also have their dangers, according to some scientist; too much use may transmit harmful radiation into our brains, a consequence we do not like to think about.
However, what do we do with the time we have saved? Certainly not relax, or so it seems. We are so accustomed constant activity that we find it difficult to sit and do nothing or even just one thing at a time. Perhaps the days are long gone when we might listen quietly to a story on the radio, letting imagination take us into another world.
There was a time when some people’s lives were devoted simply to the cultivation of the land or the care of cattle. No multi-tasking there; their lives went on at a much gentler pace, and in a familiar pattern. There is much that we might envy about a way of life like this. Yet before we do so, we must think of the hard tasks our ancestor faced: they farmed with bare hands, often lived close to hunger, and had to fashion tools from wood and stone. Modern machinery has freed people from that primitive existence.
1.The new products become more and more time-saving because .
A. our love of speed seems never-ending
B. time is limited.
C. the prices are increasingly high.
D. the manufactures boast a lot.
2.What does “the days” in Paragraph 3 refer to ?
A. Imaginary life
B. Simple life in the past.
C. Times of inventions
D. Time for constant activity.
3.What is the author’s attitude towards the modern technology?
A.Critical B.Objective.
C.Optimistic. D. Negative.
4.What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. The present and past times.
B. Machinery and human beings.
C. Imaginations and inventions.
D. Modern technology and its influence.
Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. "I was a clothes addict," he jokes. "I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled." Today David wears casual clothes-khaki pants and sports shirt-to the office. He hardly ever wears necktie. "I'm working harder than ever," David says, "and I need to feel comfortable."
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work in the United States. The change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday (but only on Friday). This became known as "dress-down Friday" or "casual Friday." "What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing," said business consultant Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it's easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code. "A lot of young people don't want to dress up for work," says the owner of a software company, "so it's hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code." Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale. Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative impact on productive. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. "Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day," one person said.
"For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes."
1.David Smith refers to himself as having been "a clothes addict" because _____.
A. he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt
B. he couldn't stand a clean appearance
C. he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time
D. he didn't want to spend much money on clothes
2.David Smith wears casual clothes now, because _____.
A. they make him feel at ease when working
B. he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes
C. he looks handsome in casual clothes
D. he no longer works for any company
3.In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned EXCEPT _____.
A. saving employees' money
B. making employees more attractive
C. improving employees' motivation
D. making employees happier
THANK-you cards--heartfelt expressions of gratitude for gifts, services and general kindness--seem to be rare in an age when the Internet continues to reduce human interaction.
Although our society has changed greatly over the past century, the etiquette of thank-you notes has not.
While most people would agree that thank-you notes under these circumstances are a necessity, there are still those who forever postpone or are forgetful for unknown reasons.
And at no time of the year are thank-you notes more visible (or lacking) than June, the month of graduations, and the beginning of summer parties.
"It's a must-do thing. A real thank you does not come by e-mail. It comes in the mail in an envelope. And what comes out of an envelope is a beautiful thing to touch and to handle and to pass around for everyone to read," said etiquette expert Letitia Baldrige.
Don't think for a second that Baldrige is old-fashioned. Handwritten thank-you notes--any handwritten correspondence, for that matter- have taken on an air of extra importance and dignity (庄重) in this e-hyper (电子狂躁的) world.
Baldrige remains hopeful that the art may be enjoying a renaissance (复兴,再生).
More than simply obeying rules of etiquette, thank-you cards are a sign of caring.
"They're more important now than ever," expert Peter Post says. "You are building a relationship. And part of building that relationship is that you acknowledge when someone has done something nice for you. "
"The payoff," Post says, "can be huge. The more we do it, the more it comes back to us, and it's a benefit to us all. It makes our world a little bit nicer place to live in. "
1.Nowadays thank-you cards seem to be rare mainly because ______.
A. people think that they are out of fashion
B. it is quicker to say thanks by e-mail
C. the Internet has reduced people's contact
D. people are too busy to remember these things
2.From the context, the word "etiquette" in the second paragraph probably means ______.
A. old objects for sale
B. rules for people to obey
C. hand-made articles
D. customs for polite behavior
3.The author implies in this article that ______.
A. old-fashioned people take a negative attitude to e-mails
B. the changing society is making people impolite and lazy
C. modern technology is driving people apart
D. the e-hyper world is not a nice place to live in
4.What’s Baldrige’s attitude towards handwritten thank-you cards?
A. Regretful to disappear
B. Promising to come back
C. Old-fashioned to keep
D. Unnecessary between friends
Our “Mommy and Me” time began two years ago. My next-door neighbor and fellow mother, Christie, and I were out in our front yards, watching seven children of age 6 and under ride their bikes up and down.“I wish I could take one of my children out alone,” said Christie.
Then we worked out a plan: When Christie takes one of her children out, I’ll watch her other three. And when she watches two of mine, I’ll take someone out.
The children were extremely quick to accept the idea of “Mommy and Me” time. Christie’s daughter, McKenzie, went first. When she returned, the other children showered her with tons of questions. McKenzie was smiling broadly. Christie looked refreshed and happy. “She’s like a different child when there’s no one else around，”Christie shared with me quietly. With her mother all to herself, McKenzie didn’t have to make an effort to gain attention.
Just as Christie had noticed changes in McKenzie, I also discovered something different in each of my children during our alone times. For example, I am always surprised when my daughter, who is seldom close to me, holds my hand frequently. My stuttering (口吃) son, Tom, doesn’t stutter once during our activities since he doesn’t have to struggle for a chance to speak. And the other son, Sam, who’s always a follower when around other children shines as a leader during our times together.
The “Mommy and Me” time allows us to be simply alone and away with each child－talking, sharing, and laughing, which has been the biggest gain. Every child deserves (应得到) to be an only child at least once in a while.
1.What is the text mainly about?
A. The experience of the only child being with mother.
B. The advantage of spending time with one child at a time.
C. The happy life of two families.
D. The basic needs of children.
2.Right after McKenzie came back, the other children were ______.
A. happy B. curious
C. regretful D. friendly
3.What is one of the changes the author finds in her children?
A. The daughter acts like a leader.
B. Sam holds her hand more often.
C. The boys become better followers.
D. Tom has less difficulty in speaking.
4.The author seems to believe that ______.
A. having brothers and sisters is fun
B. it’s tiring to look after three children
C. every child needs parents’ full attention
D. parents should watch others’ children
书面表达
假如你是李华，在“十一”国庆节假期期间，你与你们学校国际部学生一同前往美国亚特兰大某中学进行为期一周的访问交流活动。你10月1日入住Travel Inn Atlanta 202房间，6日退房。你回家后发现一个中等大小的黑色背包遗失在那里，内有几本参考书，一个白色iPad,一张信用卡和少量现金。请用英文给该酒店的经理写一封信，请他帮忙寻找并寄回。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当地增加细节，使行文连贯；
3.开头语和结尾已为你写好。
Dear Sir or Madam,
I’m so grateful for your good service during my stay in Travel Inn Atlanta,
Thank you for anything you can do for me.
Yours sincerely
Li Hua
短文改错
请你修改下面短文，共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏子符号（∧）并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用(＼)划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
On February 5th, our city saw a disaster of snowstorm where had never happened in the last fifty years.
The snowstorm lasted for several days, greatly affected people’s life. It snowed heavy and many vehicles were trapped on the roads. Therefore, people were forced to head for our destinations on foot. Not only all the flights canceled but many trains were also delayed. The city government called on all the citizens or soldier to fight a campaign of removing the heavy snow. Beside, the city government took all kinds of urgent measure to rescue the people trapped in the snowstorm to ensure that everything returned to normal as soon as possible.
