According to Nielsen, the average number of mobile phone calls we make is dropping every year, after hitting a peak in 2007. And our calls are getting shorter: In 2005 they averaged three minutes in length; now they’re almost half that.
We are moving, in other words, toward a fascinating cultural transition: the death of the telephone call. This shift is particularly plain among the young. Some college students I know go days without talking into their smartphones at all.
This generation doesn’t make phone calls, because everyone is in constant, lightweight contact in so many other ways: texting, chatting, and social-network messaging. And we don’t just have more options than we used to. We have better ones: These new forms of communication have exposed the fact that the voice call is badly designed. It deserves to die. Consider: If I suddenly decide I want to dial you up, I have no way of knowing whether you’re busy, and you have no idea why I’m calling.
We have to open Schrodinger’s box every time, having a conversation to figure out whether it’s OK to have a conversation. Plus, voice calls are emotionally high-bandwidth, which is why it’s so weirdly exhausting to be interrupted by one. (We apparently find voicemail even more torturous: Studies show that more than a fifth of all voice messages are never listened to.)
The telephone, in other words, doesn’t provide any information about status, so we are constantly interrupting one another. The other tools at our disposal are more polite. Instant messaging lets us detect whether our friends are busy without our annoying them, and texting lets us ping one another but not at the same time. (Plus, we can spend more time thinking about what we want to say.) Despite the hue and cry about becoming an “always on” society, we’re actually moving away from the demand that everyone should be available immediately.
We’ll still make fewer phone calls, as most of our former phone time will migrate to other media. But the calls we do make will be longer, reserved for the sort of deep discussion that the medium does best.
As video chatting becomes more common, enabled by the new iPhone and other devices, we might see the growth of persistent telepresence, leaving video-chat open all day so we can speak to a spouse or colleague spontaneously. Or, to put it another way, we’ll call less but talk more.
1.The writer of the text thinks that what is happening with mobile phone calls is ________.
A.an unexpected occurrence B.a strange but very predictable fact
C.an interesting social phenomenon D.negative for social interaction
2.In paragraph 3, the writer’s attitude towards phone voice calls is ________.
A.doubtful B.concerned
C.positive D.negative
3.What does the writer think will happen to voice calls in the future?
A.They will only be used in emergencies.
B.They will continue to get more expensive.
C.They will only be used between family members.
D.They will be used mainly for intimate and detailed discussions.
Some plants get so hungry that they eat flies, spiders, and even small frogs. What’s more amazing is that these plants occur naturally (in special environment) in every state. In fact, they’re found on every continent except Antarctica.
You’ve probably seen a Venus’ flytrap. It’s often sold in museum gift stores, department stores, and even supermarkets. A small plant, it grows 6 to 8 inches tall in a container. At the end of its stalks(茎) are specially modified leaves that act like traps. Inside each trap is a lining of tiny trigger(触发) hairs. When an insect lands on them, the trap suddenly shut. Over the course of a week or so, the plant feeds on its catch.
The Venus’ flytrap is just one of more than 500 species of meat-eating plants, says Barry Meyers-Rice, the editor of the International Carnivorous(食肉的) Plant Society’s Newsletter. Note: Despite any science-fiction stories you might have read, no meat-eating plant does any danger to humans.
Dr. Meyers-Rice says a plant is meat-eating, only if it does all four of the following: “attract, kill, digest, and absorb” some forms of insects, including flies, butterflies, and moths. Meat-eating plants look and act like other green plants ---well, most of the time.
All green plants make sugar through a process called photosynthesis(光合作用). Plants use the sugar to make food. What makes “meat-eating” plants different is their bug-catching leaves. They need insects for one reason: nitrogen(氮). Nitrogen is a nutrient that they can’t obtain any other way. Why almost all green plants on our planet get nitrogen from the soil, “meat-eating” plants can’t. They live in places where nutrients are hard or almost impossible to get from the soil because of its acidity. So they’ve come to rely on getting nitrogen from insects and small animals. In fact, nutrient-rich soil is poisonous to “meat-eating” plants. Never fertilize them! But don’t worry, either, if they never seem to catch any insects. They can survive, but they’ll grow very slowly.
1.According to the passage, carnivorous plants ________.
A.only grow in wild field B.are rare to see
C.are as common as flies D.cannot grow on Antarctica
2.We can conclude from the third paragraph that ________.
A.carnivorous plants are dangerous
B.carnivorous plants are fictional
C.carnivorous plants occasionally eat books
D.carnivorous plants are harmless to humans
3.In the eyes of the author, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Carnivorous plants cannot grow in acid soil.
B.Carnivorous plants can grow in nutrient-poor soil.
C.Carnivorous plants will die if they cannot catch any insects.
D.Carnivorous plants can get nitrogen from nutrient-rich soil.
University Shotokan Karate Club
Learn Karate—self-defense and fitness
The university karate club was founded in 1962. All grades from beginners to advanced are welcome. The classes are suitable for both men and women and several women have obtained their black belt.
TUESDAY AND THURSDAY
6.00—8.00 p.m.
WEAVER HOUSE GYM
FIRST LESSON FREE
Hardly any of us have experienced real violence, but, over the last few years, attacks on innocent people have increased. Each of us has some ability to defend ourselves, and by learning a form of self-defence, we are not only increasing that ability, but also doing something to build our own sense of respect. Karate will show you a lot of simple and effective techniques to protect yourself, giving you increase self-confidence.
Far too many people think martial arts (武术) are about violence. Martial arts training is based on a lot of respect, self-discipline, self-control and non-violence. We learn basic etiquette, courtesy and tolerance. Good manners and consideration for others are expected at all times.
Karate is the practice of blocking and striking techniques for the purpose of self-defence, health and self-development. Karate exercises the entire body. Techniques are practised on both sides of the body, therefore muscle imbalances do not occur and the strength, coordination, flexibility and agility of both sides of the body are improved. Regular training in Karate improves the body’s physical endurance and flexibility. It also helps concentration and produces the mental calm and assurance that come from knowing we can defend ourselves.
Karate has many benefits but they do not come easily or overnight. Training requires ongoing commitment and hard work. Some of you will give up, but a few of you will get your black belt.
1.The passage is mainly intended to_________.
A.tell readers the benefits of Karate
B.attract readers to join the club
C.encourage people to get their black belt
D.correct people’s misunderstand of Karate
2.What can be learned about University Shotokan Karate Club?
A.More men than women have been its members.
B.It tests members to see what level they are at.
C.Members don’t need to pay for the lessons.
D.It offers 4 hours of lessons every week.
3.According to the passage, which of the following statements about Karate is true?
A.It cultivates people’s respect for themselves as well as for others.
B.It involves people’s arm muscles more than body muscles
C.It makes people healthy physically instead of mentally.
D.It focuses as much on self-defence as on attack.
It was early in 1981 when I first met George. I was in my early 30s, seeking a creative outlet unrelated to the humdrum of housework and raising little ones. My children, then aged three and five, were just entering kindergarten and school life. At 65, George had recently retired and was seeking a rewarding hobby for his golden years. For both of us, painting was art and we met at a local TAFE painting class. Thus began a friendship that was to last for 25 years—until the day he died.
In the late 1950s, George arrived in Western Australia from Britain with his wife and two children. He wasn’t a tall man but was as neat as a pin, with a mouthful of large teeth and glasses that gave his blue eyes a Bambi-like appearance. George was a man who lived life to the full; he worked hard, played hard, and had an opinion about everything. He loved his wife, his family, his friends, and was loyal and outspoken to the equal degree. A slim and vigorous man, George took pride in his fitness and health and walked three kilometres every day. “”I’d no more go without my walk than without brushing my teeth,” he’d say.
And as the only male in a painting class full of women, George was in his element. He loved his singular role and looked after his brood with the same attention he gave to everything.
He took to painting with passion and commitment, even turning the spare bedroom of his home into a studio. His painting equipment was comprehensive—an easel, quality paints, linseed oil, turpentine, brushes, palette, canvases, charcoal pencils, fixative, palette knives—even a rolling pin for removing air bubbles when gluing. Ever practical, George housed many of these items in a tool box-a red metal tool box-built to take hard knocks and purchased from a local hardware store.
For about six years George and I studied together through various units until the completion of the course and other commitments drew us apart, though we always maintained personal contact as we lived within a couple of kilometres of each other. Td sometimes see him on his daily walk or at the local shops and occasionally we'd touch base with a ‘proper’ afternoon tea, sharing a cuppa and a chinwag.
1.Why did the author start to learn painting?
A.To find a lasting and rewarding friendship.
B.To take a break from her boring family life.
C.To develop a hobby for her future golden years.
D.To realize her long-held dream of becoming a painter.
2.The phrase “his brood”（in paragraph 3) most probably refers to __________.
A.George’s interest B.George’s tools
C.George’s family D.George’s classmates
3.In the author’s eye, George was a person who__________
A.desired a luxurious life B.was enthusiastic about sports
C.cared little about his appearance D.seldom told others about his opinion
4.What is the author most likely to deal with in the paragraphs that follow the passage?
A.What happened on the day George died.
B.Why she became a painter while George didn’t.
C.How she and George turned away from each other.
D.Where George used to live before coming to Australia.
Have you ever shouted, “The rent is too damn high?” Shaking wall and hidden disgusting bugs? You’re not ________. The ancient Romans experienced the same annoyance with their apartments. From ________ landlords to sanitation problems, pests to smells, Roman urban living was no walk in the park.
Even in the very early days of Rome, people were crowded together in uncomfortable ________. This collection of animals of every kind mixed together, made life miserable for common citizens. And the close contact spread diseases.
Roman rented residence were called insulae, or islands, because they occupied whole blocks, with the roads flowing around them like water around an island. The insulae, often consisting of six to eight apartment blocks built around a staircase and central courtyard, ________ poor workers who couldn’t afford a traditional domus, or private house.
By the fourth century A.D., there were around 45,000 insulae in Rome, as ________ to fewer than 2,000 private homes. Many people were ________ into their quarters. Apartments on the lower floor would be the easiest for entry and exit – and therefore belong to the wealthy renters - while unfortunate individuals were ________ on higher floors in tiny rooms.
Though made of concrete brick, insulae were usually weakly built, ________ poor craftsmanship and little fund. They usually collapsed and killed passers-by. As a result, emperors restricted how high ________ could construct insulae. The maximum building height was 60 feet.
According to law then, builders were supposed to make walls at least an inch and a half thick, so as to ________ the safety of the building. However, it didn’t work so well, especially since building ________ were ignored by the landlords in order to save on the construction cost, and most renters were too poor to ________ landlords. Therefore, the life-threatening accidents usually happened. Even if insulae didn’t fall down, they could be so ________ as to be washed away in a flood. That’s about the only time their inhabitants would have access to clean natural water, since there was rarely in-home plumbing(水管)in an apartment.
What’s more, the insulae caught fire frequently leaving Rome with a vicious(恶意的)________ of houses burning down and collapsing, sales, then immediate reconstruction and fire once more time. Indeed, rather than being at the nature’s hands, some collapses were ________ since the greedy landlords keep on tearing down the existing insulae and replacing them with higher and larger monsters in pursuit of more rents.
1.A.lonely B.alone C.unique D.special
2.A.unfair B.gracious C.mean D.terrified
3.A.basements B.mansions C.seasons D.quarters
4.A.housed B.lived C.reserved D.organized
5.A.exposed B.opposed C.switched D.related
6.A.mixed B.filled C.invited D.squeezed
7.A.arranged B.assigned C.thrown D.banned
8.A.instead of B.thanks to C.regardless of D.except for
9.A.builders B.architects C.landlords D.renters
10.A.insure B.make sure C.assure D.ensure
11.A.codes B.limitations C.reservations D.emphasis
12.A.defeat B.alert C.charge D.object
13.A.cheap B.vacant C.insignificant D.shaky
14.A.cycle B.punishment C.treatment D.fate
15.A.unexpected B.intentional C.restless D.thorough
A study of English learning problems was carried out among a total of 106 foreign students. It shows that nearly all these students considered 1. (understand) spoken English, especially in the first few weeks, to be their biggest problem on arrival. This was followed by speaking or communicating. Writing then increased as a big problem 2. students discovered difficulties in writing papers that they 3. (expect) to hand in. And at the same time, reading remained as a significant problem.
The information 4. (gain) helped us in determining where special attention should be paid in our course. Although many students have chosen to join the course with a reasonable motivation, we considered it important to note 5. seemed to encourage interest. Nearly all the students have experienced some kind of grammar-based English teaching or 6. (use) the same method, especially if it has failed in the past or it is too complicated to follow or imitate, 7. it might reduce motivation and interest. Therefore a different method may help because it is different.
8. variety of activities was also regarded as a way of maintaining or increasing motivation and interest. Several years ago we had the first timetable 9. operated throughout the course of English learning, but we soon found that both the students and the teachers lost interest by about half-way through the ten weeks. This led us to a major re-think, and we had to explore a much 10. (effective) way of English learning, so finally we brought it into line with the expressed language needs of the students.
