On the whole, it’s not something we parents shout about, but one in four of us does it. Hiring private tutors for our children is now widespread.

       “It’s expensive, but worth it,” says Ashan Sabri, whose daughter Zarreen, is having tuition in biology and chemistry in preparation for A-levels this summer. “My husband and I tried to tutor her at home, but we found all our knowledge was out of date and we were only confusing Zarreen. We also tried a group revision course but all the children were sitting in a room for different kinds of exams. On the whole, we think one-to-one tuition works best.”

       The real reason is: does tutoring do any good?

“It’s not the magic bullet,” says Professor Judith Ireson, author of a 2005 Institute of Education report on the subject. “It’s still up to the child to do the learning. If he or she isn’t interested, sending them to a private tutor won’t do any good. However, we did find that students who had private tuition in mathematics during the two years before GCSE achieved on average just under half a grade higher than students who did not have a tutor.”

In which case, surely it’s time to break open the champagne? Not necessarily, says Elaine Tyrrell, head of The Rowans School, Wimbledon, a preparation school which regularly gets children into the best private schools.

“While we recommend private tutoring for a few children whose first language isn’t English, we don’t encourage it for the others. With the level of education they get here, children really ought to be able to pass the entrance exams without any extra teaching. And our worry is that they might just get used to getting help from last-minute tutoring, but, once they actually get to that school, they won’t be able to cope.”

But Mylene Curtis, owner of Fleet Tutors, one of the biggest tutoring agencies in the country, holds a different view.

“In some respects, the hurdles children have to leap in order to get into these schools are set at a higher level than the reality,” says Curtis. “We often find that, once a child has got into a school, the standard of work isn’t as high as was feared. The trick is to do well enough in the exam to win a place.”

What does Ashan Sabri think of the group revision course?

A. It’s expensive but worthwhile because it works the best.

B. It confuses students because the knowledge taught in it is out of date.

C. It isn’t effective because it doesn’t focus on specific exams.

D. It is effective because it doesn’t focus on specific exams.

What do the underlined words “magic bullet” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A. Something that cannot help to solve problems at all.

B. Something that solves a difficult problem in an easy way.

C. Something that seems useful but has no use at all.

D. Something that encourages interest in study.

According to Elaine Tyrrell, private tutoring is _______.

A. effective in language learning but not for exams

B. effective for foreign students but not for local students

C. unnecessary in most cases and may harm the further study of students

D. unnecessary in secondary school but helpful to further study

What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs?

A. Fleet Tutors and the Rowans School are competitors.

B. Entrance exams to schools are too difficult for most students.

C. Further study isn’t as difficult as was first thought.

D. Private tuition is worth the financial investment.

What attitude does the author hold towards home tutoring?

       A. Critical           B. Objective         C. Supportive          D. Uninterested

On the whole, it’s not something we parents shout about, but one in four of us does it. Hiring private tutors for our children is now widespread.
“It’s expensive, but worth it,” says Ashan Sabri, whose daughter Zarreen, is having tuition in biology and chemistry in preparation for A-levels this summer. “My husband and I tried to tutor her at home, but we found all our knowledge was out of date and we were only confusing Zarreen. We also tried a group revision course but all the children were sitting in a room for different kinds of exams. On the whole, we think one-to-one tuition works best.”
The real reason is: does tutoring do any good?
“It’s not the magic bullet,” says Professor Judith Ireson, author of a 2005 Institute of Education report on the subject. “It’s still up to the child to do the learning. If he or she isn’t interested, sending them to a private tutor won’t do any good. However, we did find that students who had private tuition in mathematics during the two years before GCSE achieved on average just under half a grade higher than students who did not have a tutor.”
In which case, surely it’s time to break open the champagne? Not necessarily, says Elaine Tyrrell, head of The Rowans School, Wimbledon, a preparation school which regularly gets children into the best private schools.
“While we recommend private tutoring for a few children whose first language isn’t English, we don’t encourage it for the others. With the level of education they get here, children really ought to be able to pass the entrance exams without any extra teaching. And our worry is that they might just get used to getting help from last-minute tutoring, but, once they actually get to that school, they won’t be able to cope.”
But Mylene Curtis, owner of Fleet Tutors, one of the biggest tutoring agencies in the country, holds a different view.
“In some respects, the hurdles children have to leap in order to get into these schools are set at a higher level than the reality,” says Curtis. “We often find that, once a child has got into a school, the standard of work isn’t as high as was feared. The trick is to do well enough in the exam to win a place.”
【小題1】What does Ashan Sabri think of the group revision course?

On the whole, it’s not something we parents shout about, but one in four of us does it. Hiring private tutors for our children is now widespread.

“It’s expensive, but worth it,” says Ashan Sabri, whose daughter Zarreen, is having tuition in biology and chemistry in preparation for A-levels this summer. “My husband and I tried to tutor her at home, but we found all our knowledge was out of date and we were only confusing Zarreen. We also tried a group revision course but all the children were sitting in a room for different kinds of exams. On the whole, we think one-to-one tuition works best.”

The real reason is: does tutoring do any good?

“It’s not the magic bullet,” says Professor Judith Ireson, author of a 2005 Institute of Education report on the subject. “It’s still up to the child to do the learning. If he or she isn’t interested, sending them to a private tutor won’t do any good. However, we did find that students who had private tuition in mathematics during the two years before GCSE achieved on average just under half a grade higher than students who did not have a tutor.”

In which case, surely it’s time to break open the champagne? Not necessarily, says Elaine Tyrrell, head of The Rowans School, Wimbledon, a preparation school which regularly gets children into the best private schools.

“While we recommend private tutoring for a few children whose first language isn’t English, we don’t encourage it for the others. With the level of education they get here, children really ought to be able to pass the entrance exams without any extra teaching. And our worry is that they might just get used to getting help from last-minute tutoring, but, once they actually get to that school, they won’t be able to cope.”

But Mylene Curtis, owner of Fleet Tutors, one of the biggest tutoring agencies in the country, holds a different view.

“In some respects, the hurdles children have to leap in order to get into these schools are set at a higher level than the reality,” says Curtis. “We often find that, once a child has got into a school, the standard of work isn’t as high as was feared. The trick is to do well enough in the exam to win a place.”

1.What does Ashan Sabri think of the group revision course?

2. What do the underlined words “magic bullet” in Paragraph 4 mean?

3.According to Elaine Tyrrell, private tutoring is _______.

4. What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs?

5.What attitude does the author hold towards home tutoring?

—What do you think about our study plan?

—We have been talking ________ this morning. On the whole it's good.

[　　]

—What do you think about our study plan?

—We have been talking ________ this morning. On the whole it's good.

[　　]

On the whole, it’s not something we parents shout about, but one in four of us does it. Hiring private tutors for our children is now widespread.

       “It’s expensive, but worth it,” says Ashan Sabri, whose daughter Zarreen, is having tuition in biology and chemistry in preparation for A-levels this summer. “My husband and I tried to tutor her at home, but we found all our knowledge was out of date and we were only confusing Zarreen. We also tried a group revision course but all the children were sitting in a room for different kinds of exams. On the whole, we think one-to-one tuition works best.”

       The real reason is: does tutoring do any good?

“It’s not the magic bullet,” says Professor Judith Ireson, author of a 2005 Institute of Education report on the subject. “It’s still up to the child to do the learning. If he or she isn’t interested, sending them to a private tutor won’t do any good. However, we did find that students who had private tuition in mathematics during the two years before GCSE achieved on average just under half a grade higher than students who did not have a tutor.”

In which case, surely it’s time to break open the champagne? Not necessarily, says Elaine Tyrrell, head of The Rowans School, Wimbledon, a preparation school which regularly gets children into the best private schools.

“While we recommend private tutoring for a few children whose first language isn’t English, we don’t encourage it for the others. With the level of education they get here, children really ought to be able to pass the entrance exams without any extra teaching. And our worry is that they might just get used to getting help from last-minute tutoring, but, once they actually get to that school, they won’t be able to cope.”

But Mylene Curtis, owner of Fleet Tutors, one of the biggest tutoring agencies in the country, holds a different view.

“In some respects, the hurdles children have to leap in order to get into these schools are set at a higher level than the reality,” says Curtis. “We often find that, once a child has got into a school, the standard of work isn’t as high as was feared. The trick is to do well enough in the exam to win a place.”

1.What does Ashan Sabri think of the group revision course?

       A. It’s expensive but worthwhile because it works the best.

B. It confuses students because the knowledge taught in it is out of date.

C. It isn’t effective because it doesn’t focus on specific exams.

D. It is effective because it doesn’t focus on specific exams.

2.What do the underlined words “magic bullet” in Paragraph 4 mean?

       A. Something that cannot help to solve problems at all.

B. Something that solves a difficult problem in an easy way.

C. Something that seems useful but has no use at all.

D. Something that encourages interest in study.

3.According to Elaine Tyrrell, private tutoring is _______.

       A. effective in language learning but not for exams

B. effective for foreign students but not for local students

C. unnecessary in most cases and may harm the further study of students

D. unnecessary in secondary school but helpful to further study

4.What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs?

       A. Fleet Tutors and the Rowans School are competitors.

B. Entrance exams to schools are too difficult for most students.

C. Further study isn’t as difficult as was first thought.

D. Private tuition is worth the financial investment.

5.What attitude does the author hold towards home tutoring?

       A. Critical            B. Objective         C. Supportive          D. Uninterested

On the whole, it’s not something we parents shout about, but one in four of us does it. Hiring private tutors for our children is now widespread.
“It’s expensive, but worth it,” says Ashan Sabri, whose daughter Zarreen, is having tuition in biology and chemistry in preparation for A-levels this summer. “My husband and I tried to tutor her at home, but we found all our knowledge was out of date and we were only confusing Zarreen. We also tried a group revision course but all the children were sitting in a room for different kinds of exams. On the whole, we think one-to-one tuition works best.”
The real reason is: does tutoring do any good?
“It’s not the magic bullet,” says Professor Judith Ireson, author of a 2005 Institute of Education report on the subject. “It’s still up to the child to do the learning. If he or she isn’t interested, sending them to a private tutor won’t do any good. However, we did find that students who had private tuition in mathematics during the two years before GCSE achieved on average just under half a grade higher than students who did not have a tutor.”
In which case, surely it’s time to break open the champagne? Not necessarily, says Elaine Tyrrell, head of The Rowans School, Wimbledon, a preparation school which regularly gets children into the best private schools.
“While we recommend private tutoring for a few children whose first language isn’t English, we don’t encourage it for the others. With the level of education they get here, children really ought to be able to pass the entrance exams without any extra teaching. And our worry is that they might just get used to getting help from last-minute tutoring, but, once they actually get to that school, they won’t be able to cope.”
But Mylene Curtis, owner of Fleet Tutors, one of the biggest tutoring agencies in the country, holds a different view.
“In some respects, the hurdles children have to leap in order to get into these schools are set at a higher level than the reality,” says Curtis. “We often find that, once a child has got into a school, the standard of work isn’t as high as was feared. The trick is to do well enough in the exam to win a place.”

1. 1.

   What does Ashan Sabri think of the group revision course?

   1. A.
      It’s expensive but worthwhile because it works the best.
   2. B.
      It confuses students because the knowledge taught in it is out of date.
   3. C.
      It isn’t effective because it doesn’t focus on specific exams.
   4. D.
      It is effective because it doesn’t focus on specific exams.
2. 2.

   What do the underlined words “magic bullet” in Paragraph 4 mean?

   1. A.
      Something that cannot help to solve problems at all.
   2. B.
      Something that solves a difficult problem in an easy way.
   3. C.
      Something that seems useful but has no use at all.
   4. D.
      Something that encourages interest in study.
3. 3.

   According to Elaine Tyrrell, private tutoring is _______.

   1. A.
      effective in language learning but not for exams
   2. B.
      effective for foreign students but not for local students
   3. C.
      unnecessary in most cases and may harm the further study of students
   4. D.
      unnecessary in secondary school but helpful to further study
4. 4.

   What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs?

   1. A.
      Fleet Tutors and the Rowans School are competitors.
   2. B.
      Entrance exams to schools are too difficult for most students.
   3. C.
      Further study isn’t as difficult as was first thought.
   4. D.
      Private tuition is worth the financial investment.
5. 5.

   What attitude does the author hold towards home tutoring?

   1. A.
      Critical
   2. B.
      Objective
   3. C.
      Supportive
   4. D.
      Uninterested

A special policy aimed at keeping Roseville Police officers in top physical condition could start becoming usual and statewide as a result of a law which has been formally suggested before the California Assembly（議會）.

AB 2183, put forward by Assemblyman Todd Spitzer, would set aside ＄10 million for the creation of a new voluntary fitness program aimed at shaping up California’s 75,000 peace officers. Spitzer, a former officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, said the cost of the program would be balanced out by the millions of dollars saved in medical costs and disability payments for injured and out – of – shape officers.

For Roseville Police officers, physical fitness isn’t just advised, it’s a required part of an officer’s day. Each officer must spend an hour in the department gym before each working period. “We’re trying to break that typical donut（多納圈）shop image here.” Roseville Police Chief Joel Neves said.

And most officers don’t seem to mind keeping in shape as part of their daily duties. “We have some officers here that are 50 years old running a five – minute mile,” Lt. Mike Allison said. “They’re in great shape. It is a culture that is expected now.” Neves said the required workouts also attract some high quality people who have just joined the Roseville force. “We can truly take the best of the best and bring them to Roseville,” Neves said. “It’s not just the fitness level. On the whole, it’s the belief of the employees in work.”

However, people who object to the idea insist that putting taxpayer dollars toward keeping officers fit isn’t money well spent. “This is an extraordinary rip – off（敲竹杠）of taxpayers,” Jon Coupal with the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association said. “I think police officers also need a good night’s sleep, but does that mean taxpayers should be paying for their beds? I don’t think so.”

AB2183 passed its first vote in the Committee on Public Safety earlier this month and has been passed to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

1．What does the special policy aim at?

       A．Affecting the behavior and attitudes of police officers.

       B．Attracting high quality people to the Roseville force.

       C．Saving millions of dollars for the police department.

       D．Helping the police officers in the state stay fit.

2．We can infer from Paragraph 4 that Roseville Police officers have           .

       A．a(chǎn)ccepted exercising as part of their culture.

       B．had a better attitude towards society

       C．been able to run a five- minute mile

       D．created a new statewide culture

3．Some people are against the policy because they           .

       A．want their taxes to be used properly

       B．resist shaping up among the police officers

       C．a(chǎn)re aware of being cheated by the government

       D．dislike supporting the government to save money

4．What is the best title for the passage?

      A．A Great Program Is Put Forward         

       B．A Special Policy Passed Its First Vote

       C．Officers May Be Required To Work Out

       D．Police Officers Are In Favor Of AB 2183

On the whole, it's not something we parents shout about, but one in four of us does it．Hiring private tutors(指老師)for our children is now widespread．And this year, as always，the Easter holidays will be peak time(高峰期) for tutor demand．

“My husband and I tried to tutor her at home，but we found all our knowledge was out of date and we were only confusing Zarreen．We also tried a group revision course but all the children were sitting exams for different boards(入學(xué)考試)． On the whole we think one-two-one tuition works best and it is worth the money．In our case，Preeta is a bit like an elder sister to Zarreen and that's the most important，”says Ashan Sabri from London， whose daughter Zarreen，18，is having tuition in biology and chemistry in preparation for A-levels this summer．

In fact，Preeta Datta is only six years older than her pupil and she is happy to provide extra tuition through mobile phone．“Maybe Zarreen will call me two or three times a week with a question about biology or chemistry, and that's fine to me，”says Datta．

The real question is：does tutoring do any good?

“It's not the magic bullet，”says Professor Judith Ireson．‘It's still up to the child to do the learning．If he or she isn't interested，then sending them to a private tutor won't do any good．”

In which case，surely it's time to break open the Champagne(香檳酒)?Not necessarily, says Elaine Tyrrell，head of the Rowans School．

“While we recommend private tutoring for a few children whose first language isn't English，we don't encourage it for the others，”says Tyrrell．“With the level of education they get here，children really ought to be able to pass the entrance exams without any extra teaching． Besides， our biggest worry is that they might just get in with the help of last-minute tutoring，but，once they actually get to that school，they won't be able to manage．”

It's a point worth considering．After all，who would want their child to stay at the bottom of the class?

56．The passage is most probably written by          ．

        A．a(chǎn) parent    B．a(chǎn) famous professor

C．a(chǎn) student   D．a(chǎn) famous headmaster

57．In Ashan Sabri's opinion，which method is most suitable for her daughter?       ．

       A．Taking different kinds of exams     B．Teaching her at home by herself

C．Finding a private tutor to help her   D．Taking part in group revision courses

55．Elaine Tyrrell doesn't encourage parents to hire private tutors for their children mainly because          ．

      A．children may be misled by private tutors

      B．the quality of private tutoring may be poor

      C．the education that children receive in class is enough for them

       D．children may not have the real ability to deal with their further studies

59．What attitude does the author hold towards home tutoring?         ．

A．Critical    B．Uncertain    C．Supportive  D．Uninterested

60．From the passage we know that        ．

    A．Preeta Datta is only twenty four years old．

    B．Preeta Datta is head of the Rowans school

    C．Judith Ireson is a teacher of the Rowans School

    D．A shan Sabri has a daughter named Zarreen，who is over 18

Recently a group of children in America poured some gasoline on a sleeping man and set him on fire. When caught, the children said they had done what they’d seen on TV.

The incidents make people angry who believe that American children are harmed by watching too much TV. They claim children can’t tell between the fiction of TV and reality, and TV distracts them from learning and makes them violent.

To estimate the impact of TV on young people, “Life” magazine hires a company to interview hundreds of school children in Nora Springs, Iowa and in Dallas, Texas. Although the two cities are very different, the company finds children in each city watch the same TV shows.

Many Iowa children, who watch an average of three hours of TV a day, recognizing that life on TV is rosier than what they experience. Their favourite shows are situation comedies about American families in trouble. Many boys like violent shows about police detectives or heroes, girls particularly soap operas-stories about families and friends.

On the whole, children find real violence on news programs hard to take. “If you see a bus crash on the news, it’s frightening,” one fifth grader says. By and large, the Iowa children agree that the best thing about TV is it makes you laugh.

Children in Dallas are savvier about programs of drug use on TV. “They don’t really show them doing it right. On TV they are not real.” A fifth grader says.

“Life” agrees with a 1988 study by the U. S Department of education that finds children are none the worse for watching TV. The study finds TV doesn’t have lasting effect on children. On the contrary, kids show good judgment about what they watch. “There are very few good shows on TV anymore,” a 10-year-old boy says.

While the debate about TV is so heated, the “Life” survey gives hope that American kids aren’t wasting three or four hours a day (what is worse, by the time young people enter college today, they will have devoted more time to watching television than they will spend in college). However, a child watching TV isn’t reading a good book or joining in healthful sports.

1.The main idea of the passage is       .

2.Children who see real violence on TV news programs        .

3.Children who enter college today        .

4.The “Life” survey of children’s TV habits        .

The concept of solitude(獨處) in the digital world is almost non-existent. In the world of digital technology, e-mail, social networking and online video games, information is meant to be ______. Solitude can be hard to discover ______it has been given up. In this respect, new technologies have ______our culture.

The desire to be connected has brought solitude to a(n)       as we've known it. People have become so      in the world of networks and connections that one can often be contacted      they'd rather not be. Today we can talk, text, e-mail, chat and blog (寫博客), not only from our     , but from our mobile phones as well.

     Most developed nations have become       on digital technology simply because they've grown accustomed to it, and at this point not       it would make them an outsider.     , many jobs and careers require people to be      . From this point of view, technology has changed the culture of work. Being reachable might feel like a       to those who may not want to be able to be contacted at all times.

     I suppose the positive side is that solitude is still possible for anyone who       wants it. Computers can be shut       and mobile phones can be turned off. The ability to be "connected" and " on" has many     , as well as disadvantages. Travelers have ended up       on mountains, and mobile phones have saved countless lives. They can also make people feel       and forced to answer unwanted calls or     to unwanted texts.

     Attitudes towards our connectedness as a society       across generations. Some find today's technology a gift. Others consider it a curse. Regardless of anyone's view on the subject, it's hard to imagine what life would be like       daily advancements in technology.

1.A. updated    B. received       C. collected       D. shared

2.A. though      B. once            C. until    D. before

3.A. shaped       B. respected     C. ignored         D. preserved

4.A. edge          B. end      C. stage     D. balance

5.A. sensitive    B. intelligent      C. reachable     D. considerate

6.A. only if         B. even if         C. as if      D. if only

7.A. media        B. databases            C. monitors        D. computers

8.A. bent  B. dependent          C. hard     D. keen

9.A. finding     B. protecting     C. using    D. changing

10.A. Instead  B. Otherwise    C. Somehow      D. Also

11.A. trained    B. recommended     C. connected    D. interested

12.A. burden            B. pleasure       C. benefit D. disappointment

13.A. slightly     B. hardly         C. merely         D. really  　

14.A. down        B. out       C. up         D. in

15.A. aspects    B. weaknesses  C. exceptions    D. advantages 

16.A. lost  B. hidden          C. relaxed D. deserted

17.A. excited   B. confused       C. trapped        D. amused

18.A. turn B. reply     C. submit  D. object

19.A. arise       B. spread  C. vary      D. exist

20.A. without    B. beyond         C. within   D. despite 

The concept of solitude(獨處) in the digital world is almost non-existent. In the world of digital technology, e-mail, social networking and online video games, information is meant to be ______. Solitude can be hard to discover ______it has been given up. In this respect, new technologies have ______our culture.

The desire to be connected has brought solitude to a(n)       as we've known it. People have become so      in the world of networks and connections that one can often be contacted      they'd rather not be. Today we can talk, text, e-mail, chat and blog (寫博客), not only from our     , but from our mobile phones as well.

     Most developed nations have become       on digital technology simply because they've grown accustomed to it, and at this point not       it would make them an outsider.     , many jobs and careers require people to be      . From this point of view, technology has changed the culture of work. Being reachable might feel like a       to those who may not want to be able to be contacted at all times.

     I suppose the positive side is that solitude is still possible for anyone who       wants it. Computers can be shut       and mobile phones can be turned off. The ability to be "connected" and " on" has many     , as well as disadvantages. Travelers have ended up       on mountains, and mobile phones have saved countless lives. They can also make people feel       and forced to answer unwanted calls or     to unwanted texts.

     Attitudes towards our connectedness as a society       across generations. Some find today's technology a gift. Others consider it a curse. Regardless of anyone's view on the subject, it's hard to imagine what life would be like       daily advancements in technology.

1.A. updated    B. received       C. collected       D. shared

2.A. though      B. once            C. until    D. before

3.A. shaped       B. respected     C. ignored         D. preserved

4.A. edge          B. end      C. stage     D. balance

5.A. sensitive    B. intelligent      C. reachable     D. considerate

6.A. only if         B. even if         C. as if      D. if only

7.A. media        B. databases            C. monitors        D. computers

8.A. bent  B. dependent          C. hard     D. keen

9.A. finding     B. protecting     C. using    D. changing

10.A. Instead  B. Otherwise    C. Somehow      D. Also

11.A. trained    B. recommended     C. connected    D. interested

12.A. burden            B. pleasure       C. benefit D. disappointment

13.A. slightly     B. hardly         C. merely         D. really  　

14.A. down        B. out       C. up         D. in

15.A. aspects    B. weaknesses  C. exceptions    D. advantages 

16.A. lost  B. hidden          C. relaxed D. deserted

17.A. excited   B. confused       C. trapped        D. amused

18.A. turn B. reply     C. submit  D. object

19.A. arise       B. spread  C. vary      D. exist

20.A. without    B. beyond         C. within   D. despite 

The concept of solitude (獨處) in the digital world is almost non-existent. In the world of digital technology, e-mail, social networking and online video games, information is meant to be____36___. Solitude can be hard to discover ___37____it has been given up. In this respect, new technologies have ___38____our culture.
The desire to be connected has brought solitude to a(n) ___39____as we’ve known it. People have become so ___40____in the world of networks and connections that one can often be contacted ____41___they’d rather not be. Today we can talk, text, e-mail, chat and blog (寫博客), not only from our ___42____, but from our mobile phones as well.
Most developed nations have become ___43____on digital technology simply because they’ve grown accustomed to it, and at this point not ___44____it would make them an outsider. ___45____, many jobs and careers require people to be ___46____. From this point of view, technology has changed the culture of work. Being reachable might feel like a ___47____to those who may not want to be able to be contacted at all times.
I suppose the positive side is that solitude is still possible for anyone who ___48____wants it. Computers can be shut ___49____and mobile phones can be turned off. The ability to be “connected”and “ on”has many ___50____, as well as disadvantages. Travelers have ended up ___51____on mountains, and mobile phones have saved countless lives. They can also make people feel ___52____and forced to answer unwanted calls or___53____to unwanted texts.
Attitudes towards our connectedness as a society ___54____ across generations. Some find today’s technology a gift. Others consider it a curse. Regardless of anyone’s view on the subject, it’s hard to imagine what life would be like ___55____daily advancements in technology.

The concept of solitude(獨處) in the digital world is almost non-existent. In the world of digital technology, e-mail, social networking and online video games, information is meant to be ______. Solitude can be hard to discover ______it has been given up. In this respect, new technologies have ______our culture.

The desire to be connected has brought solitude to a(n)       as we've known it. People have become so      in the world of networks and connections that one can often be contacted      they'd rather not be. Today we can talk, text, e-mail, chat and blog (寫博客), not only from our     , but from our mobile phones as well.

     Most developed nations have become       on digital technology simply because they've grown accustomed to it, and at this point not       it would make them an outsider.     , many jobs and careers require people to be      . From this point of view, technology has changed the culture of work. Being reachable might feel like a       to those who may not want to be able to be contacted at all times.

     I suppose the positive side is that solitude is still possible for anyone who       wants it. Computers can be shut       and mobile phones can be turned off. The ability to be "connected" and " on" has many     , as well as disadvantages. Travelers have ended up       on mountains, and mobile phones have saved countless lives. They can also make people feel       and forced to answer unwanted calls or     to unwanted texts.

     Attitudes towards our connectedness as a society       across generations. Some find today's technology a gift. Others consider it a curse. Regardless of anyone's view on the subject, it's hard to imagine what life would be like       daily advancements in technology.

1.A. updated    B. received       C. collected       D. shared

2.A. though      B. once            C. until    D. before

3.A. shaped       B. respected     C. ignored         D. preserved

4.A. edge          B. end      C. stage     D. balance

5.A. sensitive    B. intelligent      C. reachable     D. considerate

6.A. only if         B. even if         C. as if      D. if only

7.A. media        B. databases            C. monitors        D. computers

8.A. bent  B. dependent          C. hard     D. keen

9.A. finding     B. protecting     C. using    D. changing

10.A. Instead  B. Otherwise    C. Somehow      D. Also

11.A. trained    B. recommended     C. connected    D. interested

12.A. burden            B. pleasure       C. benefit D. disappointment

13.A. slightly     B. hardly         C. merely         D. really  　

14.A. down        B. out       C. up         D. in

15.A. aspects    B. weaknesses  C. exceptions    D. advantages 

16.A. lost  B. hidden          C. relaxed D. deserted

17.A. excited   B. confused       C. trapped        D. amused

18.A. turn B. reply     C. submit  D. object

19.A. arise       B. spread  C. vary      D. exist

20.A. without    B. beyond         C. within   D. despite 

閱讀下列短文, 從所給的四個選項中, 選出最佳答案。

    These days experiences, like many other things, are becoming increasingly expensive. One has got to pay a lot to get even an ordinary one.

    Not long ago, I wanted to invite my friends to a lunch. What we really need was a good and quiet place for a talk, not a big meal. So I selected one for people only who belong to a particular club. I　　 belong to the club, too. What could be nicer? "Let's go to the club," I told my friend.

    When I ordered a day in advance, I was asked whether I would eat a 20 yuan or 30 yuan lunch. I said, "30 yuan". I didn't realize until I was asked to pay after the lunch, that "30 yuan" means "30 yuan for persons each."

    There were five people that day, and all of us were surprised by the quality of the 30 yuan meal (for all, we thought). The bill came at last: it was 216.40 (150 for the five of us plus the money for drinks, fruits and air conditioning). I paid the bill without a word.

    What could I say? It was not the club's fault. It was my own ignorance (無知) that made me pay the largest bill in my life.

    On the whole, it was not so bad; we had a good lunch and a quiet place. Besides, the experience will help in later years.

    To support my idea, I have developed my own calculation (算法): 30 yuan for the lunch and 186.40 for the experience.

This paid experience has made me ten times wiser.

1. Now many things are becoming ______________.

[　　]

A. less expensive　　　　

B. not so expensive as before 　　

C. as expensive as before　　

D. more expensive　　

2. I ordered a lunch ________________.

[　　]

A. the day before　　　　

B. so as to have a big lunch 　　

C. so that we could have a grand party 　　

D. in order to introduce my friend to the members of the club which I belong to

3. I had thought that I had ordered a meal that cost ____________.

[　　]

A. me 20 yuan　　

B. me 30 yuan

C. us 20 yuan each

D. us 30 yuan each

4. What do you think makes me pay the largest lunch bill in my life?

[　　]

A. My fault.　　　　

B. My ignorance.　　　　

C. The club that had managed to make its customers misunderstand.

D. My friend's fault.　　

5. "This paid experience has made me ten times wiser." expressed ________.

[　　]

A. the writer's thanks to the club 　　　　

B. the writer's pleasure to ten times wiser 　　

C. the writer's modesty　　　　

D. the writer's anger

閱讀理解

　　These days, experiences, like many other things, are becoming increasingly expensive. One has to pay a lot for them, even an ordinary one.

　　Not long ago, I wanted to invite my friend to lunch. What we really reed was a good and quiet place so that we could talk, not a big meal. So I selected one club. I belong to that club, too. What could be nicer? “Let's go to the club. ” I told my friend.

　　When I ordered a day in advance, I was asked whether I would have a 20 yuan or 30 yuan lunch. I said, “30 yuan . ”I didn't realize until I was asked to pay after lunch, that 30 yuan was for each person.

　　There were five people that day, and all of us were surprised by the quality of the 30 yuan meal (for all, we thought). The bill came at last. It was 216.40 yuan (150 for the five of us plus the money for drinks, fruits and air-conditioning), I paid the bill without a word.

　　What could I say? It was not the club's fault. It was my own ignorance(無知)that made me pay the largest bill in my life. On the whole, it was not so bad, we had a good lunch at a quiet place. Besides, this experience will help in other years.

　　To support my idea, I have developed my own calculation 30 yuan for the lunch and 186.40 for the experience. The experience has made me ten times wiser.

1．Now many things are becoming ________ .

[　　]

A．less experiential

B．a(chǎn)re not so experiential

C．a(chǎn)s expensive as before

D．more expensive

2．What we really wanted to have was ________.

[　　]

A．a(chǎn) good meal

B．a(chǎn) good and quiet place to talk

C．a(chǎn) club

D．a(chǎn)n experience

3．I thought that I had ordered a meld that cast ________.

[　　]

A．me 20 yuan

B．me 30 yuan

C．us 20 yuan each

D．us 30 yuan each

4．What do you think makes me pay the largest bill in my life?

[　　]

A．My fault.

B．My mistake.

C．The club's trick.

D．The club's mistake.

5．“The experience has made me ten times wiser. ”expresses ________.

[　　]

A．my thanks to the club

B．my pleasure to be ten times wiser

C．my honesty

D．my anger

閱讀理解

　　These days, experiences, like many other things, are becoming increasingly expensive. One has to pay a lot for them, even an ordinary one.

　　Not long ago, I wanted to invite my friend to lunch. What we really need was a good and quiet place so that we could talk, not a big meal. So I selected one club. I belong to that club, too. What could be nicer? “Let's go to the club.” I told my friend.

　　When I ordered a day in advance, I was asked whether I would have a 20 yuan or 30 yuan lunch. I said, “30 yuan.” I didn’t realize until I was asked to pay after lunch. That 30 yuan was for each person. There were five people that day, and all of us were surprised by the quality of the 30 yuan meal (for all, we thought). The bill came at last. It was 216.40 yuan (150 for the five of us plus the money for drinks, fruits and air-conditioning). I paid the bill without a word.

　　What could I say? It was not the club's fault. It was my own ignorance (無知) that made me pay the largest bill in my life. On the whole, it was not so bad, we had a good lunch at a quiet place. Besides, this experience will help in other years. To support my idea, I have developed my own calculation 30 yuan for the lunch and 186．40 for the experience. The experience has made me ten times wiser.

1．Now many things are becoming ________ .

[　　]

A．less experiential

B．a(chǎn)re not so experiential

C．a(chǎn)s expensive as before

D．more expensive

2．What we really wanted to have was ________ .

[　　]

A．a(chǎn) good meal

B．a(chǎn) good and quiet place to talk

C．a(chǎn) club

D．a(chǎn)n experience

3．I thought that I had ordered a meal that cost ________ .

[　　]

4．What do you think makes me pay the largest bill in my life?

[　　]

5．“The experience has made me ten times wiser”expresses ________ .

[　　]

A．my thanks to the club

B．my pleasure to be ten rimes wiser

C．my honesty

D．my anger

閱讀下列短文, 從所給的四個選項中, 選出最佳答案。

    These days, experiences, like many other things, are becoming increasingly expensive. One has got to pay a lot for them, even an ordinary one.Not long ago, I wanted to invite my friends to lunch. What we really needed was a good and quiet place so that we could talk, not a　　 big meal. So I selected one club. I belong to that club, too.What could be nicer? "Let's go to the club." I told my friends.

    When I ordered a day in advance, I was asked whether I would have a 20 yuan or 30 yuan lunch. I said, "30 yuan." I didn't realize, until I was asked to pay after the lunch, that 30 yuan was for each person.

    There were five people that day, and all　　 of us were surprised by the quality of the 30 yuan meal (for all, we thought). The bill came at last: it was 216.40 (150 for the five of us plus the money for drinks, fruits and air conditioning(空調(diào)). I paid the bill without a　　 word.

    What could I say? It was not the club's fault(過失). It was　　 my own ignorance(無知) that made me pay the largest bill in my life.On the whole , it was not so bad; we had a good lunch and at　　 a quiet place. Besides, this experience will help in later years.To support my idea, I have developed my own calculation　　 (算法). 30 yuan for the lunch and 186.40 for the experience.This experience has made me ten times wiser.

　　 (1) Many things are becoming _____.

　　 [    ]

　　 A. less experience　　　　

　　 B. are not so experience as before　　

　　 C. as expensive as before　　

　　 D. more expensive

　　 (2) I ordered a lunch ______.

　　 [    ]

　　 　　A. the other day　　

　　 　　B. so as to have a good feed

　　 　　C. so that we could have a grand party　　

　　 　　D. to introduce my friends to the members of my club　　

　　 (3) I thought that I had ordered a meal that cost _____.　　

　　 [    ]　　

　　A. me 20 yuan　　　　 B. me 30 yuan　　 　　

　　 　　C. us 20 yuan each　　D. us 30 yuan each　　

　　 (4) What do you think makes me pay the largest lunch bill　　 　　in my life? 　　

[    ]　　 　　

　　A. My fault　　　　　　B. My mistake　　 　　

　　 　　C. The club's trick　　D. The club's mistake　　

　　 (5) "This experience has made me ten times wiser"　　 expressed ____.　　

　　 [    ]　　

A. my thanks to the club　　

　　 B. my pleasure to be ten times wiser　　 　　

C. my honesty　　　　　　

D. my anger