In just two months, the latest buzzword from the Internet, diaosi, has spread so much that it can be found everywhere—from online forums(论坛) to micro blogs. Many people even call themselves diaosi. It’s not the first time a term has gone popular on the Internet in China. However, why is the word so viral that is has become a cultural phenomenon? Here, we tell you something you want to know about it.

Where it began

The word originated in Baidu. Com’s Tieba (a top Chinese bulletin board system) of soccer player Li Yi. There, fans of Li, who are called yisi in Chinese, not only talk about soccer but complain about their lives, work and relationships. Yisi, who are known for their rude and dirty language, were given the name diaosi by others who have seen their posts.

What a “diaosi” is like

The word diaosi was coined first by single, young men who feel they have dead-end lives. Generally, men in this category don’t earn enough, are not good-looking, and have difficulty winning promotion(晋升). Unlike their upper-class contemporaries(同代人), they lack influential families, useful social networks for their careers, and most importantly, suitable women to marry. “I’m just a diaosi, poor and plain-looking. Who will marry me?” The sigh can be heard, which is half self-mockery(自嘲), half reality. Many young men call themselves diaosi because they feel they are among the lowest classes of the society.

“Diaosi” culture reflects social changes

According to Zhu Chongke, a professor in the School of Asia-Pacific Studies at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, the popularity of this word diaosi stems from the fact that is was created by common people and thus resonates(共鸣) with a huge population. “Labeling yourself a diaosi offers a way for people to mock themselves and relieve pressure, hence it spread quickly,” he told Xinhua Agency. “The attitude is basically: ‘I already have little to lose, so why don’t I mock myself for gun?’.” The phenomenon reflects a larger social issues. These young people have no influential family background, no chances of receiving promotion at work or no economic strength to find a proper woman to marry. It reflects a deep sense of loss.

1.Diaosi refers to the ones with following features except       .

A. the ones who don’t earn much.

B. the ones who are not good-looking.

C. the ones who have difficulty winning promotion

D. the ones who have suitable people to marry.

2.The word “diaosi” is so popular because         .

A. It was used to describe the fans of soccer player Li Yi.

B. It was created by common people and resonates with a huge population.

C. It is new and interesting.

D. It helps people who are among the lowest classes mock themselves.

3.Which of the following is NOT true?

A. It’s not the first time a term like “diaosi” has gone popular on the Internet.

B. The name “diaosi” was given by those people who are among the lowest classes.

C. Many young people call themselves diaosi because they have a deep sense of loss.

D. Calling yourself diaosi can probably mock yourselves and release pressure.

4.The author’s attitude to diaosi is       .

A. positive           B. negative       C. neutral(中立的)        D. indifferent

This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers(young people aged from13~19)from all over the world will spend about ten months in U.S. homes. They will attend U.S. schools, meet U.S. teenagers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world.

   Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George’s family. In turn, George’s son Mike spent a year in Fred’s home in America.

   Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months’ study the language began to come to him. School was completely different from what he had expected—much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.

   Family life, too, was different. The father’s word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual(个人). Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.

   “Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it.”

   At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. “I suppose I should criticize(批评)American schools,” he said. “It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In    Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two.”

1.This year ________teenagers will take part in the exchange programme between America and other countries.

A. twenty-three hundred

B. thirteen hundred

C. over three thousand

D. less than two thousand

2.The whole exchange programme is mainly to__________.

A. help teenagers in other countries know the real America

B. send students in America to travel in Germany

C. let students learn something about other countries

D. have teenagers learn new languages

3. Fred and Mike agree that__________.

A. America food tasted better than German food

B. German schools were harder than American schools

C. Americans and Germans were both friendly

D. There were more cars on the streets in America

4.What is particular in American schools is that________.

A. there is some middle ground between the two teaching buildings

B. there are a lot of after-school activities

C. students usually take fourteen subjects in all

D. students go out side to enjoy themselves in a car

5.Which of the following is not true according to this passage?

A. There were few outside activities in Germany.

B. Fred had his own car when he was in America.

C. Subjects seemed easy for Mike in the USA.

D. All family activities were around the individual in Germany.

Laptop computers （笔记本电脑）are popular all over the world. People use them on trains and airplanes, in airports and hotels. These laptops connect people to their workplace. In the United States today, laptops also connect students to their classrooms.

   Westlake College in Virginia will start a laptop computer program that allows students to do schoolwork anywhere they want. Within five years, each of the 1500 students at the college will receive a laptop. The laptops are part of a ＄10 million computer program at Westlake, a 110-year-old college. The students with laptops will also have access to the Internet. In addition, they will be able to use e-mail to "speak" with their teachers, their classmates, and their families. However, the most important part of the laptop program is that students will be able to use computers without going to computer labs. They can work with it at home, in a fast-food restaurant or under the trees－anywhere at all!

    Because of the many changes in computer technology, laptop use in higher education, such as colleges and universities, is workable. As laptops become more powerful, they become more similar to desktop computers. In addition, the portable computers can connect students to not only the Internet, but also libraries and other resources. State higher-education officials are studying how laptops can help students. State officials are also testing laptop programs at other universities, too.

    At Westlake College, more than 60 percent of the staff（全体员工）use computers. The laptops will allow all teachers to use computers in their lessons. As one Westlake teacher said, "Here we are in the middle of Virginia and we're giving students a window on the world. They can see everything and do everything."

1.The main purpose of the laptop program is to give each student a laptop to _____.

A. use for their schoolwork

B. access the Internet

C. work at home

D. connect them to libraries

2.Why is the word "speak" in the second paragraph in quotation marks (引号)?

A. They can speak loudly.

B. They use the computer language.

C. Laptops have speakers.

D. They don't really talk.

3.Which of the following is TRUE about Westlake College?

A. All teachers use computers.

B. 1500 students have laptops.

C. It is an old college in America.

D. Students there can do everything.

请阅读下列某书店各书架的相关信息：
Section A: Do-It-Yourself Section---On these shelves customers can find the latest manuals on how to do everything from building a computer to constructing your own home.
Section B: Sports & Leisure Section--Stocks a large range of the latest books on your favorite sporting teams and events. Pick up the perfect Father's Day present here.
Section C: Humor Section--A great selection of joke books, funny stories and wonderful real life adventures that are sure to keep the reader laughing for days.
Section D: Business & Finance--Students, business people or anyone interested in the world of commerce are certain to find the book they are after here. We have special subsection for international trade and e-commerce.
Section E: Biography--Find out about the lives of your favorite sports stars, singers, actors and other famous people from today and the past. Learn what they had to go through to become successful and the effect it had on their lives.
Section F: Education--Has a huge range of textbooks and supplementary material covering all the major high school and university subjects. Buyers showing their student cards receive a 15% discount on all purchases from this section.
阅读下列关于各书籍的信息，匹配书籍与其所应放置的书架：
【小题1】The Delighted Eye--by Prof. John Nash--The 1994 Nobel Prize Winner for Economics, whose ideas have influenced a generation of the world's greatest economic minds, tells his life story: growing up in a small town in America, becoming one of America' s most influential mathematicians and his battles with mental illness.
【小题2】Mother Tongue: The English Language -- by Bill Bryson-- Bryson ' s book is a journey through the history and different aspects of the English language, one that is both informative and hugely entertaining. As with most of Bryson's books, fun comes before facts and readers will be left with a smile on their faces.
【小题3】Into Thin Air--by John Krakauer--is a riveting first-hand account of a disastrous race to the top of Mount Everest.  In March 1996, "Outside" magazine sent veteran journalist and experienced climber John Krakauer to join the team led by the famous Everest guide Rob Hall. Despite the expertise of Hall and the other leaders, by the end of the race eight people were dead.
【小题4】 Ready Made: How to Make (Almost) Everything--by Shoshena Berger and Grace Hawthorne--beautifully written with great factual information. The theme behind this book is re-use, re-claim, re-cycle and there are many detailed easy-to-do projects for the reader to try such as making a photo frame from a book cover or a pot for your plants from plastic shopping bags.                             
【小题5】The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron--by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind--As the title suggests the authors cover the rise of the American electricity company to become one of the 10 richest companies in the world and its spectacular fall into dishonor and bankruptcy. A perfect guide on what not to do in business.

You must be aware that it’s here _____we found evidence of some of the earliest people who lived in this part of the world.