The invention of the electric telegraph gave birth to the communications industry. Although Samuel B. Morse succeeded in making the invention useful in 1837, it was not until 1843 that the first important telegraph line was constructed. By 1860 more than 50,000 miles of lines connected people east of the Rockies. The following year, San Francisco was added to the network.

  The national telegraph network strengthened the ties between East and West and contributed to the rapid expansion of the railroads by providing an efficient means to monitor schedules and routes. Furthermore, the extension of the telegraph, combined with the invention of the steam-driven rotary printing press by Richard

  M. Hoe in 1846, revolutionized the world of journalism. Where the business of news gathering had been dependent upon the mail and on hand-operated presses, the telegraph expanded the amount of information a newspaper could supply and allowed for more timely reporting. The creating of the Associated Press as a central wire service in 1846 marked the arrival of a new era (纪元) in journalism.

71. The main topic of the passage is        .

A. the history of journalism                                 B. the origin of the national telegraph

C. how the telegraph network contributed to the expansion of railroads

D. the contributions and development of the telegraph network

72. The word "gathering" in line 11 refers to        .

A. people                    B. information                   

C. objects                                     D. substances

73. The author's main purpose in this passage is to         .

A. compare the invention of the telegraph with the invention of the steam-driven rotary press

B. propose new ways to develop the communications industry

C. show how the electric telegraph affected the communications industry

D. criticize Samuel B. Morse

74. This passage would most likely be found in a        .

A. U.S. history book   B. book on trains  

C. science textbook D. computer magazine

75. It can be inferred from the passage that          .

A. Samuel Morse did not make a significant contribution to the communications industry

B. Morse's invention did not immediately achieve its full potential (潜力)

C. the extension of the telegraph was more important than its invention

D. journalists have the Associated Press to thank for the birth of the communications industry

 

CANYOUIMAGINEHOWHARDITWOULDBETOREADSENTENCESLIKETHIS? The ancient Greeks wrote this way. The lack of punctuation marks(标点符号) probably didn’t bother good readers, though. As they read, they just put pauses where they fit best. Also at this time, sentences switched directions. A sentence read from left to right. The next one read right to left, and then left to right again, etc.

The ancient Romans sometimes punctuated like this: They·put·a·point·between·each·word·in·a·sentence. The word punctuation actually comes from this idea and the Latin word punctum, which means a prick(刺).

         When the 5^th century arrived, there were just two punctuation marks: spaces and points. The space separated words and while the points showed pauses in reading. Then in the 13^th century, a printer named Aldus Manutius tried to standardize punctuation. He always used a period for a complete stop at the end of a sentence. He used a slash (/) to indicate a short pause. Over time, that slash was shortened and curled, and it became the modern comma.

         Since that time, other marks have enlarged the punctuation family. The exclamation mark comes form the Latin word xt. It was originally formed by putting an upper-case(大写字母) I on the lower-case xt. The Latin word xt means “exclamation of joy.” The question mark originally started out as the Latin word question, meaning question. Eventually, scholars put it at the end of a sentence to show a question. Over time, it became a symbol formed by putting a lower-case q on an o.

           Punctuation is still changing today. New marks are coming into existence, and old punctuation marks are used in new ways. Take for example, the “interrobang.” This 1962 invention combines the question mark and exclamation mark for times when writers want both. For example, “She did what‽” or “How much did you pay for that dress‽” Obviously, the interrobang is not widely used or recognized – yet. But its invention shows that English is not yet finished with its punctuation.

1.Which of the following is a comma?

A. ,                              B. :                               C.    ;                           D. !

2.What’s the first paragraph mainly about?

A. The history of punctuation.

B. The introduction of punctuation.

C. The very beginning of punctuation.

D. The ancient Greek way of writing without punctuation.

3.Please put the following events in the order they happened.

a. The exclamation mark and question mark came into the punctuation family.

b. Comma came into existence.

c. Romans put a dot between words to separate words.

d. A period was used to end a sentence.

e. The “interrobang” was invented.

A. cbdae                     B. dcbae                     C. dbcea                     D. cdbae

4.What is the most possible situation for “She did what‽”?

A. You are told she gave her baby boy a good beat.

B. You are wondering what she did to save the poor boy.

C. You want to know what she did for a living after fleeing to a foreign country.

D. You demand someone else tell you what in the world happened to her.

5. According to the article, we learn ________.

A. punctuation didn’t come into being until the 5^th century.

B. no one can really tell what new marks we may have in the future.

C. the invention of “interrobang” is a failure since it is not widely used.

D. both the exclamation mark and the question mark come from Greek words.

 

When Gretchen Baxter gets home from work as a New York City book editor, she checks her Blackberry (黑莓手机) at the door. ‘I think we are attached to these devices in a way that is not always positive,’ says Baxter，who’d rather focus at home on her husband and 12-year-old daughter. ‘It’s there and it beckons (召唤). That’s human nature (but)…we kind of get crazy sometimes and we don’t know where it should stop.’

Americans are connected at unprecedented (前所未有的) levels一93% now use cell phones or wireless devices；one third of those are ‘smart phones’ that allow users to browse the Web and check e-mail，among other things. The benefits are obvious: checking messages on the road，staying in touch with friends and family，efficiently using time once spent waiting around. The downside：often，we’re effectively disconnecting from those in the same room.

That's why，despite all the technology that makes communicating easier than ever，2010 was the Year We Stopped Talking to One Another. From texting at dinner to posting on Facebook from work or checking e-mail while on a date，the connectivity revolution is creating a lot of divided attention，not to mention social anxiety. Many analysts say it's time to step back and reassess.

‘What we’re going to see in the future is new opportunities for people to be plugged in and connected like never before,’ says Scott Campbell. ‘It can be a good thing，but I also see new ways the traditional social fabric (社会结构) is getting somewhat torn apart.’

Our days are filled with beeps and pings·----many of which pull us away from tasks at hand or face-to-face conversations. We may feel that the distractions are too much，but we can’t seem to stop posting，texting or surfing.

‘We're going through a period of adjustment and rebalancing,’ says Sherry Turkle and she wants to remind people that technology can be turned off.

‘Our human purposes are to really have connections with people,’ she says. ‘We have to reclaim it. It’s not going to take place by itself.’

 

1.What can be the best title for the passage?

    A. 2010: The year technology developed quickly.

B. 2010: The year technology sped up our life pace.

    C. 2010: The year technology replaced talking.     

D. 2010: The year technology made communicating easier.

2.According to Paragraph l，Gretchen Baxter thinks_________.

A. the new technology always influences people’s life in a positive way

    B. the new technology is so tempting that she could even put her daughter and husband behind

    C. it is encouraging to see progress on the new technology every year

    D. people are too dependent on the new technology to let go

3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

   A. The wide use of mobile devices has nothing to do with the ‘traditional social fabric’.

    B. Mobile devices play a less important part in American life.

    C. Mobile devices create a lot of divided attention and social anxiety.

    D. Many analysts speak highly of the wide popularity of mobile devices.

4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. Something must be done to get connection with people in reality again·

        B. Using mobile services can help people get connection with each other.

        C. Mobile services have a strong impact on people’s life.

        D. The connection with people can happen naturally.

 

June 26, 2000 — the Human Genome(基因组) Project, a great $3 billion, 15-year task aimed at drawing the genetic(遗传的) map of humans, is now more than 90 percent completed. The scientific and medical communities are very excited about the chances genetic research provides for getting rid of diseases and prolonging(延长) human life. But those communities and policy makers also are careful about the scientific door they are opening as the project uncovers the mysteries of life.

For the last few years, the genetic advances in the developing field of biotechnologyhave provides material for all kinds of work, but the developments of modern science in unlocking the secrets of the human genetic codehave opened a world of possibilities for human health, as well as for the popular imagination.

While European and Japanese researchers are making rapid progress in decoding(解码) human DNA, the leading organization for genetic research is in the United States, which began in 1990, is “unlocking the code” of the human body to learn how to defeat fatal(致命的)diseases. Already, the Human Genome Project has become widely known and praised for finding the genes connected with terrible diseases as yet(迄今), and making progress toward separating the genes that show a sign of breast cancer or AIDS.

Once these genes are found and studied, researchers can develop new ways to attack infections, and genetic diseases. Medical companies are very interested in mapping the human genome, as they expect to develop a lot of new drugs for these illnesses.

1. Why did the scientists work hard at mapping the human genome?

A. Because the human genome can destroy many illnesses.

B. Because the human genome's completion can help them get rid of many diseases.

C. Because they wanted to be better known than others.

D. Because the human genome can provide a lot of chances of work.

2.Which country studied the genes most rapidly in the world?

A. Japan.           B. Germany.              C. The United States.       D. China.

3. Which of the following is NOT true?

A. If the genes can be found, scientists can study many new ways to cure illnesses.

B. The scientists have made great progress in connecting the genes with the cancers.

C. Many medical companies show great interest in drawing the human genome map.

D. The United States began the Genes Study early in the 19th century.

4.The author suggests that the Human Genome Project can cause _______.

A. the policy makers to feel very worried and careful

B. the scientists to work harder

C. many people to find work easily

D. a lot of companies to produce many new drugs

5. The main idea of this article is about _______.

A. unlocking genetic code                                            B. the genes' discovery

C. the great human genome                                       D. the genes and the scientists

 

 Federal regulators(调整者) Wednesday approved a plan to create a nationwide emergence alert (警报) system using text messages delivered to cell phones.

Text messages have exploded in popularity in recent years, particularly among young people. The wireless industry's trade association, CTIA, estimates（估计） more than 48 billion text messages are sent each month.

The plan comes from the Warning Alert and Response Network Act, a 2006 federal law that requires improvements to the nation's emergency alert system. The act tasked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with coming up with new ways to alert the public about emergencies.

"The ability to deliver accurate and timely warnings and alerts through cell phones and other mobile services is an important next step in our efforts to help ensure that the American public has the information they need to take action to protect themselves and their families before, and during, disasters and other emergencies," FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said following approval of the plan.

Participation in the alert system by carriers –telecommunications companies is voluntary, but it has received solid support from the wireless industry.

The program would be optional for cell phone users. They also may not be charged for receiving alerts.

There would be three different types of messages, according to the rules.

The first would be a national alert from the president, likely involving a terrorist attack or natural disaster. The second would involve "approaching threats," which could include natural disasters like hurricanes or storms or even university shootings. The third would be reserved for child abduction (绑架) emergencies, or so-called Amber Alerts.

The service could be in place by 2010.

1.What is the purpose of the approved plan?  

A. To warn people of emergencies via messages.

B. To popularize the use of cell phones.

C. To estimate the monthly number of messages.

D. To promote the wireless industry.

2.The improvement to the present system is in the charge of ____. 

A. CTIA     B. the Warning Alert and Response Network

C. FCC      D. federal regulators

3.The carriers’ participation in the system is determined by _____. 

A. the US federal government      B. mobile phone users

C. the carriers themselves         D. the law of the United States

4.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?  

A. Cell Phone Alerts Protecting Students   B. Cell Phone Alerts by Wireless Industry

C. Cell Phone Alerts of National Disasters  D. Cell Phone Alerts Coming Soon