When I first got an email account ten years ago, I received communications only from family,friends,and colleagues.Now it seems that every time I check my e-mail ,I have an endless seriers of advertisement and otner correspondence that do not interest the at all.If we want e-mail to continue to be useful,we need special laws that make spamming(发送垃圾邮件) a crime.

If lawmakers do not do something soon to prohibit spam，the problem will certainly get much worse。Computer programs allow spammers to send hundreds of millions of e-mails almost instantly 。as more and more advertisers turn to spam to sell their products ，individual（个人的）e-mail boxes are often flooded with spam e-mails。Would people continue to use e-mail if they ahd to deal with an annoying amount of spam each time？

   This problem is troubling for inviduals and companies as well. Many spam emails contain computer viruses that can shut down the entire network of a company.Companies rely on e-mail on on e-mail for their Comployees to communicate with each other. Spam frequently causes failures in their local commnications networks, and their employees are thus unable to communicate effectively.such a situationg results in a loss of productivity and requires companies to repeatedly repair their networks.These computer problems raise productton costs of companies ,which are,in the end,passed on to the consumer.

For these reasons,I believe that lawmakers need to legislate (立法) against spam.Spammers should be fined,and perhaps sent to prison if they continue to disturb people.E-mail is a tool which helps people all over the world to communicate conveniently,but spam is destroying this conwenience.

1.What does the underlined word “correspondence” in the Paragraph 1 probably mean?                                                          

  A.messages     B.ideas          C.connections         D.programs

2.According to the text, what is the major cause of the flooding spam?     

  A.Companies rely on e-mail for communications.

B.More people in the world communicate by e-mail.

C.Many computer viruses contain spam e-mail.

D.More advertisers begin to promote sales through spam.

3.According to Paragraph 3,who is the final victim of spam?            

 A. The business                 B. The advertiser        

 C.The employee                D.The consumer

4.What is the purpose of the text?

         A.To inform                         B.To educate                      C.To persuade                    D.To instruet

 

The British National Health Service (NHS) was set up in 1948 and was designed to provide equal basic health care, free of charge, for everybody in the country. Before this time health care had to be paid for by individuals.

Nowadays central government is directly responsible for the NHS although it is administered by local health authorities. About 83 percent of the cost of the health service is paid for by general taxation and the rest is met from the National Insurance contributions paid by those in work. There are charges for prescription and dental care but many people, such as children, pregnant women, pensioners, and those on Income Support, are exempt from payment.

Most people are registered with a local doctor (a GP, or General Practitioner) who is increasingly likely to be part of a health centre which serves the community.

As the population of Britain gets older, the hospital service now treats more patients than before, although patients spend less time in hospital. NHS hospitals — many of which were built in the nineteenth century — provide nearly half a million beds and have over 480, 000 medical staff. The NHS is the biggest employer in Europe although Britain actually spends less per person on health care than most of her European neighbours.

During the 1980s there was considerable restructuring of the Health Service with an increased emphasis on managerial efficiency and the privatization of some services (for example, cleaning). At the end of the 1980s the government introduced proposals for further reform of the NHS, including allowing some hospitals to be self-governing, and encouraging GPs to compete for patients. Patients would be able to choose and change their family doctor more easily and GPs would have more financial responsibility. The political questions continue of how much money should be provided to support the NHS and where it should come from.

We can know from the first paragraph that ______________.

A. the original aim of the NHS was to provide equal basic health care for everybody

B. people didn’t have to pay for health care since the NHS was set up

C. patients were charged for receiving health care before 1948

D. the NHS was an organization which gave free advice to villagers

What do we know about the NHS?

A. It’s managed by the central government.

B. Its cost is mainly paid for by the National Insurance contributions.

C. It hires more people than any other unit in Europe.

D. Fewer patients go to its hospitals than before because they spend less on health care.

All the following statements about GPs are true except that they ____________.

A. take care of the local people’s health

B. often take part in competitions to see who is the best

C. work under high pressure nowadays        D. have more responsibilities than before

What does the underlined word “exempt” probably mean?

A. suffering                  B. different                 C. prevented                        D. free

The biggest problem for the NHS is ______________.

A. many hospitals are too old to be used     

B. some services are in the charge of individuals

C. more and more patients go to GPs for treatment

D. there is not enough money for further reform

In 2006, a large number of new Internet sites became popular around the world. Some of these are for communication, others for entertainment.

The blog is one form of communication that increased in popularity. Through these personal websites, people can share their lives, ideas and opinions on the Internet. People of all ages have their own blogs. For young people, they are a way to show their writing and other forms of self-expression. Blogs also connect people with other people who have the same interests. For example, teachers use blogs to share ideas with other teachers’, as well as experiences and concerns about their work.

 YouTube is another Internet site that became more popular last year. This website lets anyone create, share and watch short videos. These include videos of people singing or dancing, or animals doing funny things. Three young men created YouTube almost two years ago as a personal video sharing service. They recently sold it to Google for more than one and a half billion dollars.

Games and entertainment also became a larger part of the Internet last year. One Internet social site is called Second Life. It is an online world in which computer users create a new self and live a different life. They get married, build homes, operate businesses, buy and sell goods, work, play and attend school.

People also take part in fantasy sports leagues with the help of the Internet. A fantasy sport is a game in which each member of a group acts as the owner of a team. Each owner creates a team of real-life professional players to compete against other teams in the league. More than fifteen million American adults play fantasy sports. The industry earns more than one billion dollars each year from publications, memberships and other costs.

1.The passage is mainly about __________.

A. the most popular Internet technology in 2006

B. some new ways for people to communicate or have fun on the Internet

C. one online game called Second Life

D. the high price of playing online

2.Who is the owner of YouTube now?

A. Three young men.   B. Google. C. Computer users.      D. Yahoo.

3. Whom does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A. The people who are interested in blogs.

B. The people who play games on YouTube.

C. The people who play Second Life.

D. The people who are created in Second Life.

4. What do we know from the passage?

A. Teachers can share ideas, experiences and concerns about their work with other teachers on any website.

B. More than fifteen million American teenagers play fantasy sports.

C. Second Life helps people get married, buy and sell goods, work, play and attend school in real life.

D. Fantasy sports, a game in which each member of a group acts as the owner of a team, is very popular around the world.

 

 

  When you are at odds with someone close to you, the One-Minute Drill can show you how to express your feelings effectively – and how to listen more skillfully. All it requires is two individuals who are committed to improving their relationship.

  Set aside at least ten minutes, and then sit facing each other. Decide who will be the Talker and who will be the Listener. It makes no difference, because later you will change roles.

How to perform the One-Minute Drill

  For approximately 30 seconds, the Talker can say anything he or she wants. Your job will be to express your thoughts and feelings. You can discuss problems you've had a hard time talking about. Remember to limit yourself to about 30 seconds. When the Talker finishes, the Listener will summarize what the Talker just said, as well as how the Talker was feeling inside, as accurately as possible.

  The Talker now gives the Listener a grade between 0 and 100 per cent to indicate how accurate the summary was. If the rating is 95 per cent or more, you can change roles; the new Talker can continue with the same topic or move on to something entirely new.

  However, if the grade is below 95 per cent, the Talker should point out what the Listener missed or got wrong, and repeat the process until the overall rating is 95 per cent or more. Then you can change roles and repeat the exercise for as long as you both like.

How it works

  Thirty seconds of emotionally charged information is sufficiently challenging for anyone. Express your feelings in strong, clear, direct language, but as your partner will be listening attentively, you won't need to shout, exaggerate or put your partner down.

  The Listener should sit and listen respectfully without interrupting. Look into your partner's eyes, but avoid using negative body language. If you like, take a few notes.

  So the Talker might say: "When I come home from work, I feel tired and I need some quiet time. But you tell me I'm supposed to spend time with the kids. This makes me feel frustrated. I work hard and I'm exhausted at the end of the day. I feel like I deserve a little time to relax, not listen to more demands."

  In response, the Listener might summarize like this: "You just told me that you feel exhausted when you come home at night because you've been working hard all day. When I tell you I want you to spend time with the kids, you feel frustrated and ticked off because you're tired and you need time to relax. You see me as very demanding, and you're probably feeling like I don't appreciate you."

  The first time you attempt the One-Minute Drill, you may get a low score. Don't worry, because you'll get up to speed quickly. Once you've tried this exercise a few times, you'll find that you can nearly always get ratings of 95 per cent or better on the first or second try.

Who is the One-Minute Drill intended for?

A. Those who are to act some roles in a certain play for the first time in their life.

B. Those who are preparing for the interview in order to make a good first impression.

C. Those who have difficulty communicating with their colleagues or family members.

D. Those who have troubled relationships with their friends or family members and try to improve them.

Which of the following is NOT true?

A. In the One-Minute Drill, the Talker and the Listener change roles in the process.

B. The Talker should talk about his / her thoughts and feelings in a brief way.

C. The Listener should listen carefully, respectfully and later summarize accurately.

D. After the Talker finishes talking, the Listener is to give him / her a grade.

From the example given in “How it works,” we can guess that the talk might be between _____.

A. husband and wife   B. father and son   C. mother and daughter   D. sister and brother

What does the underlined part “ticked off” probably mean in this reading?

A. fast asleep                           B. very angry

C. burst into tears                   D. marked with a symbol