1 . When writer Nicholas Carr began writing his book on whether the Internet is bad for our minds, he restricted (限制) his use of the Internet.
His new book “The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains” suggests the latest technology makes us less able to think deeply. Carr found he couldn’t concentrate and that he couldn’t work on the book while staying online.
“So I was only checking my email a couple of times a day rather than every 45 seconds. I found those types of things really did make a difference.” he said.
After at first feeling uncomfortable with his sudden loss of online connection, within a couple of weeks, Carr was able to stay concentrated on one task for a longer period.
His book also examines the history of reading and the science of how using different media changes our brains.
Reading on the Internet has greatly changed how we use our brains, he writes. Facing a lot of texts, photos, videos, music, text messages, emails and blogs, our minds have become used to skimming(略读) and scanning(跳读) information. As a result, we have developed skills at making fast decisions, Carr says. But now most of us hardly read books, long articles that would help us concentrate, Carr writes.
Carr says for centuries books helped focus our minds on one topic at a time. He has a suggestion for those who feel web surfing has left them unable to concentrate——slow down, turn off the Internet and practice the skills of being deep in thought.
1. Nicholas Carr’s new book mainly tells us about _____.
| A．the bad influences of the Internet |
| B．the development of our brains |
| C．the ways of using the Internet |
| D．the advantages of the Internet |
| A．The history of the Internet. |
| B．The media’s influence on our brains. |
| C．Ways of reading online. |
| D．Ways of training our brains. |
| A．our reading habits |
| B．there being fewer books |
| C．our smarter brains |
| D．there being less information |
| A．people should spend more hours on Internet surfing |
| B．people can do a better job when they do web surfing |
| C．reading books helps people concentrate on one topic |
| D．Internet and latest technology make people think more deeply |
| A．To change our habits of life. |
| B．To give us some warnings. |
| C．To give us some useful advice. |
| D．To ask us to buy Carr’s new book. |
2 . Have you ever dreamed about sending a letter to yourself or your friends in the future? While express mail (快递) is a fast way to send your letters, there is another type of mail appearing in China as a new business—future mail.
“The letter should be sent next Mother’s Day and not a day earlier!” Lin Xiaofan, a college student in Shanghai, tells one of the companies offering the service.
Lin Xiadan wrote the letter to her mother nearly a year earlier to express her love to her mother for next Mother’s Day.
“Offering this service makes people slow down and lets them understand the meaning of ‘time’ in another way,” said Zheng Zhimin, manager of a “future mail” company. Zheng thinks “future mail” letters help remind us of care, friendship and love.
While “future mail” is becoming more and more popular, some people are wondering what will happen if the postal address changes or if the company goes broken before the letters arrive. Zheng said customers are glad to sign a contract (签订合同) to make sure that they can be compensated if their letters are lost or damaged.
Most of the customers are college students and young white-collar (白领) workers. Psychologists (心理学家) said that young Chinese might have a new way to express their feelings through this service. Most people put their hopes and wishes in the letter so that they can experience the connection (联系) between the past and the present when they receive the letter.
1. “Future mail” is a(n) ________ way to send your letter.| A．fast | B．old | C．new | D．cheap |
| A．赔偿 | B．完成 | C．送达 | D．抛弃 |
| A．junior students | B．college students | C．young children | D．blue-collar workers |
| A．People can express their thoughts and feelings to themselves or others through a “future mail”. |
| B．The “future mail” business is not perfect. |
| C．Only young people accept the new “future mail” service. |
| D．“future mail” service can let people understand the meaning of “time”. |
| A．save money from sending express mail | B．send a birthday gift to your friend quickly |
| C．talk with your friends about your life freely | D．send your best wishes to yourself on January 1, 2025 |
3 . When people use mobile phones to send messages, they usually type in the words. However, in China, it is usually difficult for old people to type Chinese characters. Typing is
Is it
The answer is “Yes!” With a special program, a mobile phone can recognize your
Some of the latest mobile phones can also talk to you. When you talk to them, they reply and answer your questions.
Have you ever talked to your mobile phone?
1.| A．even | B．also | C．already | D．still |
| A．necessary | B．surprising | C．possible | D．difficult |
| A．handwriting | B．voice | C．face | D．fingerprint |
| A．read | B．write | C．sing | D．teach |
| A．For example | B．By the way | C．In the end | D．Instead |
