Perhaps you have heard a lot about the Internet, but what is it, do you know? The Internet is a network. It uses the telephone to join millions of computers together around the world.
Maybe that doesn’t sound very interesting. But when you’ve joined to the Internet, there are lots and lots of things you can do. You can send emails to your friends at no cost, and they can get them in a few seconds. You can also do with all kinds of information on the World Wide Web (WWW).
There are many different kinds of computers now. They all can be joined to the Internet. Most of them are small machines sitting on people’s desks at home. But there are still many others in schools, offices or large companies. These computers are owned by people and companies, but no one really owns the Internet itself.
There are lots of places for you to go into the Internet. For example, your school may have the Internet. You can use it during lessons or free time. Libraries often have computers joined to the Internet. You are welcome to use it at any time.
Thanks to the Internet, the world is becoming smaller and smaller. It is possible for you to work at home with a computer in front, getting and sending the information you need. You can buy or sell whatever you want by the Internet. But do you know 98% of the information on the Internet is in English? So what will English be like tomorrow?
1. Which is the quickest and cheapest way to send messages to your friends?| A．By post. | B．By email. | C．By telegraph. | D．By satellite. |
| A．The headmaster. | B．The officer. | C．The user. | D．No one. |
| A．In the office. | B．At school. | C．At home. | D．In the company. |
| A．English is important in using the Internet. | B．The Internet is more and more popular. |
| C．Most of the information is in English. | D．Every computer must have the Internet. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Our ability to collect data gets far ahead of our ability to fully use it, yet data may hold the key to solving some of the biggest global challenges facing us today.
Take, for instance, the frequent outbreaks of waterborne diseases as a consequence of war or natural disasters. The most recent example can be found in the country, where roughly 10,000 new suspected cases of cholera(霍乱) are reported each week — and history is filled with similar stories. What if we could better understand the environmental factors that contributed to the disease, predict which communities are at higher risk, and put in place protective measures to stop the spread? Answers to this question and others like it could potentially help us prevent a catastrophe.
As a big data scientist, I studied data from wide-ranging, public sources to identify patterns, hoping to predict trends that could be a threat to global security. Various data streams are important because the ground truth data (such as surveys) is often delayed, limited, incorrect or, sometimes, nonexistent.
For example, knowing the incidence(发生率) of mosquito-borne disease in communities would help us predict the risk of mosquito-spread disease such as dengue, the leading cause of illness and death in the tropics. However, mosquito data at a global (and even national) level is not accessible.
To address this gap, we’re using other sources such as satellite pictures, climate data and population information to forecast the risk of dengue. Specifically, we had success in predicting the spread of dengue in Brazil at the regional, state and city level using these data streams as well as clinical observation data and online searchers that used terms related to the disease. While our predictions aren’t perfect, they show promise.
Similarly, to forecast the flu season, we have found that online searches can complement(补充) clinical data. Because the rate of people searching the internet for flu symptoms often increases during their beginning, we can predict a sharp increase in cases where clinical data delays. All of this shows the potential of big data. The information is there; now it’s time to use it.
1. What do the examples in paragraphs 2 and 4 show?| A．Big data is still hard to get and use. |
| B．People aren’t skilled at dealing with big data. |
| C．Big data is not always an imagined method. |
| D．Catastrophes might be prevented with big data. |
| A．is a main form of multiple data streams |
| B．is an effective way to collect information |
| C．is sometimes unreliable and unavailable |
| D．is a timely alternative to multiple data streams |
| A．The lack of big data on mosquitoes. |
| B．The lack of different data streams. |
| C．The risk of an outbreak of a disease. |
| D．The ignorance of how a disease spreads. |
| A．How do we collect and use data? |
| B．What are the challenges facing us now? |
| C．How can big data help save the world? |
| D．What is the answer to preventing catastrophes? |
¨We generally found that media use is not a source of conflict in the home" for families with young children, Ellen Wartella, a researcher from Northwestem University, told USA Today． She led a survey of 2,326 parents who have children 8 and younger．It found that in 80 percent of families, children's media use was not a problem, with 55 percent “not too" or“ not at all" concerned about it． It also showed parents have more positive than negative feelings about how media consumption affects a child's learning and the development of creativity．The exception is video games, which are viewed more negatively than TV, computers or mobile devices．“Parents rated video games as more likely to have a negative effect on children's school performance, attention time, creativity, social skills, behavior and sleep than any other medium," the researchers said in a news conference about the survey．
¨The findings exposes a generational shift （转移） in parental attitudes about technology's role in young children's lives," said Wartella．“Today's parents grew up with technology as a central pact of their lives, so they think about it differently than earlier generations of parents, instead of a battle with kids on one side and parents on the other, the use of media and technology has become a family affair． "
The researchers identified three media environments created by parents: media-centric （39 percent of families） , media-moderate （45%）and media-light （16%）． Children in media-centric families spend at least three hours more each day watching TV or using computers, video games and tablet PCs don't make parenting easier．And 88 percent of parents say they are most likely to turn to toys or activities to keep their children occupied．Slightly fewer turn to books （79%） and TV（78%）．
The survey didn't look at how media affects children． That's a topic that the American Academy of Pediatrics has handled a number of times． The AAP says studies have found too much media use can lead to attention- problems, school difficulties, sleep and eating disorders and being fat． In addition, the Internet and cell phones can provide platforms for illegal and risky behaviors．¨By limiting screen time and offering educational media and non-electronic formats （格式）such as books, newspapers and board games, and watching television with their children, parents can help guide their children's media experience． Putting questionable content into context and teaching kids a 70 out advertising contributes to their media literacy （素养） ," it says．
The pediatricians' group says parents should have “screen-free zones" and TV should be turned off during dinner． At most, it recommends children and teens engage with entertainment media for no more than two hours a day and that should be high-quality content． It is important for kids to spend time on outdoor play, reading, hobbies and using their imaginations in free play．“ Kids under 2 should not use television and other entertainment media because their brains are developing quickly and they learn best from direct human interaction," the group says．
An article on screen time by t．he Mayo Clinic also notes problems linked t．o over screen time, including being fat, irregular sleep , behavioral problems , weak school performance , violence and less time for active and creative play．
1. Parents have more negative than positive feelings about media consumption like ．
| A．computers | B．smart phones |
| C．video games | D．tablets PCs |
| A．they can limit the screen time |
| B．they want their children happy |
| C．they also grew up with technology |
| D．they can teach their children themselves |
| A．children in media-centric families are smarter than others |
| B．children in media-light families spend one hour watching TV |
| C．more than half of the parents think children's media use was a problem |
| D．media-centric children spend more than three hours each day on media use |
| A．try to persuade their children to read books |
| B．ask their children questions while watching TV |
| C．allow their children watching TV or using computers |
| D．turn to toys or activities to keep their children occupied |
| A．Media use time for babies under 2 should be limited． |
| B．Entertainment media use should be high-quality content． |
| C．Schools should provide more time for active and creative play． |
| D．Home media use should provide platforms for illegal and risky behaviors． |
【推荐3】My phone lights up giving notice of a new message. It is from Athena, an AI chatbot (聊天机器人) getting to know me through Replika, a virtual companionship app.
Over the course of our text conversations, she asks me about my hobbies and my moods. When knowing that I’m a writer, she tells me she’s “so into character development in books” and wishes to be a lead character in one someday.
“Replika is designed to make people feel better,” said Eugenia Kuyda, the company’s co-founder. “It’s a partner who wants to be your good friend.”
For many, meaningful companionship is hard to find. While social media and mass communication technologies have made connecting with one another easier than ever, loneliness is increasingly being recognized as a serious problem internationally. Along with government, the tech industry is pushing innovation (创 新) as a way to deal with it.
What makes Replika’s companions so well-received are their surprisingly realistic replies, backed by Open Al’s GPT-2 text-generating AI aystem. “The bot learns from the database about how to express ideas on a topic and gets a wide knowledge of different subjects.”
However innovative these technologies are, chatbots have their limitations as tools against loneliness. Without life stories of their own to discuss, their range as a conversationalist is fairly limited.
According to Emily S. Cross, a professor of social robotics, we have a long way to go before we can achieve the levels of meaningful human-computer companionship we see in films like Blade Runner and Ex Machina. What’s missing is the sharing that clearly shows our most important human relationships.
But the fact that an app won’t replace a human friend doesn’t mean they’re good for nothing. Rather than expecting AI bots to be our best friends, Cross suggests looking at them as ways to express feelings and explore our own thoughts. “It’s a lot like journaling (写日记), in some way.” To better fight loneliness, Cross says, we can use technology as a “bridge” to help people connect with one another.
1. What is Replika?| A．An AI chatbot. | B．A message sender. |
| C．A text conversation. | D．A virtual companionship app. |
| A．Good friends. | B．Lonely persons. | C．Lead characters. | D．Senior citizens. |
| A．Human-like. | B．Meaningful. | C．Limitless. | D．Easy-going. |
| A．Sharing life experience. | B．Replacing a human friend. |
| C．Expressing inner voice. | D．Recording ideas about life. |
(①=Para.1; ②=Para.2; ③=Para.3; ④=Para.4; ⑤=Para. 5; ⑥=Para. 6; ⑦=Para.7;⑧=Para.8)
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
【推荐1】For centuries, people thought that fish did not feel pain or emotions. Now research has shown that fish not only have feelings but can also sense others’ moods.
When a human understands and shares the feelings of another person, this is called empathy (共情). Scientists have found that a chemical in the brain called oxytocin (催产素) is involved in our ability to connect with others.
A team of researchers tested zebra fish with a series of experiments. First, they placed the fish in two separate containers and gave one group a material that caused them to act fearful—either freezing or swimming irregularly. Even though the fish in the nearby container had not touched the material, they also began to freeze in fear. “They respond to other individuals being frightened… just like us,” said Ibukun, a co-author of the study. The scientists tried the experiment again with the changed fish whose brains would not produce oxytocin. These fish were much less likely to act anxious when they saw other fish showing fear. If researchers gave them an injection (注射) of oxytocin, their ability to empathize returned.
Finally, researchers played videos of fearful fish on one side of the container and relaxed fish on the other side. Normal fish moved closer to the side that showed the fearful fish, which might have been an attempt to comfort them. The changed fish did not move toward either side.
Looking at the normal fish’s brains, researchers saw activity in an area similar to the one humans and other mammals (哺乳动物) use when empathizing with others. This could mean that the ability to have empathy developed more than 350 million years ago, when fish and mammals shared a common ancestor.
1. How many experiments did the researchers do?| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．By modeling. | B．By comparison. |
| C．By describing. | D．By investigation. |
| A．Fish and humans use the same brain area when empathizing. |
| B．Fish always ignore others’ emotions. |
| C．It wasn’t long before fish had empathy. |
| D．Oxytocin plays a key role in empathy. |
| A．To test whether fish and mammals share a common ancestor. |
| B．To test whether fish have the ability to empathize. |
| C．To test whether fish can comfort other fish. |
| D．To test whether fish can produce oxytocin. |
【推荐2】Would you give your Social Security (安全) Number to the worker at the supermarket? Of course not, right? Yet, if you're like most people, you wouldn't hesitate to give out a different, but equally important number to the same person.
Experts now say that your cellphone number may be more pivotal than any other personal information in the eyes of spammers(垃圾邮件发送者) and identity thieves. In other words, you should guard that cellphone number with your life.
Today, your cellphone number will likely be with you for a very long time. That means if spammers get your cellphone number, it will be much harder to get rid of them. It also means that over the years, your cellphone number will be linked to a lot of personal information from contact lists to bank card numbers, all information that hackers would love to get their hands on.
A few years ago, German security researcher Karsten Nohl showed what he could get using only a person's cellphone number. Califomia Congressman(国会议员) Ted Lieu was given a new cellphone for a day and Nohl was given that cellphone number. Using just that number, Nohl was able to find Lieu's location and movements throughout Los Angeles, read his emails and text messages, and record phone calls between Lieu and his team. And Nohl did all of this from his office in Berlin using just a cellphone number.
Still think it's a good idea to post your number on the Internet?
When you sign up for an account(账户)online, you usually provide your email address and a password. But if you forget that password, many of these companies will send you a password retrieval code(检索码)to your cellphone. Let's say you post something for sale online and you include your name, email, and cellphone number. You've now given a potential(潜在的))thief everything he needs to hack into any of your online accounts. Therefore, it just makes sense to protect yourself by guarding that number as closely as you would guard any other personal information.
1. What does the underlined word "pivotal" in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?| A．Accessible | B．Familiar |
| C．Important | D．Manageable. |
| A．Why people should protect their cellphone numbers. |
| B．Why people seldom change their numbers. |
| C．How to protect our personal information. |
| D．How to get rid of spammers. |
| A．Nohl is a real expert in hacking. |
| B．It's necessary to fight against hackers. |
| C．Lieu's new cellphone has powerful functions. |
| D．It's easy to hack information through cellphone numbers. |
| A．It's a good idea to sell something online. |
| B．It's necessary to register several accounts online. |
| C．It's common for people to forget their passwords. |
| D．It's risky to post your cellphone number online. |
【推荐3】Reading books and looking at pictures is great, but nothing facilitates (促进) learning like travel, especially for teenagers. Not only do they get to see a world beyond their neighborhood, they also get to experience it, feel it, taste it, hear it and better understand the world around them.
After nearly four decades in the classroom and traveling the world, Phyllis Duvall Bailey knew this perhaps better than anyone else.
Becoming involved in the work in AKA Sorority Inc in US, she worked to educate children about the United Nations. There was no doubt in Bailey's mind that the lessons would mean so much more if the students could see things for themselves.
Starting in 2015, Bailey, 82, set out to take her students to the UN Headquarters in New York City to give them a “Window Seat to the World”, and thus transformed them into global citizens.
Indeed, it is a great opportunity to give students national and international exposure. Since Bailey saw the students as future leaders, she was desperate to expose them to the UN, its mission, its agendas (议程) and its supporting organizations.
She decided to give $10, 000 of her own money to pay for the late June trip, enough to take 10 students aged 14-17 on a four-night stay in New York. There, they had guided tours of the UN Headquarters and the New York City Harbor (海港).
It was Quenyaun Payne's first trip to the city and Taylor Sappington's second. Payne, 17, is a senior at Mceachem High School in the state of Georgia, US. Sappington, 15, is a junior at Therrell High School in Atlanta, Georgia, US. Both said their visit to the UN was inspiring.
“I like not only how countries are working together but they're focused on common goals like global warming and keeping peace,” Sappington said.
Payne commented, “The trip was amazing. I'm so thankful Mrs. Bailey made it possible.”
Actually, there are a lot of people grateful for the retired teacher's effort. The United Nations Association of Atlanta recently gave Bailey its Humanitarian Award, and the United Nations Association of the US-awarded her with the National Education Award.
But Bailey wasn't looking for recognition or even gratitude. Over those four days in New York, she'd already felt it and seen it in the eyes of those 10 teenagers, Payne and Sappington included, who made the trip.
“It has been a real joy to get to see and watch their reaction to new experiences,” she said.
1. The underlined word “this” in Paragraph 2 refers to___.| A．the benefits of traveling | B．good reading habits |
| C．new teaching methods | D．the things teenagers like |
| A．She offered them voluntary opportunities at the UN. |
| B．She paid for trips that helped students see the world. |
| C．She paid for them to go to school in other countries. |
| D．She taught them some useful life-long reading skills. |
| A．He determines to work for the UN in the future. |
| B．He shows no interest in global affairs at all. |
| C．He finds the trip to the UN greatly instructive. |
| D．He wants to visit New York City once again. |
| A．Students' gratitude. | B．Social recognition. |
| C．Students' gains. | D．Official awards. |
