1 . Twelve-year-old Catherine has a lot of friends—632, actually, if you count up her online friends. And she spends a lot of time with them.

But is it possible that Catherine’s online friendships could be making her lonely? That’s what some experts believe. Connecting online is a great way to stay in touch, they say. However, some experts worry that many kids are so busy connecting online that they might be missing out on true friendships.

Could this be true? During your parents’ childhoods, connecting with friends usually meant spending time with them in the flesh. Kids played Scrabble around a table, not words with friends on their phones. When friends missed each other, they picked up the telephone. Friends might even write letters to each other.

Today, most communication takes place online. A typical teen sends 2,000 texts a month and spends more than 44 hours per week in front of a screen. Much of this time is spent on social media platform.

In fact, in many ways, online communication can make friendships stronger. “There’s definitely a positive influence. Kids can stay in constant contact, which means they can share more of their feelings with each other,” says Katie Davis, co-author of The App Generation.

Other experts, however, warn that too much online communication can get in the way of forming deep friendships. “If we are constantly checking in with our virtual world, we will have little time for our real-world friendships,” says Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University. Rosen also worries that today’s kids might mistake the “friends” on the social media for true friends in life. However, in tough times, you don’t need anyone to like your picture or share your blogs. You need someone who will keep your secrets and hold your hand. You would like to talk face to face.

1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To tell about true friends.	B．To start a discussion.
C．To encourage online friendships.	D．To summarize(总结) the text.

2. What does the underlined part “in the flesh” mean in paragraph 3?

A．In any case.

B．In public.

C．In person.

D．In advance.

3. What is Katie’s attitude toward online communication?

A．Unconcerned.

B．Positive.

C．Worried.

D．Confused.

4. Which of the following is the Rosen’s view?

A．Teenagers need to focus on real-world friendships.	B．It’s easier to develop friendships in real life.
C．It’s wise to turn to friends online.	D．Social media help people stay closely connected.

3 . Blind people have long desired for brightness, but scientists don’t have the technology. To bring that one step closer to reality, Zhiyong Fan, a materials scientist of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, developed a new artificial eye recently. The device, which is about as sensitive to light and has sharper vision and a faster reaction time than a real eyeball, may outperform human eyes.

The human eye owes its wide field of view and clear eyesight to the retina (视网膜) — an area at the back of the eyeball covered in light-detecting cells. The design for a new artificial eye is based on the structure of the human eye and uses a friendly light-sensitive material. At the back of the eyeball, an artificial retina is lined with Nan scale light sensors (纳米级光感器). Those sensors measure light that passes through the lens (晶状体) at the front of the eye. Wires attached to the back of the retina send signals from those sensors to the processor, similar to the way nerve networks connect the eyeball to the brain.

“In the future, we can use this to replace damaged human eyes,” says the lead designer. In theory, this artificial eye could see more clearly than the human eye, because the artificial retina contains about 460 million light sensors per square centimeter while a real retina has about 10 million light-detecting cells per square centimeter. Besides, the artificial eyeball records changes in lighting faster than human eyes can — within about 30 to 40 milliseconds, rather than 40 to 150 milliseconds. Although its 100-degree field of view isn’t as broad as the150 degrees a human eye can take in, the device can see as well as the human eye in poor light.

Hongrui Jiang, an electrical engineer at the University of Wisconsin, though, thinks engineers need a much more practical and efficient way to produce vast series of tiny wires on the back of the artificial eyeball to give it superhuman sight, which is super hard to achieve.

1. Why does Zhiyong Fan develop the artificial eye?

A．To replace people’s real eyeballs.	B．To gain a sharper vision.
C．To help the blind regain their eyesight.	D．To help normal eyes perform better.

2. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．The design of the artificial eye.	B．The structure of the human eye.
C．The advantages of the artificial eye.	D．The material used for the artificial eye.

3. What can we learn about the artificial eye and the human eye?

A．They have the same structure.

B．The artificial eye may see more clearly.

C．The human eye sees better in weak light.

D．The artificial eye takes in a broader view.

4. Which word best describes Hongrui Jiang’s attitude to the artificial eye?

A．Doubtful.

B．Favorable.

C．Unconcerned.

D．Satisfied.

4 . Last year I ruined my summer vacation by bringing along a modern convenience: the iPad.

Instead of looking at nature, I _______ my e-mail. Instead of reading great novels, I stuck to reading _______newspapers each morning. And that was the problem: I was acting as if I were still in the office. My body was on vacation but my _______ wasn’t.

So this year I made up my mind to try something _______: getting away from the Internet. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, _______ I’m not good at self-control. But I was _______. I started by handing the iPad to my wife. Then, a stroke of luck: The mobile phone _______ at our cabin was worse than in the past. I was _______, forced to carry out my plan. Largely cut off from e-mail and my favourite newspaper websites, I had little way to _______ the world. I had no ________ but to do what I had planned to do all along: read books.

With determination and the strong support of my wife, I succeeded in my vacation struggle against the Internet. I finally ________ that it was me, of course, not the iPad, that was the ________.

I knew I had ________ when we passed a Starbucks and my wife asked if I wanted to stop to use the Wi-Fi. “Don’t need it,” I said. ________, as we return to work, a test begins: Can I survive when I’m back at work? I don’t plan to ________ my iPad completely. But I hope to resist the temptation (抵抗诱惑) to use it every five minutes.

1.

A．received

B．selected

C．checked

D．removed

2.

A．online

B．informal

C．local

D．traditional

3.

A．opinion

B．mind

C．identity

D．curiosity

4.

A．attractive

B．logical

C．magical

D．different

5.

A．as

B．unless

C．though

D．so

6.

A．generous

B．capable

C．eager

D．determined

7.

A．battery

B．button

C．signal

D．function

8.

A．grateful

B．tough

C．stuck

D．puzzled

9.

A．rely on

B．go through

C．connect to

D．adapt to

10.

A．method

B．goal

C．trick

D．choice

11.

A．expected

B．realised

C．permitted

D．suggested

12.

A．approach

B．sign

C．evidence

D．problem

13.

A．won

B．forgotten

C．suffered

D．recovered

14.

A．Somehow

B．Anyway

C．However

D．Therefore

15.

A．take apart

B．give up

C．turn up

D．go off

5 . 你校即将举办主题为“谁是你最崇拜(adore)的人”的英语演讲比赛。请你写一篇演讲稿并参赛。
注意：1．词数100左右；
2．开头和结尾已给出，但不计入总词数。
Hello everyone ,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

That’s all ! Thank you for listening !

6 . His later vision for “seawater rice” also became a reality.

A．想象

B．现实

C．危机

D．产量

7 . As a man of the soil, he cared little for celebrity or money.

A．名誉

B．庆祝

C．节日

D．消耗

8 . In other countries, by contrast, eye contact is not always approved of.

A．说明

B．赞同

C．有利于

D．鞠躬

9 . A smile can break down barriers.

A．费心

B．焦虑

C．障碍

D．姿势

10 . The Sami would pick up their tents and accompany them.

A．娱乐

B．陪同

C．呼吁

D．猛击