The Internet has revolutionized our lives to such an extent that for most people, the global network has become more than just a tool but rather an indispensable aid in everyday life. More and more people go online as wireless networks have brought the Internet closer and closer: it's on our mobile phones, in our cars and TV sets, in hospital surgery rooms and in fishing boats that battle the waves of the Atlantic.
And this revolution has brought along with it a new way of shopping. Both big and small, e-commerce websites have literally flooded the Internet by the hundreds of thousands. Anything you can buy from a brick and mortar store(实体店) you can also buy online: from food and clothes to guns and bombs, no matter what you're looking for, you're bound to find the right online store with just a few clicks of the mouse.
This revolution has sent cold trembles down the backbones of brick and mortar business owners. And what was their reaction? They've opened online stores to go hand in hand with their conventional businesses. Nowadays, every "Mom and Pop's" cheesecake store also has a website. In a recent survey, 68% of small business owners have stated that they are scared of being put out of business by the powerful flood that e-commerce has become. So it's no wonder many of them have decided to join the revolution and establish some kind of an online presence even though most of them have stated that they dislike the Internet.
But do the big players have reasons to be afraid? Are we going to start seeing ghostly, deserted Wal-Marts across the country? Probably not in the near future but the day will come when most people will just stop shopping offline anymore. A trip to Wal-Marts wastes time, burns gas and sometimes adds a few extra dots on the stress counter.
The recent advancements in mobile technology and the introduction of mobile phones with improved web capabilities has even made some people order their groceries when they get out from work and have them delivered at their doorstep by the time they get home. And as "Time is money", this practice is lifesaving for people who work two jobs.
Technology will continue to advance and e-commerce will follow closely in its footsteps. Everything will become easier and less time consuming, leaving us more time to enjoy the things that really matter in life: the ones we love, our friends and hobbies.
1.What is Para. 1 mainly about?
A. The popularity of mobile phones.
B. The great impact of the Internet.
C. The importance of the Internet.
D. The function of the global network.
2.In response to the threat of online business, the brick-and-mortar store owners .
A. have stopped their traditional businesses
B. have stated their dislike of the Internet
C. have established their own website
D. have opened their online stores
3.According to Para 5, the greatest benefit of online shopping is .
A. to save time B. to follow the fashion
C. to release pressure D. to protect environment
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. A New Way of Shopping.
B. The Internet Revolution.
C. What is the Reaction to Online Shopping?
D. Is Online Shopping the Future of E-commerce?
I no longer run for the mail the way I used to. I remember, prior to the e-mail age, the sense of heightened expectation as the hour of mail delivery approached, wondering what slender(微薄的), handwritten treasures would appear in my box. I once received a letter from a long-lost friend and swelled with such joy that I ran the mail carrier down and shook his hand, as if he had done a heroic deed in conveying the missive to me.
I first learned to love the mail as a young boy. The first thing I ever received that was personally addressed to me was from my friend Duane. We had been the closest of 9-year-old boys. Then he moved away, to Massachusetts. The parting was difficult, but boys didn’t cry.
Within the week, however, there was a letter in my mailbox. It was from Duane, and it read, “I’m OK, but I miss you.” That first conveyance to me of a written word from a great distance had all the significance of the first Morse code message: “What hath God wrought.” It was at that moment that I became a letter writer, quickly discovering that the more letters I wrote, the more I received.
I wrote letters through elementary school, high school, college, and beyond. It got to the point where I could comfortably expect to receive a letter a day. The daily mail delivery was for me, like a beacon at sea – something toward which my thoughts began to move upon waking. What quickened my blood, of course, was the element of surprise: From whom would the letter be today? And what would the news be?
And then, seemingly in the blink of an eye, the earth shifted. E-mail had arrived. Despite being fascinated by the new technology, I promised myself that I would never stop writing letters by hand. However, I had no control over the habits of others, and slowly, inexorably(不可阻拦地), and then with quickened pace, the letters disappeared from my mailbox, having been replaced with electronic “messages” , a totally different beast —in contrast to letters, all e-mails look alike.
1.The author used to run for the mail mainly because .
A. he took great interest in mail delivery
B. he was looking forward to receiving letters
C. he tried to keep mail delivery from approaching
D. he wanted to thank the mailman for his heroic deed
2.What made the author become a letter writer?
A. A letter from a long –lost friend.
B. The desire to receive more letters.
C. The joy of reading the first letter from Duane.
D. The influence of the first Morse code message.
3.By writing the underlined sentence in Para. 4, the author tells us that the daily mail delivery .
A. meant a lot to him
B. wasted much of his time
C. quickened his thoughts
D. divided his attention
4.What’s the author’s opinion about e-mails?
A. They completely changed the world.
B. They brought about new technology.
C. They affected human relationship.
D. They lost the unique features of letters.
An estimated eight million people in Britain enjoy walking in the Peak District every year. But what many who enjoy outdoor hobbies don’t know is that their “right to walk” was won by men who sacrificed their own freedom to gain access to the countryside for all.
In 1932 wealthy landowners had private use of large areas of uplands for hunting. Walkers were kept out by guards, until a group of 400 people from Manchester and Yorkshire, led by Benny Rothman, engaged on a mass trespass（侵入）. The campaigner was put into prison with four other men.
The event is supported by many with starting a movement that paved the way for the establishment of national parks. Mr Rothman died in 2002 but he is now being honoured for his contribution with the revealing of a blue plaque(匾额) on his former home in Crofton Avenue, Timperley, Greater Manchester.
Retired professor, Harry, who followed in his father’s footsteps by specialising in environmental issues, says: “He was a very optimistic man and he made the best of it when he went to prison. It did’'t put him off campaigning, he went on campaigning on environmental issues most of his life." Mr Rothman did live to see the Countryside Rights of Way Act passed by Parliament in 2000, ensuring the freedom of the countryside for future generations.
Roly Smith, a friend of Mr Rothman and an author of walking guidebooks, said: “It is because of them that we have got what we have today.”
Councillor Jonathan Coupe, of Trafford Council, said: “The honour of having a blue plaque attributed(归因于) to you means you have really made an impression on society.”
“Mr Rothman contributed to the changing of history and it is because of him that we are able to enjoy the local countryside as often and freely as we can today.”
1.What do we know about people in Britain according to Para. 1?
A. They value freedom.
B. They have wide interests.
C. They are fond of hiking.
D. They tend to live in the countryside.
2.A blue plaque was revealed on Mr. Rothman’s former home .
A. to support his campaign
B. to honor his contribution
C. to remind people of the past
D. to celebrate the establishment of national parks
3.Besides “optimistic”, which of the following best describes Mr. Rothman?
A. Cautious B. Determined
C. Considerate D. Ambitious
4.From the last three paragraphs we learn that Mr. Rothman .
A. has served as a councilor
B. has made achievements in different fields
C. has been highly thought of for his contributions
D. has devoted his life to environment protection
On a Saturday morning, my left arm went numb, and I felt dizzy. I was taken to hospital. After a quick , the doctor said I had a stroke. As waves of paralysis(瘫痪) came over me, I slowly lost_ of my body. I was just 50 and I thought about how _ it was.
After two operations, I was transferred to the Recovery Center. Though I had lost the use of my arm and leg and couldn’t see out of my left eye, the only thought on my mind was to return to my job. But the was that I needed to relearn how to and see first. I had always been kind of , and this just made me feel like recovery was impossible.
A few days after my first_ physical therapy(治疗) session, my mother came into my room with a neatly-typed written by a nine-year-old boy named Jackson. He told me about the stoke he’d had only a year earlier. He, too, had been paralyzed on his left side. But, telling me what he had lost, Jackson shared what I would . “Do not give up on yourself. All the hard work is worth it.” he wrote.
And the advice kept on coming. He told me to the therapy on the hospital’s “grown-up” floor, where “they make you work hard and you get lots of things back fast.” Here I was, a grown man and a senator of Illinois, getting from a young boy I had _ met.
After a few weeks of correspondence(通信), I arranged for us to meet. He seemed _ at first, but all the awkwardness quickly_ . Jackson showed me how he could run, and I immediately felt_ . One thing I particularly_ was the energy and dignity radiating from him.
As for my recovery, it _ just as Jackson said it would. After a year of intense physical therapy, I climbed to the top of the Capitol and returned to work. With every step I took, I thought of Jackson and his _ . Whenever I was tired or discouraged, I thought of him, the world’s strongest boy.
1.A. decision B. examination C. description D. discussion
2.A. hope B. sight C. memory D. control
3.A. unbelievable B. ordinary C. significant D. controversial
4.A. right B. left C. single D. only
5.A. effect B. consequence C. reality D. conclusion
6.A. speak B. stand C. run D. climb
7.A. pessimistic B. optimistic C. generous D. realistic
8.A. efficient B. satisfactory C. discouraging D. amazing
9.A. book B. poster C. slogan D. letter
10.A. beyond B. by C. without D. except
11.A. experience B. discover C. lose D. gain
12.A. attend B. reject C. end D. escape
13.A. information B. knowledge C. advice D. freedom
14.A. occasionally B. seldom C. ever D. never
15.A. confident B. nervous C. upset D. desperate
16.A. broke out B. came over C. melted away D. turned up
17.A. inspired B. relaxed C. frustrated D. confused
18.A. recommended B. admired C. doubted D. obtained
19.A. came B. fell C. stayed D. disappeared
20.A. wisdom B. intelligence C. strength D. Lesson
it is a good thing that I didn’t get that post I applied for, though I must admit that I was disappointed at the time.
A. In a way B. In a word
C. In general D. In particular
No matter how many times Mike says it was an accident, I believe he tried to knock me down.
A. voluntarily B. deliberately
C. randomly D. Cautiously
