About six years ago I was eating lunch in a restaurant in New York City when a woman and a young boy sat down at the next table. I couldn’t help overhearing parts of their conversation. At one point the woman asked,“So, how have you been?”And the boy who could not have been more than seven or eight years old replied,“Frankly, I’ve been feeling a little depressed lately.”

    This incident stuck in my mind because it strengthened my growing belief that children are changing. As far as I can remember, my friends and I didn’t find out we were“depressed”until we were in high school.

    The evidence of a change in children has increased steadily in recent years. Children don’t seem childlike any more. Children speak more like adults, dress more like adults and behave more like adults than they used to.

    Whether this is good or bad is difficult to say, but it certainly is different. Childhood as it once was no longer exists. Why?

    Human development is based not only on born biological states, but also on patterns of access to social knowledge. Movement from one social role to another usually involves learning the secrets of the new situation. Children have always been taught adult secrets, but slowly and in stages: traditionally, we tell sixth graders things we keep hidden from fifth graders.

    In the last 30 years, however, a secret-revelation machine has been fixed in 98 percent of American homes. It is called television. Television passes information, indiscriminately, to all viewers alike, whether they are children or adults. Unable to resist the temptation, many children turn their attention from printed texts to the less challenging, more vivid moving pictures.

    Communication through print, as a matter of fact, allows for a great deal of control over the social information to which children have access. Reading and writing involve a complex code of symbols that must be memorized and practised. Children must read simple books before they can read complex materials.

 21. Traditionally, a child is supposed to learn about the adult world _________ .

A. through touch with society

B. gradually and under guidance

C. naturally and by biological instinct

D. through exposure to social information

 22. In the author’s opinion, the phenomenon that today’s children seem adultlike is caused by _____.

    A. the widespread influence of television

B. the poor arrangement of teaching content

C. the fast step of human intellectual development

 D. the constantly rising standard of living

  23. Why is the author in favor of communication through print for children?

A. It enables children to gain more social information.

B. It develops children’s interest in reading and writing.

    C. It helps children to memorize and practise more.

    D. It can control what children are to learn.

  24. What does the author think of the change in today’s children?

    A. He feels amused by the children’s adultlike behavior.

    B. He thinks it is a phenomenon worthy of note.

    C. He considers it a positive development.

    D. He seems to be upset about it.

Some people in Manchester, Britain, will soon be paying for goods and services with so-called “smart” credit cards. These cards are more secure than the traditional magnetic-strip version and can be used to travel on buses, check bank accounts and do shopping.

    The Manchester project is one of the biggest smart card schemes in the world. Every time people use the cards on a bus or train, the fare is deducted (reduced) from the value of the card. When they have no credit left, the cards can be recharged at a local shop.

    Information is transferred by running the card through a narrow opening in an electronic reader. In the slot, electronic probes make contact with the magnetic-strip or silicon ship and read the information. The other type is the contactless smart card where the electronic reader communicates with the card by short-range radio waves. This makes the card quicker and more convenient to use because it does not have to leave your wallet.  It is also more reliable as it is not easily influenced by scratches or dirt. However, the biggest advantage that smart cards have over magnetic-strip cards is that they are more secure. They are much more difficult to make than conventional cards and they have to be made by specially trained manufacturers. In addition, they have a large number of extra security features on them and if a smart card gets lost or stolen a quick phone-call to the distributor ensures that its individual number is made invalid and unreadable. This can be done more quickly than with a magnetic-strip card.

25.A smart credit card can do many kinds of jobs because ____ .

A. it is smart                   B. it is a plastic card

C. it has a silicon chip in it        D. it can be recharged

 26. “ The cards can be recharged” means that ____ .

 A. the card can be put into a new charge of electricity

B. the cards can be changed into new ones

C. the cards can be put to use again

D. the cards can be recycled

27. What are the advantages of smart credit cards over traditional ones?

A. they can store more information       B. they are more secure

C. they are more convenient to use       D. all of the above

  28.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Contactless cards are more convenient to use than contact ones

B. Smart cards are more expensive to manufacturer

C. By means of long-range radio waves contactless cards can communicate with the electronic reader

D. A smart credit card and a normal plastic card are the same thing

News that Microsoft made a $44.6 billion bid to buy Yahoo resulted in heated discussions made by many Internet users. Here are some responses:

Diane Burke of Weeks bury, Kentucky

I think it would definitely be an interesting combination. Everyone recognizes the names Yahoo and Microsoft, but everyone also says, “Did you Google it?” Such a catchphrase is going to be hard to beat.

Shaun Carney of Laurelville, Ohio

I think the merger will provide more competitions for Google. I don’t think the merger will allow Microsoft to develop faster than Google, though. I believe the increased competition this merger brings will force Google to stay on top of its game by offering more fresh and original Internet tools and expanding on the tools it already offers.

Toni Suarez of Hacienda Heights, California

I view the merger as a necessary element in preventing a monopolization. Perhaps it would bring better high technology innovations to e-mail and help in researching and developing a better Internet!

Rick R. of Edgewater, Florida

It sounds like a disaster to me. If this were to happen, I would stop using my Yahoo e-mail account because I don’t like the feeling of Microsoft spying upon my business. I will sign up for Google.

Antonio Glosser of Kansas City, Missouri

Right now, Yahoo offers a lot of features and tools at no cost for all different levels of Internet users. Microsoft seeks nothing but profit. Undoubtedly, they’ll do nothing other than find ways to start removing Yahoo’s formerly non-priced features. Microsoft’s greed will ruin the great thing that Yahoo currently is.

29. How many companies are mentioned in the passage?

A. One.                   B. Two.                        C. Three.                      D. Four.

30. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Shaun’s attitude towards Google is passive.

B. Toni believes the Internet will have a promising future.

C. Rick will support Google after the merger.

D. Antonio is afraid that the merger will cost Yahoo’s free features.

31. The passage is mainly about ______.

A. opinions on the merger of Yahoo and Microsoft

B. the strengths of Yahoo and Microsoft

C. the strengths and weaknesses of large companies

D. the future of Yahoo and Microsoft

After ruling the tennis world for almost five years, Roger Federer is adjusting to life at NO.2. But, like any king whose throne has been taken away, the Swiss star is already planning secretly his return to power, beginning at this week’s US Open.

The problem is, many experts think he will never do it. They blame everything from age and tough competition to his racket and psychology.

For years Federer, 27, had enjoyed the view from the top. Competitors saw him as undefeated, and for the most part he was. However, before the 2008 season began, Federer had an illness that stole his strength and clearly affected his play on the court. Ever since, he has struggled to return to form, winning just two of his last 14 tournaments.

“Twenty-seven is an age when your body starts talking back to you.” tennis great John McEnroe told the New York Times.

Pancho Sefura, another tennis great, noted that Federer is also facing a maturing crop of young talents. “There are too many great players now,” he said, naming Britain’s Andy Murray, 21, and Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis, 20.

US magazine Sports Illustrated tennis columnist Jon Wertheim suggested that part of Federer’s problem could be his insistence on using a small racket. He says that the smaller head demands ball control. But we see time and again that racket makers try to get players to use a certain stick — one they would like to market to consumers and it has a negative effect the professional game.

Sports psychologist Jim Loehr told the Times that Federer is probably feeling “a sense of doubt” after being considered as undefeated for so long. If Federer is to recover his state of being undefeated, Loehr said he must overcome his doubt. “Federer doesn’t need fame and money. But he has to get better. He has to go to a whole new level. That’s the only way he stays in the game,” he said.

As for beginning his first Grand Slam in ages as the NO.2 seed, Federer said it might be for the best. “Five years almost, I was expected to win every tournament I entered,” he said, “so maybe Rafael Nadal now feels what I had to feel for a very long time. It will be interesting to see how he handles it.”

32. What does the underlined sentence “your body starts talking back to you” in Para.4 mean?

A. Your body often argues with you.

B. You can do whatever you want.

C. Your strength is beginning to decline.

D. You are more easily to have quite terrible diseases.

33. From the passage, we know the main reason why Federer’s throne was taken away is that _____.

A. he is becoming older and older.

B. he insisted on using a small racket.

C. he is facing a maturing crop of young talents.

D. he had an illness that stole his strength.

34. What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Now it is Nadal who has replaced Federer as the No.1tennis player.

B. the racket makers aim at the players’ better performance in games.

C. It is impossible for Federer to return to power.

D. Federer has never won a Grand Slam before.

35. What’s the best title of the passage?

A. Nadal — The No.1 Tennis Player

B. Federer — Always Undefeated

C. State of Mind Plays a Important Role

D. Federer Hopes to Recover His Magic

Public Speaking and Critical thinking

What is critical thinking? To a certain degree, it's a matter of logic -- of being able to spot weakness in other people's arguments and to avoid them in your own. It also includes related skills such as distinguishing fact from opinion and assessing the soundness of evidence.

In the broad sense, critical thinking is focused, organized thinking -- the ability to see clearly the relationships among ideas. __36__. The greatest thinkers, scientists, and inventors have often taken information that was really available and put it together differently to produce new ideas.That, too, is critical thinking.

 __37_. As the class goes on, for example, you will probably spend a good deal of time organizing your speeches. While this may seem like a purely mechanical (机械的) exercise, it is closely connected with critical thinking. If the structure of your speech is loose and confused, chances are that your thinking is also disordered and confused. If, on the other hand, the structure is clear, there is a good chance your thinking is too. Organizing a speech is not just a matter of arranging your ideas you already have. __38__.

What is true of organization is true of many aspects of public speaking. __39__. As you work on expressing your ideas in clear accurate language, you will improve your ability to think clearly and accurately. __40__. As you learn to listen critically to speeches in class, you will be better able to assess the ideas of speakers in a variety of situations.

If you take full advantage of your speech class, you will be able to develop your skills as a critical thinker in many circumstances. This is one reason public speaking has been regarded as a vital part of education since the days of ancient Greece.

A. Rather, it is an important part of shaping the ideas themselves.

B. This may seem take a lot of time, but the rewards are well worth it.

C. It may also help you to know that there is no such thing as a perfect speech.

D. It has often been said that there are few new ideas in the world, only reorganized ideas.

E. If you are wondering what this has to do with your public speaking class, the answer is quite a lot.

F. The skills you learn in your speech class can help you become a more effective thinker in a number of ways.

G. As you study the role of evidence and reasoning in speechmaking, you will see how they can be used in other forms of communication as well.