The Internet has greatly changed the way people communicate. But some teachers think the changes are not all for the better.

Eleanor Johnson, an English professor, thinks that text messaging has made students believe that it is far more acceptable than it actually is to just make terrible spelling and grammatical errors. And she says her students over the past several years have increasingly used less formal English in their writing. Words and phrases like “guy” and “you know” now appear in research papers.

Professor Johnson supposes there is a strong relationship between the rise of informal online communication and an increase in writing mistakes. But she says there may not be much scientific information, at least not yet.

David Crystal, a British linguist(语言学家), says the actively changing nature of the Internet makes it difficult to keep up-to-date in studing its effects. But he believes its influence on language is small. The main effect of the Internet on language is the way it has added to the expressive richness of language, providing language with a new set of communicative tools that haven’t existed in the past.

Erin Jansen is founder of NetLingo.com, an online dictionary of the Internet and text messaging terms. She says the new technology has not changed existing language but has greatly added to its vocabulary. Basically it’s freedom of expression.

And what about those teachers who find these new kinds of mistakes in spelling and grammar in their students’ work? What is her message to them?

Erin Jansen said, “I am always on the students’ side and won’t get angry or upset about that. If it’s helping the kids write more or communicate more, that’s great. That’s what teachers and educators want—to get kids communicating.”

But Erin Jansen and David Crystal agree with Eleanor Johnson on at least one thing. Teachers need to make sure students understand the uses and rules of language.

21. Which of the following is Eleanor Johnson’s view on text messaging?

   A. It becomes far more acceptable.

   B. It causes an increase in writing mistakes.

   C. It helps students learn informal expressions.

   D. It makes informal expressions accepted by educators.

22. David Crystal and Erin Jansen share the view that the Internet ______.

   A. has changed our language system                    B. has influenced our language greatly

   C. makes language richer in expression                 D. makes language harder to understand

23. The author wants to tell us that _______.

   A. different opinions on informal expressions exist

   B. what language is now used on the Internet

   C. informal expressions are popular among teachers

   D. why the Internet is welcomed by all students

Dear Editor,

I was surprised to read your recent article on the question of students’ part-time jobs. You appear to be making a lot of generalizations(归纳) on the basis of just one unfortunate incident (I assure you that not all young people who deliver newspapers are as foolish and dishonest as the two youths mentioned in your article).

The first point I would like to make is that there are many jobs teenagers can do which give them useful experience of the working world. They are brought into contact with a variety of people, often older, and are given experience of expresing themselves clearly and fluently. I am thinking here of jobs such as travel guides and shop assistants.

Another argument for schoolchildren and college students having holiday or weekend jobs is that many parents need the financial assistance. If we take, for example, a family in which the father is unemployed or perhaps a single-parent family on a low income, it seems logical and fair that a son or daughter should try to bring money into the family.

One further thing I want to say is that a lot of jobs for the young can be both fun for the people who do them and useful to the community. Young people who help in schools and hospials often get a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction as well as contributing something valuable to local society.

In conclusion, I would add that when I was a girl, my father said my teens were a time for books, hobbies and academic studies. Thinking back, I feel I would have learnt much more—about myself, other people and life in general—if he had allowed me to do a limited amount of real work. Certainly, when she is old enough, I shall encourage my own daughter to do so, rather than waste her time on soap operas and computer games.

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Williams (Mrs)

24. Why did Margaret write the letter to the editor?

   A. To ask for some advice.                       B. To expres her support.

   C. To show her thankfulness.                          D. To give a different opinion.

25. What was the editor’s attitude towards students’ part-time jobs?

   A. Supportive.               B. Indifferent.                     C. Opposed.               D. Tolerant

26. Margaret believes that students’ part-time jobs ______.

   A. help improve their speaking ability              B. have a good influence on their studies

   C. might cause higher unemployment             D. usually offer them very little pay

27. When Margaret was a student, her father ______.

   A. encouraged her to support herself

   B. didn’t allow her to do part-time jobs

   C. thought she could do a little part-time work

   D. didn’t let her spend too much time learning

The most common problem that worries all of us today is the fear of insecurity. Life has become so competitive that every now and then we are struck(遭遇) by the fear of the unknown. With every new turn of events our self-confidence takes a blow. The biggest challenge before every person today is not to lose confidence in one’s ability.

There are several reasons that affect a person’s self-confidence. The most important reason is lack of success. Not being able to succeed affects one’s self-confidence greatly. This is when one begins to doubt his own ability. In many cases one’s self-confidence is low when he feels rejected by society. For example, a person who loses his job gives a wide berth to other people for fear of being questioned about his work. However, this isn’t right at all. One needs to think along positive lines in spite of failures. After all it is your life and you have every right to live your life as you wish.

The challenge lies in not allowing your self-confidence to decrease. It is very important to believe in yourself. Self belief is the secret to success. When success doesn’t come to you, you should not allow your self belief to be affected. Always keep in mind that success is sure to come in time. So, there is nothing wrong with your ability. Whenever lack of success causes you to doubt your ability, don’t forget to remind yourself that quick success does not last long. Also remember not to compare yourslef to others. These tips will do a world of good to your confidence.

In order to be self-confident, you need to have a lifestyle that is right for you. Create one and live a life as you want to. Leave others to themselves.

28. According to the text, what causes people to fear the unknown?

   A. The low abilities.                                          B. The lack of security.

   C. The loss of self-confidence.                        D. The severe competition in life.

29. What does the underlined phrase “give a wide berth to” in Paragraph 2 mean?

   A. Introduce something to.                        B. Hold a birthday party for.

   C. Make friends with.                                D. Keep away from.

30. What’s Paragraph 3 mainly about?

   A. How to achieve success.

   B. How to keep one’s self-confidence.

   C. The challenges that one should overcome.

   D. The reasons that affect one’s self-confidence.

31. In the author’s opinion, it’s important that one _____.

   A. should not forget his failures                B. should follow others’ advice

   C. should not lose heart                                  D. should adjust to life

Are you a forgetful person? You might be able to blame your genes, a new study in the journal Neuroscience Letters suggests.

Researchers from the University of Bonn have identified a variant(变种) on the DRD2 gene that seems to be associated with increased forgetfulness.

Everyone has one of two variants of the DRD2 gene. The difference is just one letter in the genetic code: Some people have the cytosine (C) variant, while others have the thymine (T) variant. The researchers wanted to see how having one variant over another was associated with forgetfulness.

To test this, they analyzed the DRD2 gene of 500 study participants, and also had the participants answer surveys about their forgetfulness (such as how often they misplaced their keys, or forgot names).

Most of the study participants—three quarters of them—had the thymine gene variant, while the other quarter had the cytosine gene variant. Researchers found an association between more forgetfulness problems and having the thymine gene variant of DRD2. Meanwhile, the cytosine gene variant seemed to have a protective effect against forgetfulness.

However, “there are things you can do to compensate for forgetfulness: writing yourself notes or putting your keys down in a specific location—and not just anywhere,” study researcher Dr. Sebastian Markett, of the University of Bonn, said in a statement.

Research has also suggested that some age groups are more forgetful than others. A recent national survey showed that millennials, who were born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s, are actually more likely than seniors to be absent-minded with things like what day of the week it is, where they put their keys and remembering to bring their lunch.

Meanwhile, another study recently published in the journal BMC Psychology showed that men are more likely than women to experience minor memory problems.

32. What do we know about the DRD2 gene?

   A. It has two similar variants.                          

B. Some people don’t have it.

   C. It is bad for people’s memory.                    

D. Everyone has one of its variants.

33. We can infer from the study that _____.

   A. most people have the C gene variant

   B. about 75% of the study participants are forgetful

   C. people with the C gene variant are more forgetful

   D. the T gene variant helps improve people’s memory

34. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

   A. Males have a better memory than females.

   B. Seniors have a poorer memory than youth.

   C. Forgetfulness has something to do with genes.

   D. Forgetfulness has nothing to do with habits.

35. Which section of a newspaper is the text most probably taken from?

   A. Health.                      B. Nature.                   C. People.                   D. Science.

Weight loss is a hard topic. Lots of people aren’t satisfied with their present weight, but most people aren’t sure how to change it. You may want to look like the models or actors in magazines or on TV, but those goals might not be healthy or realistic for you.  36  

So what should you do about your weight control?

  37  The best way to find out if you are at a healthy weight or if you need to lose or gain weight is to talk to a doctor or dietitian（饮食学家).   38   If it turns out that you can benefit from weight loss then you can follow a few of the simple suggestions listed below to get started.

 39  People who lose weight quickly by crash（速成的） dieting or other extreme measures usually gain back all of the pounds they lost, because they haven’t permanently changed their habits. Therefore, the best weight management ways are those that you can maintain for a lifetime.

Small changes are a lot easier to stick with than large ones. Try reducing the size of what you eat.   40    Once you have that down, start gradually introducing healthier foods and exercise into your life.

It’s a good idea to maintain a healthy weight because it’s just that: healthy.

A. Try giving up regular soda for a week.

B. Try to pay attention as you eat and stop when you’re full.

C. Weight management is about long-term success.

D. Besides, no magical diet will make you look like someone else.

E. Being healthy is really about being at a weight that is right for you.

F. Changing from whole to nonfat or low-fat milk is also a good idea.

G. They will compare your weight with healthy standards and help you set goals.