London has a new magazine.However,it is not printed on paper any more.Everyone who has a television can receive it because it is already on TV! In order to read this magazine,you need to have a decoder.Each page of it is numbered,so you have to dial a number to choose which subject you want to read about.You have a wide choice of topics to choose from-everything from cooking to the latest news. If you want to read some news,the first thing you have to do is to check at the index page which has an easy-to-remember page number,1 00 for example.From page 100,you can then choose from the news articles on page 101 to 109.From here,you will have to key in the numbers again.Then,the news will appear written across your screen.If you want to go out in the afternoon,you can press 181,and a brightly color1ed weather map will appear on the screen.But if you want to buy some cheap things,you can press 162 for a list of the week's best bargains.And whether you should drive or just take the train,you can simply press 189 for the traffic report.This new magazine on TV is very simple to use.But probably,the best thing about the service is that is being updated all the time.Journalists type new materials directly onto screen and the page of the magazine is replaced in minutes. London already has three services.One,transmitted by ITV ,is called ORACLE while the other two,on BBC,are called CEEFAX because they let you see facts.Although CEEFAX and ORACLE have been operating for some time, they have not been well publicized.BBC engineers do not think that their idea will ever replace books and newspapers because this new invention can't be taken with you wherever you go.But many people would agree that this is a breakthrough as great as the invention of printing, which could change not only our reading habits but also our lifestyles. What topics in the magazine _ are mentioned? A) news, weather, cooking and driving B) traffic, shopping, reading and weather C) news, shopping, cooking and traffic D) weather, traffic, cooking and swimming
C
Benjamin Franklin is remembered as an inventor, author, statesman, and signer of the Declaration of Independence. But all great people were kids once and got into naughty. In writing about his life, Franklin recalled a youthful event that he later regretted. Franklin was born in Boston in 1706. His father, whom Ben admired and respected, was a soapmaker and candlemaker with a large family. At the age of ten, Ben was taken out of school and put to work in the shop. Ben described his duties as "cutting wick for the candles, filling the dipping mold .But of course he preferred playing outdoors with his friends. One such plot is told here in his own words. "There was a saltwetland that bounded part of the millpond, on the edge of which, at high water, we used to stand to fish for minnows . By much abuse, we had made it a only quagmire . My proposal was to build a wharf there fit for us to stand upon, and I showed my comrades a large pile of stones, which were intended for a new house near the wetland, and which would very well suit our purpose. Accordingly, in the evening, when the workmen were gone, I gathered a number of my playfellows, and working with them diligently like so many ants, sometimes two or three to a stone, we brought them all away and built our little wharf. The next morning the workmen were surprised at missing the stones, which were found in our wharf. Inquiry was made after the removers;we were discovered and complained of;several of us were corrected by our fathers;and, though I pleaded the usefulness of the work, mine convinced me that nothing was useful which was not honest." When did Franklin stop schooling? A) In 1706. B) In 1716. C) In 1726. D) In 1776.
B
Q: Medical scientists are already putting computer chips directly into the brain to help people who have Parkinson's disease, but in what other ways might computer technology be able to help us? Ray Kurzweil is the author of the successful book The Age Of Intelligent Machines. He is also one of the world's best computer research scientists. He is researching the possibilities. Kurzweil gets computers to recognize voices. An example of this is Ramona, the _ hostess of Kurzweil's website, created by the computer, who is able to understand what you say. Visitors to the website can have their own conversations with her. Ramona also dances and sings. Kurzweil uses this technology to help people with physical problems. One of his ideas is a "seeing machine". This will be "like a friend that could describe what is going on around," he explains. Blind people will use a sensor which will probably be built into a pair of sunglasses. This machine will describe to the person everything it sees. Another idea, which is likely to help deaf people, is the "listening machine". This invention will recognize millions of words and understand any speaker. The listening machine will also be able to translate what it hears into other languages, so even people without hearing problems are likely to be interested in using it. But it is not just about helping people with physical problems. Looking further into future, Kurzweil sees a time when we will be able to store what we hear, see and think in a computer. This technology probably won't be ready for at least 50 years, but when it arrives, it means our minds will be able to live forever. Ray Kurzweil is _ . A) a famous medical scientist B) a computer research scientist C) a patient with Parkinson's D) an inventor of computer chips
A: B
(Q).
Everyone has good days and bad days. Sometimes, you feel as if you're on top of the world. But occasionally you feel horrible, and you lose things and you cannot focus on your schoolwork. For more than 20 years, scientists have suggested that high self-esteem is the key to success. Now, new research shows that focusing just on building self-esteem may not be helpful. In some cases, having high self-esteem can bring bad results if it makes you less likeable or more upset when you fail at something. "Forget about self-esteem," says Jennifer Crocker, a psychologist at the University of Michigan, US. "It's not the important thing." Feeling good Crocker's advice may sound a bit strange because it is good to feel good about yourself. Studies show that people with high self-esteem are less likely to be depressed, anxious, shy, or lonely than those with low self-esteem. But, after reviewing about 18,000 studies on self-esteem, Roy Baumeister, a psychologist at Florida State University, has found that building up your self-esteem will not necessarily make you a better person. He believes that violent and wicked people often have the highest self-esteem of all. He also said: "There's no evidence that kids with high self-esteem do better in school." Problems All types of people have problems. People with high self-esteem can have big egos that can make them less likeable to their peers , said Kathleen Vohs, a psychology professor at Columbia University. People with high self-esteem tend to think more of themselves, Vohs says. People with low self-esteem are more likely to rely on their friends when they need help. What to do Researchers say it is best to listen to and support other people. Find positive ways to contribute to society. If you fail at something try to learn from the experience. "The best therapy is to recognize your faults," Vohs says. "It's OK to say, 'I'm not so good at that,' and then move on." One of the conclusions of the new research is that _ . A) feeling good about oneself doesn't mean you lead a happier life B) people with high esteem usually do not seek other's help C) people with high esteem tend to be proud D) people with low esteem are often more popular
(A).
C