George：I have just gotten a pair of movie tickets and was thinking of inviting you．Are you interested？

The man who buys a television set departs from the world of living men and enters another word of shadows. I do not blame my friend. The real world, I suppose, is just too much for him as it is for millions of others. My friend does not realize, of course, that he is in full retreat from actuality. He supposes, on the contrary, that he is boldly advancing into the fierce current of these times by bringing the world, with all its events and human figures, into his living room. That is the great current illusion. The shadows are mistaken for things. Now, television is a wonderful invention. I have no word to say against it, so long as it is confined to other people's houses where, in my weaker moments, I may see it occasionally free. But it brings no one closer to life. It merely inter- poses a gaudy curtain between lift and the spectator. It is only the latest gadget contrived by thoughtful men to make sure that nobody does any real thinking for himself. My friend will answer that he will now receive the best thoughts of the ablest minds in the world and see their faces as they deliver them. He will see events as they unfold at first hand, with a time lag of half a second or less. Of course, he will. But he won't understand anything better. He will understand less than ever. For the grim, inescap- able fact of human understanding is that it must be private, must come from within and cannot be plastered on like stucco from the outside. A man may secure knowledge from others. He will never secure understanding. Though it is presented in a million different versions, the paramount problem of modern man is to find a satisfactory participation in modern life. And it is there that he is most obviously failing. He can turn a screw on the assembly line, but as the finished automobile comes off at the end, he has no satisfaction in its creation. Or if he works in a white collar he can add up all the figures of business on an adding machine without once touching the realities a life as the country storekeeper touches them. He swarms in his multitudes to watch hockey game but he does not play hockey. In other words, for the essential purposes of life, modern man is becoming a spectator, not a participant, a customer not a creator, a consumer in the main and only incidentally a producer. Thus by a law as old as Eden he becomes sick under a hectic outward flush. His physical diet is better than ever but he sickens by a secret malnutrition of the soul. According to the author, his friend has bought a television in order to_____. A．know the current events B．entertain himself at leisure time C．escape from the reality D．kill time

A．Right B．Wrong C．Not mentioned

A．Either B．Neither C．Some D．Both

W: For me, well, I was thinking the cell phone is the most wonderful thing. M: Really？ W: Yeah, (19) I even couldn't live without mine. It's so convenient! I can call my friends anytime and they can always call me. Or if I'm in trouble I can call for help... M: You mean like calling your parents？ W: Yeah, like parents, and if I'm running late, I'm able to call a friend if I'm, like, on the bus or something. M: (20) But the problem with cell phones is that people use them too much for every little thing. It's practically glued to their ears. W: Yeah, and I hate it when people shout into them in a public place and everyone else has to listen to the conversation, especially in restaurants. M: Well, good manners aren't a wonder of our world! You know, I think the most amazing wonder is e-mail. It has changed the world, and it has totally transformed my business. Everybody at work is always on the computer, responding to e-mails, sending e-mails... That's where most of our business is done now, through e-mail. You are sending reports, getting information. But the bad part is that you are glued to the computer and people expect things to be done right away. W: Yeah, people are shocked if you go through a day without checking your e-mail. And when you go on vacation and then you come back, maybe there are 200 e-mails waiting for you — all of them urgent. M: I guess it is like any other tool or device. (21) If it's used correctly, it's very useful. 19．Wily does the woman consider the cell phone one of the wonders of the modem world？ 20.What is the problem with cell phones according to the man？ 21.How does the man feel about e-mail？ (20) A．It is used too much. B．It is more necessary than E-mail. C．It is very convenient. D．It has more problems than benefits.

Are you interested？ John：Yeah，definitely!__________ A.Thanks for inviting me． B.Any problem？ C.of Course． D.when and where？

A．Seldom B．Rarely C．Hardly D．Barely

W: If you have your receipt, I can give you credit for the purchase. But I can't repay you. Q: Where did the conversation probably take place？ (18) A．In a restaurant. B．In a department store. C．In a private home. D．In an art supply shop.

(22) A．I'm not sure if you are responsible. B．I'm not content with the result of the meeting. C．I know the delay is not your fault. D．I think the flame of that fire is too high.

A．help B．of help C．with help D．for help

W: That's it—anxiety and tension. This may be just what you're looking for to help them. Q: What's wrong with those who just come in and complain？ (16) A．They like to talk with her. B．They have mental problems. C．They were insulted by the doctor. D．They've just felt on edge.

A．A.were walking B．B.to have walked C．C.walk D．D.walking

M: Well, my brother is a real estate agent. I know he can help you out. Why don't you and I go to see him？ Q: What do we learn about the woman？ (6) A．Someone is going to break into her house. B．She has nowhere to go next weekend. C．She can't find a real estate agent. D．She's worried about finding a new place to live in.

A．coarse B．genuine C．slippery D．conscientiously

A.I can lend you some now. B.I’m not sure I’ve got any either. C.Sorry, I haven’t got a penny in my account. D.My credit card must be left home

A．What sports are risky？ B．Do you ever get into some difficult situations'？ C．Have you ever hurt yourself in an accident？ D．Have you ever been to a sports centre？

Businessmen can travel from London to New York in three hours and lots of people exceed the seventy-mile-per-hour speed limit on motorways. A person of 75 is not old these days. A serious illness does not mean certain death because there have been so many advances in medical science. We no longer need to be afraid of contracting diseases like polio or smallpox. I can speak to my son in Australia from my own sitting room here in Manchester, watch athletes running a race on the other side of the world without moving from my own home and I can even do my shopping while I sit here in an armchair. I never need to worry about food going bad in the warm weather and, at the flick of a switch, I can have a hot meal in a couple of minutes. So, it seems, the quality of life has greatly improved since my own childhood. I'm not convinced, however, that people are happier today than they were 50 years ago. We are certainly materially better off than we were but most people still seem to be weighed down by problems. My daughter and her family are a good illustration. They have a spacious, comfortable home with every labor-saving device you can think of. There's a washing machine, a clothes dryer, a food processor, a vacuum cleaner and all sorts of other household items which are designed to save time but it seems to me that my daughter and her husband just spend all that "saved" time working! They never relax and are always complaining of being tired and "stressed". What is the passage mainly about？ A．How life has improved. B．How life has become worse. C．A comparison of life now and that in the past. D．Memory of life in the past.

A．the very fantastic B．the most fantastic C．a more fantastic D．a very fantastic