Technology has utterly transformed our ability to communicate with each other. Linking to each other both literally and figuratively, many of us connect through cell phones, email, instant messaging, blogs, and networking web sites, yet we may be less connected to each other than we think.
According to a study, Americans are becoming increasingly socially isolated. The study reveals, for example, that one quarter of Americans say that they have no one to discuss important personal issues with, and that the number of close friends that American have has dropped from three to two. Meanwhile, the Boston Globe reports that this spreading isolation is experienced more sharply among those with less education, people of color, and older Americans. Unsurprisingly, those who are young, white, and well educated tend to have stronger social networks.
From my own experience I have to say that I’ve never felt more connected, thanks to a web of friends, family, and colleagues. One of my closest friends is someone I met through an online discussion group who lives hundreds of miles away from me. We have met face-to-face only twice, yet our regular electronic correspondence and cell phone calls sustain our close friendship. And, speaking of blogging, my blog has introduced me to people I would never have met otherwise and has led to enduring and important friendships.
On the other hand, I recently saw a scene unfold that proved to me how deeply disconnected we as Americans have become. I had just wrapped up a presentation on mediation at a family therapy(治療) center. As I was leaving, I noticed a mother and her teenage son who had just completed their session with their family therapist(臨床醫(yī)學(xué)家). After making their next appointment, they both took out their cell phones, placed calls, and began loud conversations with whoever was on the other end. I walked out behind them to the parking lot to my car. They both jumped into their SUV, and, as I saw them drive off, they were still talking on their cell phones.
But, alas, not to each other.
51. What does the passage lead you to believe?
A. Americans are more socially connected today.
B. Americans are more socially isolated today.
C. Technology plays a bigger role in American society.
D. Americans don’t make good use of technology.
52. Which of the following has nothing to do with the isolation among Americans?
A. Age.              B. Education.                C. Skin color.               D. Sex.
53. The author himself _______.
A. has a wider range of friends because of technology
B. has failed to take advantage of technology
C. can only find true friendship through the Internet
D. can’t make true friends in actual life
54. What is true about the mother and son in the passage?
A. They came for therapy in the same car.
B. They were quite close to each other.
C. There was not much communication between them.
D. They preferred talking to each other on cell phones.
55. The author probably feels ________ with the mother and son.
A. puzzled         B. disappointed       C. amused                 D. surprised


【小題1】B
【小題2】D
【小題3】A
【小題4】C
【小題5】D

解析

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科目：高中英語 來源：甘肅省天水一中2010屆高三下學(xué)期第三次模擬考試試卷（英語） 題型：閱讀理解


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D
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A．Brown fat stores calories and makes us fatter.
B．It doesn't take long to turn white fat into brown.
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【小題2】Which of the following statement does the text support?
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【小題3】We can conclude from the text that _______.
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C．surfing the Internet may influence people's face-to-face communication
D．cancer and death are mainly caused for lack of social life
【小題4】What’s the main idea of the text?
A．Brown fat is beneficial to people's health.
B．Socialising is unnecessarily important in people's daily life.
C．White fat can be changed into brown fat.
D．Socialising contributes to people's losing weight.

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科目：高中英語 來源：2013屆寧夏銀川一中高三第六次考試英語試卷（帶解析） 題型：閱讀理解

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A．The program is sponsored by Microsoft.
B．Next year, the awards ceremony will be held in New York City.
C．Any high school or college student can attend the finals.
D．The initial purpose of the program is to solve world problems using technology.
【小題2】 What can we infer from the third paragraph?
A．The UN offers great help to the program.
B．Microsoft sets up a library for the students who want to achieve their goals.
C．IGOs, NGOs and nonprofits also provide help for the students.
D．Microsoft takes effective measures to inspire the students.
【小題3】What does the underlined word “overthrew ” in Paragraph 6 mean ?
A． AbandonedB．SupportedC．Drove awayD．Overturned
【小題4】What can we know from Paragraph 7?
A．They want to replace Bluetooth with Twitter.
B．They want to combine Bluetooth with Twitter.
C．They want to replace Twitter with Bluetooth.
D．Twitter can still be used without the Internet.

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