Can you remember the first time you learned to ride a bike or drive a car？Learning these skills changed your life forever and opened up new horizons（視野）.Learning about computers can be like learning how to ride a bike or drive a car.Once you have invested the time to master the skills，you will never go back to the old days.The new technology is simply too convenient and too powerful.

Technological developments through the years have enabled us to do more with less effort.We have continuously looked for better ways of doing things.Each invention and new development has allowed us to extend our capabilities.Today we see one of the most dramatic technologies ever developed—the computer.It extends the capabilities of our minds.

Computers have saved organizations millions of dollars. Furthermore，these same computer systems have opened up new opportunities that would have gone undiscovered or neglected.The computer may multiply what we can do，and the return on investment is high.The growth of computer usage is surprising. On the other hand，the computer can do serious damage.Invasion of privacy（侵犯隱私），fraud（欺詐），and computer-related mistakes are just a few shocking examples.?The computer is like a double-edged sword.It has the ability to cut us free from some activities，but it can also cut deep into profits，personal privacy，and our society in general.How it is used is not a function of technology.It is strictly a function of how people decide to use or misuse this new technology.The choice is yours，and only through a knowledge of computer systems will you be able to avoid the dangers while enjoying the many，many benefits of the computer age.

1.The writer thinks learning about computers is like learning how to ride a bike or drive a car because ______.

A.it is simple and practical　　　　　　　　 B.it needs a lot of practice

C.it leads people to new life experiences　 D.it takes much time to master the skills

2.According to the passage，computers bring people the following benefits except ______.

A.avoiding mistakes　　　　　　　　　 B.saving money

C.making money　　　　　　　　　　　 D.opening up opportunities

3.According to the writer，the bad effects of computers can be avoided if we ______.

A.have some knowledge of computer systems

B.tell people not to misuse computers

C.have strict rules over the use of computers

D.make more investments in the technology

4.This passage is probably written for ______.

A.computers　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.computer producers

C.computer learners　　　　　　　　　 D.computer programmers

Oh, boy, why are you just playing games all day? Can't you find something ______ doing at all?

A．practical　　　　   B．valuab1e          C．worth　　　　     D．positive

Americans are proud of their variety and individuality, yet they love and respect few things more than a uniform, whether it is the uniform of an elevator operator or the uniform of a five-star general．Why are uniforms so popular in the United States?

Among the arguments for uniforms, one of the first is that in the eyes of most people they look more professional than civilian（百姓的）clothes．People have become conditioned to expect superior quality from a man who wears a uniform．The television repairman who wears uniform tends to inspire more trust than one who appears in civilian clothes．Faith in the skill of a garage mechanic is increased by a uniform．What easier way is there for a nurse, a policeman, a barber, or a waiter to lose professional identity（身份）than to step out of uniform?

　　Uniforms also have many practical benefits．They save on other clothes．They save on laundry bills．They are tax-deductible（可減稅的）．They are often more comfortable and more durable than civilian clothes.

　　Primary among the arguments against uniforms is their lack of variety and the consequent loss of individuality experienced by people who must wear them．Though there are many types of uniforms, the wearer of any particular type is generally stuck with it, without change, until retirement．When people look alike, they tend to think, speak, and act similarly, on the job at least.

　　Uniforms also give rise to some practical problems．Though they are long-lasting, often their initial expense is greater than the cost of civilian clothes．Some uniforms are also expensive to maintain, requiring professional dry cleaning rather than the home laundering possible with many types of civilian clothes.

It is surprising that Americans who worship variety and individuality _______.

　    A．still judge a man by his clothes

　    B．hold the uniform in such high regard

　    C．enjoy having a professional identity

　    D．will respect an elevator operator as much as a general in uniform

People are accustomed to think that a man in uniform _______.

　    A．suggests quality work

　    B．discards his social identity

　    C．a(chǎn)ppears to be more practical

　    D．looks superior to a person in civilian clothes

The chief function of a uniform is to _______.

　    A．provide practical benefits to the wearer

　    B．make the wearer catch the public eye

       C．inspire the wearer’s confidence in himself

　    D．provide the wearer with a professional identity

The best title for this passage would be _______.

　    A．Uniforms and Society

　    B．The Importance of Wearing a Uniform

　    C．Practical Benefits of Wearing a Uniform

　    D．Advantages and Disadvantages of Uniforms

Oh, boy, why are you just playing games all day? Can't you find something ______ doing at all?

Beauty has always been regarded as something praiseworthy. Almost everyone thinks attractive people are happier and healthier, have better marriages and have more respectable jobs. Personal advisors give them better advice for finding jobs. Even judges are softer on attractive defendants. But in the executive（主管的） circle, beauty can become a liability.

　　While attractiveness is a positive factor for a man on his way up the executive ladder, it is harmful to a woman.

　　Handsome male executives were considered having more honesty than plainer men; effort and ability were thought to lead to their success.

　　Attractive female executives were considered to have less honesty than unattractive ones; their success was connected not with ability but with factors such as luck.

　　All unattractive women executives were thought to have more honesty and to be more capable than the attractive female executives. Interestingly, though, the rise of the unattractive overnight successes was connected more to personal relationships and less to ability than that of the attractive overnight successes.

　　Why are attractive women not thought to be able? An attractive woman is considered to be more feminine has an advantage in traditionally female jobs, but an attractive woman in a traditionally manly position appears to lack the "manly"qualifies required.

　　This is true even in politics, "When the only clue is how he or she looks, people treat men and women differently, " says Anne Bowman, who recently published a study on the effects of attractiveness on political candidates（候選人）. She asked 125 undergraduate students to rank two groups of photographs, one of men and one of women, in order of attractiveness. The students were told the photographs were of candidates for political offices. They were asked to rank them again, in the order they would vote for them.

　　The results showed that attractive males completely defeated unattractive men, but the women who had ranked most attractive unchangeably received the fewest votes.

　　The word "liability" most probably means ________.

　　A. disadvantage　B. advantage　　　C. misfortune　　 D. trouble

　Bowman's experiment shows that when it comes to politics, attractiveness________

　　A. turns out to　be a disadvantage to men

　　B. is more of a disadvantage than an advantage to women

　　C. has as little effect on men as on women

　　D. affects men and women alike

　　It can be inferred from the passage that people's views on beauty are often________.

　　A. practical　　　B. supportive　　 C. old - fashioned　D. one - sided

　　The author writes this passage to ________.

　　A. give advice to job - seekers who are attractive

　　B. discuss the disadvantages of being attractive

　　C. demand equal rights for women

　　D. state the importance of appearance