第三篇

Mobile Phones：Are They about to Transform Our Lives？

　　We love them so much that some of us sleep with them under the pillow，yet we are increasingly concerned that we cannot escape their electronic reach. We use them to convey our most intimate secrets，yet we worry that they are a threat to our privacy. We rely on them more than the lnternet to cope with modern life，yet many of us don't believe advertisements saying we need more advanced services.

　　Sweeping aside the doubts that many people feel about the benefits of new third generation phones and fears over the health effects of phone masts（天线竿），a recent report clains that the long-term effects of new mobile technologies will be entirely positive so long as the public can be convinced to make use of them. Research about users of mobile phones reveals that the mobile has already moved beyond being a mere practical communications tool to become the backbone （支柱）of modern social life，from love affairs to friendship to work. One female teacher，32，told the researchers："I love my phone. It's my friend."

　　The close relationship between user and phone is most pronounced among teenagers，the report says，who regard their mobiles as an expression of their identity. This is partly because mobiles are seen as being beyond the control of parents. But the researchers suggest that another reason may be that mobiles，especially taxt messaging，are seen as a way of overcoming shyness. "Texting is often used for apologies，to excuse lateness or to communicate other things that make us uncomfortable，"the report says，The impact of phones，however，has been local rather than global，supporting existing friendships and networks，rather than opening users to a new broader community. Even the language of texting in one area can be incomprehensible to anybody from another area.

　　Among the most important benefits of using mobile phones，the report claims，will be a vastly improved mobile infrastructure（基础设施），providing gains throughout the economy，and the provision of a more sophisticated location-based services for users. The report calls on govemment to put more effort into the delivery of services by bobile phone，with suggestions including public transport and traffic information and doctors' text messages to remind patients of appointments. "I love that idea," one user said in an interview. "It would mean I wouldn't have to write a hundred messages to myself."

　　There are many other possibilities. At a recent trade fair in Sweden，a mobile navigation product was launched. When the user enters a destination，a route is automatically downloaded to their mobile and presented by voice，pictures and maps as they drive. In future，these devices will also be able to plan around congestion（交通堵塞）and road works in real time. Third generation phones will also allow for remote monitoring of patients by doctors. In Britain scientists are developing a asthma（哮喘）management solution，using mobiles to detect early signs of an attack.

　　41.What does the writer suggest in the first paragraph about our attitudes to mobile phones？
　　A. We can't live without them.
　　B. We are worried about using them so much.
　　C. We have contradictory feelings about them.
　　D. We need them more than anything else to deal with modem life.

　　42.Which of the following statements is true？
　　A. Modern social life relies significantly on the use of mobile phones.
　　B. Mobile phones make romantic communication more difficult.
　　C. Mobile phones encourage people to make friends.
　　D. Mobile phones enable people of different countries to talk without translation.

　　43.Teenagers have a close relationship with their mobile phones partly because they
　　A. use text messages more than any other group.
　　B. are more likely to be late than older people.
　　C. tend to feel uncomfortable in many situations.
　　D. take mobile phones as an indication of independence from their parents.

　　44.It is suggested that mobile phones should be used to
　　A. give the address of the nearest hospital.
　　B. show bus and train timetables.
　　C. arrange delivery of mails.
　　D. cure diseases.

　　45.The navigation product launched in Sweden is helpful to drivers because it can
　　A. suggest the best route to get to a place.
　　B. download maps of the area.
　　C. tell them which roads are congested.
　　D. show them how to avoid road works.
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American Dreams

　　There is a common response to America among foreign writers：the US is a land of extremes where the best of things are just as easily found as the worst. This is a cliche（陈词滥调）。

　　In the land of black and white，people should not be too surprised to find some of the biggest gaps between the rich and the poor in the world. But the American Dream offers a way out to everyone.（46） No class system or govemment stands in the way.

　　Sadly，this old argument is no longer true. Over the past few decades there has been a fundamental shift in the structure of the American economy.

　　The gap between the rich and the poor has widened and widened.（47）

　　Over the past 25 years the median US family income has gone up 18 per cent. For the top 1 per cent，however，it has gone up 200 per cent. Twenty-five years ago the top fifth of Americans had an average income 6.7 times that of the bottom fifth.（48）

　　Inequalities have grown worse in different regions. In California，incomes for lower class families have fallen by 4 per cent since 1969.（49） This has led to an economy hugely in favor of a small group of very rich Americans. The wealthiest 1 per cent of households now control a third of the national wealth. There are now 37 million Americans living in poverty. At 12.7 per cent of the population，it is the highest percentage in the developed world.

　　Yet the tax burden on America's rich is falling，not growing.（50） There was an economic theory holding that the rich spending more would benefit everyone as a whole. But clearly that theory has not worked in reality.

　　A　Nobody is poor in the US.
　　B　The top 0.01 per cent of households has seen its tax bite fall by a full 25 percentage points since 1980.
　　C　For upper class families they have risen 41 per cent.
　　D　Now it is 9.8 times.
　　E　As it does so，the possibility to cross that gap gets smaller and smaller.
　　F　All one has to do is to work hard and climb the ladder towards the top.

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