29. The website "I can has cheezburger" _____.
A. was a great success
B. was set up by Ben Huh
C. began as a place to share cat videos
D. was the first website designed for cats
30. According to some experts, people on the Internet like cats because _____.
A. they're cute and funny
B. they're friends of humans
C. they train hard to please people
D. they always surprise people in a natural way
31. What is Matt Smith's attitude towards the future of cat memes?
A. Doubtful. B. Worried. C. Hopeful. D. Unclear.
Everyone looks forward to progress, whether in one's personal life or in the general society. Progress indicates a person's ability to change the way he is living at the moment. Progress must lead a better way of doing things. All these, however, remain true only in so far as people want to accept technology and move forward by finding new and more efficient ways of doing things.
However, at the back of the minds of many people, especially those who missed the "good old days", efficiency comes with a price. When communication becomes efficient, people are able to contact one another no matter where they are and at whatever time they wish to. The click of a button allows people miles apart to talk or to see each other without even leaving their homes. With the communication gadgets, such as mobile phones and ipads, people often do not take the effect to visit one another personally. A personal visit carries with it the additional feature of having to be in the person's presence for as long as the visit lasts. We cannot unnecessarily excuse ourselves or turn the other person off.
With efficiency also comes mass production. Such is the nature of factories and the success of industrialization today. Factories have improved efficiency. Unskillful tasks are left to machines and products are better made and produced with greater accuracy than any human hand could ever have done. However, with the improvements in efficiency also comes the loss of the personal touch when making these products. For example, many handcrafts are now produced in a factory. Although this means that supply is better able to increase demand, now that the supply is quick and efficient, the demand might fall because mass production lowers the quality of the handicraft and it is difficult to find unique designs on each item.
Nevertheless, we must not commit the mistake of analyzing progress only from one point of view. In fact, progress has allowed tradition to keep up. It is only with progress and the invention of new technology that many old products can be brought back to their old state. New technology is required for old products to stay old.
It is people's attitude towards progress that causes the type of influence that technology has on society. Technology is flexible. There is no fixed way of making use of it. Everything depends on people's attitude. The worst effects of progress will fall on those who are unable to think again about their attitudes and views of society. When we accept progress and adapt it to suit our needs, a new "past" is created.
32. According to Paragraph 1, progress can benefit people when they are willing to _______.
A. live a better life B. look for better methods
C. accept technology and advance steadily D. change ways of living
33. The underlined word "gadgets" is closest in meaning to _______.
A. tools B. messages C. barriers D. skills
34. The author explains "efficiency comes with a price" by _______.
A. describing a process B. making classification
C. following time order D. using examples
35. What can be concluded from the last paragraph?
A. Progress can suit the needs of daily life.
B. People review the past with great regret.
C. People's attitude decides the use of technology.
D. Technology should be introduced in a fixed way.
第二节 (共5小题,每小题2分,满分10分)
根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项,选项中有两项为多余选项。
Whenever I hear a recording of John Denver singing "Sunshine on My Shoulders," I find myself smiling, drawn to a love of the sun and outdoors I've had for decades as a Michigan native. Walking barefoot to the lake, playing shiftless in the sunlight, and breathing fresh air feel good. 36
Studies have found higher rates of high blood pressure among people with the lowest sun exposure. One reason may be due to nitric oxide, a gas whose production is stimulated when your skin is exposed to the sun's rays. 37 Vitamin D, which sunlight helps your body produce, is also linked to better heart health. So walk outdoors for 15 to 30 minutes daily.