11．Is true friendship dying away？
Just as our daily life is becoming more technologically connected，we are losing other more meaningful relationship．
To anyone paying attention these days，it's clear that social media-whether Twitter，F(xiàn)acebook，or Iinkedln-are changing the way we conduct relationship．Face-to-face chatting is giving way to texting and messaging； people even prefer these electronic exchanges to，for instance，simply talking on a phone．Among these smaller trends，growing research suggests we could be entering a period of crisis for the entire concept of friendship．Where is all this leading modern-day society？Perhaps to a dark place，a lonelier society where electronic craze slowly replaces the joys of human contact．
Typically，the pressures of urban life are blamed．Witness crowded bars and restaurants after work：We have plenty of acquaintances，though perhaps few individuals we can turn to and share close relationships．American sociologists have tracked related trends on a broader scale，well beyond the urban jungle．According to work published in the American Sociological Review，the average American has only two close friends，and a quarter don't have any．
While social networking sites and the like have grown dramatically，the crucial element is the quality of the connections they establish．A connection may only be a click away，but establishing a good friendship takes more．It seems common sense to conclude that"friending"online brings about shallow relationships as the term"friending"itself implies．
No single person is at fault，of course．The pressures on friendship today are broad．They arise from the demands of work，or a general busyness that means we have less quality time for others．How many individuals would say that friendship is the most important thing in their lives，only to move thousands of miles across the continent to take up a better-paid job？
Of course，we learn how to make friends or not in our childhood．Recent studies on childhood and how the contemporary life of the child affects friendships are illuminating （啟示）．A central conclusion often reached relates to a lack of what is called"unstructured time"．Structured time results from the way an average day is arranged for our kids-time for school，time for homework，time for music practice，even time for play．Yet too often today，no period is left unstructured．After all，who these days lets his child just wander off down the street？We simply"hang out"，with no tasks，no deadlines and no pressures．It is in those moments that children and adults alike can get to know others for who they are in themselves．
Aristotle had an attractive expression to capture the thought：close friends，he observed，"share salt together．"It's not just that they sit together，passing the salt across the meal table．It's that they sit with one another across the course of their lives，sharing its moments，bitter and sweet．"The desire for friendship comes quickly； friendship does not．"Aristotle also remarked．
If there is a secret to close friendship，that's it．Put down the device； engage the person．
Title：Is true friendship dying away？

10．Trust is in rare supply these days．People are having trouble trusting each other，according to an AP-GFK poll conducted in November 2013，which found that Americans are suspicious of each other in their everyday life．Only one-third of Americans say most people can be trusted-down from half who felt that way in 1972．A record high of nearly two-thirds says"you can't be too careful"in dealing with people in 2013．
This can be carried over into the workplace，where employees want their leaders to be more trustworthy．Employees have grown tired of unexpected outcomes resulting from the lack of preparation．They want to be informed of any change management efforts before-not after the fact．Employees desire to know what is expected of them and be given the opportunity to better themselves，rather than be told they are not qualified for new roles and responsibilities．
Here are four early warning signs for you to course-correct when employees are having trouble trusting their leaders．
Lack courage
Leaders that don't stand up for what they believe in are difficult to respect and trust．Too many leaders waste too much of their valuable time trying to act like other leaders in the organization-rather than attempting to establish their own identity and leadership style．Employees know that if their leaders are not savvy （精明） enough to move themselves into a position of greater influence，it will make it much more difficult for them to get noticed and discovered as well．When leaders lack the courage to enable their full potential and that of others，it becomes a challenge to trust．
Self-centered
When a leader is only looking out for themselves and lacks any sense of commitment to the advancement of their employees-this shuts off employees quickly．Great leaders are great coaches and are always looking to help their employees grow．When leaders lack any real desire to coach or'guide the career advancement of their employees-it becomes increasingly difficult for employees to trust them．But when leaders are too disruptive （指手畫(huà)腳），their employees sense that they are in it for themselves and/or don't trust the talent around them．
Reputation issues
When people begin to speak negatively about their leader，it makes it more difficult for others to trust their intentions．For example，look at what has happened to President Barack Obama since December 2009when his approval rating was 69%．Four years later，Obama's approval rating is at 43%．Many who have followed him for years are now having trouble trusting him．
Every leader must be aware that they are constantly being evaluated and thus they can never grow self-satisfied．When they do，this begins to negatively impact their reputation and the trust employees have in their leadership．
Inconsistent Behavior
People are more inclined to trust those who are consistent with their behavior．Isn't it easy to begin questioning one's judgment when they are inconsistent？When everyone but the leader is on board with a strategy-you begin to wonder if their intentions are to support the organization's advancement or their own．Leaders need to refresh their leadership style before they lose the trust of their employees．
This is what today leaders must consider：how to lead in new ways that focus less on oneself，but more on the betterment of a healthier whole．

Trust between employees and their leaders
Problem	（71）Trust has been declining among Americans in their daily life as well as in the workplace．
Employees'hopes for leaders （72）worth/deserving trust	●Employees want to be （73）informed to get prepared for any change management efforts in advance． ●Employees desire to know their leaders'expectations of them and want to get （74）opportunities/chances to better themselves．
Warnings for leaders to （75）avoid the breakdown of trust	●Don't （76）copy/imitate other leaders and stand up for what you believe in． ●Be （77）committed/devoted/dedicated to helping your employees grow． ●Never let（78）self-satisfaction negatively impact your reputation． ●Behave （79）consistently or your judgment will be questioned．
Suggestion	For leaders，more focus on the betterment of a healthier whole should be taken into （80）consideration/account．

9．

A  complicated  B．suitable  C．understand    D．regularly    E．instant F．a(chǎn)ccess        G．divide    H．normally     I．obtain       J．symbols   K．refer

Among the note-taking forms in today's US schools，the Cornell method is widely recommended．Providing a form for concentrating and organizing notes，the Cornell method sets up a system to direct students to （41）G the paper into two columns．The note-taking column，which is usually on the right，is twice the size of the key word column on the left．The student should leave five to seven lines blank，at the bottom of the page．
Notes from a lecture or teaching occupy the note-taking column which （42）H contain the main ideas of the textbook or lecture．Most （43）A ideas and long sentences are avoided while （44）J or abbreviations（縮寫(xiě)） are preferred instead．To assist with future reviews，（45）Ethoughts or questions should be noted down as soon as possible so that the students may （46）K to these points for reflection or further research．The key-word column is a（n） （47）B place to note down these ideas．These ideas may later turn into potential research results as students are always encouraged to reflect on the notes （48）D or go deep into the questions further．
Within 24hours after the note-taking，the student must revise and then produce a short summary in the bottom space．Such move helps him to （49）C the topic better．When preparing for a test，the student has （50）F to a brief but detailed record of the previous classes．

8．

A．cropped    B．home     C．desirable     D．issue     E．illegal F．scene      G．presented   H．worsening    I．urban     J．endure  K．disturbed

If this summer you pay a visit to Milan，the fashion center of Italy，make sure you're not caught eating ice cream in the streets after midnight as doing so is now （41）E．
A new law was passed by Milan's city council banning the sale of take-away food and drinks after midnight in some districts which are famous for their nightlife （42）F．The purpose of this unusual move is，according to the city council，to discourage night gathering in downtown areas．
The law inevitably has given rise to a number of protests，accusing that the government has （43）K people's normal lives．However，if you take into consideration the country's （44）H economy and its high unemployment rate，the local government's fear of‘night assembling'may be reasonable．
In fact，Milan's law is only the strangest of a host of restrictions on nightlife that have （45）A up in European cities recently．Madrid's city center was declared a‘low-noise zone'last September and the city council has been refusing to （46）D bar and club licenses ever since．
Why do European cities deal so strictly with nightlife？It may be because Europe's population is getting older and can no longer （47）Jlate night activities within the neighborhood．
In the past，bars and clubs bloomed in European city centers，which were （48）B to working class populations．But gradually，these people began to move out of the city centers and into the suburbs．Only the wealthy and the upper-class people can afford to live in （49）I centers now．But these people don't go to bars and clubs to socialize．Instead，they consider fun-seekers who wander in their neighborhoods annoying．They also worry that bars and clubs will make their neighborhoods less （50）C and devalue their housing property．

7．Have you ever wondered why there are so many skin colours in the world？Do you know why people living in particular areas usually have a certain colour？Biology and history are the two reasons for this．
Skin contains something called melanin，which determines a person's skin colour．The more melanin a person has，the darker his or her skin will be．The amount of and production of melanin are controlled by genes，but can be affected by other things，such as sunlight．If a person lives in a place with strong sunlight，his or her skin will protect itself by producing more melanin，making the skin darker．In a place with less sunlight，a person's body will produce less melanin，making the skin lighter．
Skin colour is also affected by another source-vitamin D．Humans all need vitamin D to build bones．People can get it by eating foods such as fish and milk，or from sunlight，which causes vitamin production in the skin．Melanin protects skin by absorbing sunlight，so sunlight absorbed by melanin cannot be used for vitamin D production．Therefore，a dark-skinned person will produce less vitamin D than a light-skinned person when they receive the same amount of sunlight．
The connection between vitamin D production and skin colour is clear when we look at evolution．The earliest humans lived in Africa，their dark skin covered with hair．When they moved to places that had less sunlight，their bodies produced less vitamin D because of their dark skin．As a result，their skin made less melanin，so they could get enough sunlight to produce vitamin D．Their skin gradually got lighter and they lost hair．Now，people who live in areas with strong sunlight，like Africa，have darker skin，while people living in other areas have lighter skin．The exception to this is the Inuit，who live in a place with little sunlight，but have dark skin because they eat a lot of fish and have enough vitamin D．
Evolution has given us a rainbow of skin colours．Humans have always had melanin to determine our skin colour．What has changed through history is the environment where we have lived．This has in turn changed our melanin production，and eventually，skin colour．
A World of Skin Colour

Brief introduction	People living in a particular area usually have the   （71）sameskin colour and there are many different skin colours in the world．
Reasons for skin colour	The reasons for different skin colours mainly （72）lie/consist  in biology and history．
Biological reasons	The amount of melanin，by which a person's skin colour is （73）determined，varies from people to people．The more melanin a person has，the （74）darkerhis or her skin will be． Vitamin D is another source （75）affectingskin colour．Vitamin D is necessary for humans to build bones．Sunlight contributes to vitamin D production in the skin．
（76）Historical reasons	The earliest people in Africa had dark skin with hair covering it because the sunlight is very strong．． When they moved to places where they could not get enough sunlight to （77）producevitamin D，their skin colour became lighter． Generally speaking，people in areas with strong sunlight，have darker skin （78）whilepeople in other areas have lighter skin．
（79）Conclusion/Summary	Melanin （80）playsan important role in our skin colour．With our living environment changing，melanin production is changed，which leads to the changes in our skin colour．

6．Friends in your life are like pillars on your porch．Sometimes they hold you up and sometimes they lean on you．Sometimes it's just enough to know they're standing by．Friendship doubles your joy and divides your grief．A friendship is priceless and should be cultivated．
●Remembering the golden rule
Without a doubt，the greatest human relations principle is to treat other people like you want to be treated．When you show respect for your friends and gratitude for their friendship，you'll be blessed in untold ways．
You can't know what has gone on in the rude person's life that day，but you can assume that his or her day hasn't gone well．Maybe a loved one lost his job，her boss reprimanded her unjustly，he's coming down with the flu，or she just found out that her teenager is taking drugs．
Whatever the cause of the rudeness，you don't have to accentuate（突出） the problem．A kind word or a gentle，understanding smile may help the person more than returned rudeness would．
●Considering foes as friends
A friend looks after your own good．On the other hand，a foe is someone who isn't interested in your well-being．
Yet some students view their teachers as enemies．However，a student's success in school partly depends on the teacher's effectiveness in the classroom．Instead of being an enemy，a teacher who corrects you and helps you to achieve can be the best friend you ever had．
This kind of thinking，along with a little attitude adjustment，helps you to convert foes to friends，and both of you are better off．
●Making friends by being an optimist
Do you enjoy being around a pessimist，someone who is generally described as being able to brighten up a room just by leaving it？The answer is obvious．Most people prefer to be around people who believe that tomorrow is going to be better than today，rather than people who believe that today is even worse than yesterday．
●Capturing the pleasing personality
    How do you develop a pleasing personality？Here are some steps you can take：
Smile when you see someone．You don't have to give a wide grin-just a pleasant，friendly smile．
Speak in a pleasant，upbeat tone of voice．Talk to people as if they are good friends，even if they don't really fall into that category yet．
Take a course in public speaking．The ability to express yourself attracts favorable attention from many sources．
Develop a sense of humor．Pick up a couple of joke books．This makes you a little more outgoing and friendly．
●Don't criticize unjustly
Instead of being eager to dish out criticism all the time，take the humane and sensible approach．Look for the good in others．Encourage them．Build them up．
    Most people seldom think through each situation completely and consider the other person's point of view．If you take the time and effort to do this，you'll end up befriending more people．
                    Title：Five ways to cultivate friendship

Passage outline	Supporting details
Introduction to friendship	Friends in your life are like pillars on your porch．Sometimes friends share each other's （72）waysand sorrow．
（71）joy（s）/happinessof cultivating friendship	●Remembering the gold rule Treat others like you want to be treated．Don't have to accentuate the problem even though they are （73）rudeto you，because sometimes a gentle understanding （74）smileis better than a rude behavior．
	●Considering foes as friends （75）Lookon foes as friends makes you and your friends better off．
	●Making friends by being an optimist Most people have the （76）preferencefor being around the ones who are optimistic．
	●Capturing the pleasing personality ﹡Give a （77）pleasant and friendly smile． ﹡Speak in a pleasant，upbeat tone of voice． ﹡Take a course about speaking （78）publicly． ﹡Develop a sense of humor．
	●Don't criticize unjustly ﹡（79）Avoidcriticizing others ﹡Look for the good in others．
Conclusion	Make an effort to do this and you'll （80）makemore friends in the end．

5．Everyone knows about straight-A students．We see them frequently in TV sitcoms （情景喜�。� and in movies．The kids at the top of the class get there by mastering a few basic techniques that others can learn in an easy way．Thus it is necessary for you to learn the secrets of becoming straight-A students．
    Among the students we interviewed，study times are a matter of personal perference．Some work late at night when it is quiet，whereas others awake early．And there are still others who decide to study as soon as they come home from school when the work is fresh in their minds．All of them agree，however，on the need for study time．"Whatever I was doing，I would find some time every day for studying，"says a top student from New Jersey．
    Being organized is another habit they share in common．McCray，an outstanding student interviewed，runs track，plays football and is in a band．"I was so busy； I couldn't waste time looking for a pencil or missing paper．I kept everything right where I could put my hands on it，"he says．Some students maintain two folders （文件夾）-one for the day's assignment，another for papers completed and graded．However，some students have another system，filing the day's papers in color-coded（顏色編碼的）folders by subject．
    The top students also take good notes while reading the text assignment．In fact，David Cieri，another top student interviewed，uses"my homemade"system in which he draws a line down the center of a notebook，writes notes from the text on one side and those from the lecture delivered by his teacher on the other．Then．He is able to review both aspects of the assignment at once．
    Just before the bell rings，most students close their books，put away papers，whisper to friends and get ready to rush out．But the top students use the few minutes to write a two-or three-sentence summary of the lesson's important points，which he or she scans before the next day's class．
    You can become a straight-A student by following the above secrets．

Title： Learning How to（71）become straight-A students	Introduction	l  Mastering a few basic techniques that others can（72）easily learnby top students
		n  Setting aside time for studying n（74）Preferringdifferent study time by different top students n  Trying to（75）find some timefor studying whatever they are doing
	（73）Tips/Advice/suggestions	n  Getting things（76）organized n  Keeping everything at hand to（77）avoid wasting time looking for a pencils or missing paper n  Preparing different files for different subjects
		l  Taking good notes n  Taking notes from the text．a(chǎn)s well as from（78）the teacher's lecture
	Conclusion	l（79）summarizing/summing upevery lesson n  Summing up the lessons with a few words when classes are over
		l  Being able to do well with（80）the above secretsfollowed

4．

A．revealed	B．counts	C．responsible	D．release
E．virtually	F．extent	G．a(chǎn)nnually	H．extinct
I．extends	J．monitor	K．realized

In the time that records have been kept of bird populations，20percent of all species have gone （41）H．More are likely to follow．In March the （42）D of a large-scale，24-year survey gave one of the clearest pictures yet of the decline of Australian and Asian shorebirds，including the long-distance migrants （候鳥(niǎo)） that are most difficult to （43）J．The results of the survey are awful．
Every October for more than two decades，teams from the University of New South Wales in Australia counted birds from an airplane flown low over 130，000square miles of wetlands in the eastern third of the continent．Their （44）B showed a steady decline，beginning in the mid-1980s．By 2006the number of migratory shorebirds had dropped by 73percent and the number of Australia's resident of shorebirds had fallen by 81percent．"The（45）F of the decline took us by surprise，"says evolutionary ecologist Silke Nebel of the University of Western Ontario in London，the lead author of the report．
The survey （46）A that inland wetlands were more important to both resident and migratory birds than had been （47）K，and that wetland loss from damming （筑壩） and the diversion （分散） of river water for irrigation was at least in part （48）C for the shorebird decline in Australia．But wetlands are becoming smaller in countries all along the major flyway that （49）I from eastern Siberia to New Zealand，the study's authors note，so protecting the 8million birds that use the corridor （50）G will require an international solution．

3．Do you constantly use the computer，whether for learning or entertainment？Computers give off radiation that is bad for your health，but here are some ways to protect yourself from computer radiation．
（36）E  Green tea can be absorbed by the body easily into a form of vitamin A，which helps reduce radiation．（37）G
It is advisable to attach a radiation filter plate （輻射過(guò)濾板） in front of your computer's screen．Make sure to avoid putting any metal substances near your computer as these may have reflected some of the electromagnetic waves that are harmful to your health．（38）A The brighter the screen the higher the radiation there will be and vice versa．
You can also put some radiation-absorbing plants such as several cacti near your computer to prevent radiation．
Make sure you do a skincare protection before sitting in front of the computer．（39）BWash your face soon after using the computer in order to reduce 70% of the radiation．
（40）F Old computer in general，has one to two times more radiations released than the new one within the same distance．

A．And adjust the brightness of your computer screen．
B．Apply a layer of facial mask to protect yourself．
C．And adjust the sound level on your computer．
D．The most efficient way is by drinking some coffee regularly．
E．The simplest way is by drinking 2 & 3cups of green tea every day．
F．If possible，purchase a new computer instead of using an old model computer．
G．It also helps keep our eyes see things clearly in the dark by improving the visual ability．

2．Third-generation mobile phones，known as 3G，are the next big step for the telecom industry．Data speed in 3G networks is much quicker than that in present technology．This means users can have high-speed Internet access and enjoy video and CD-quality music on their phones．
"Mobile data is not a dream； it's not an option but a requirement，"said Len Lauer，head of a U．S．Communications company，Sprint PCS，at a 3G conference in Bangkok earlier this month．
With 3G，you can forget about text messages telling you yesterday's news； a 3G phone can receive video news programs，updated four times a day．Internet access will also be much quicker，making it easier to surf the Web on your phone than on your computer at home．
Face-to-Face video calls
Don't worry about getting lost，3G phones offer map services so you can find a new restaurant just by pressing a few keys on your handset．
However，the most impressive part of 3G technology is video calling．With live two-way video communication，you can have face-to-face talks with friends and family on your mobile phone．
Many European countries have already launched the services．In May 2000the U．S．Government issued five license to run 3G wireless services，while the first 3G phones arrived in Italy in March this year．
International telecom companies can't wait to sell 3G in China，the world's largest mobile telecommunications market．But they will have to be patient．At the moment，China is busy testing its 3G-based technologies，networks and services．This will be followed by a trial period before the phones can finally hit the shops．
"We need to create a pool of 3G customers before the large-scale commercial launch of the service，"said Fan Yunjun，marketing manager for Beijing Mobile．"We expect that the 3G licences will be issued late next year．"

Third-generation mobile phones （3G mobile phones）
（71）Advantages	14．Data speed：（72）quicker than presnet technology． 15．Video and （73）CD-quality music． 16．Video news programs：（74）updatedfour times a day． 17．Internet access：quicker and （75）easier．
Impressive functions	a．Offer（76）map services，helping you find way． b．Provide two-way video（77）communication．
3G phones in China	a．China is busy（78）testingits 3G-based technologies，Networks and servies． b.3G phones should go through a （79）trialperiod Before being put into market． c.3G phones are expected to be seen （80）latenext year．