Cyberspace,data superhighway,multimedia,for those who have seen the future,and the linking of computers,televisions and telephones will change our lives for ever.Yet for all the talks of a forthcoming technological utopia,little attention has been given to the implications of these developments for the poor.As for all the new high technology,the West concerns itself with the “how”,while the question of “for whom” is put aside once again.

Economists are only now realizing the full extent to which the communication revolution has affected the world economy.Information technology allows the extension of trade across geographical and industrial boundaries,and transnational corporations take full advantage of it.Terms of trade and exchange,interest rates and money movements are more important than the production of goods.The electronic economy made by information technology allows the haves to increase their control on global markets — with a destructive impact on the have­nots.

For them the result is unstable.Developing countries which rely on the production of a small range of goods for export are made to feel like small parts in the international economic machine.As “futures” are traded on computer screens,developing countries simply have less and less control of their destinies.

So what are the options of regaining control？One alternative for developing countries is to buy in the latest computers and telecommunications.Yet this leads to long-term dependency and perhaps permanent constraints on developing countries’ economies.

Communication technology is generally exported from the US,Europe or Japan；the patents,skills and ability remain in the hands of a few industrialized countries.It is also expensive,therefore imported products and services must be bought on credit usually provided by the very countries whose companies stand to gain.

1.From the passage we know that the development of high technology is in the interests of________.

A．the rich countries                               B．scientific development

C．the local elites                                     D．the world economy

2.It can be inferred from the passage that________.

A．international trade should be expanded

B．the interests of the poor countries have not been given enough consideration

C．the exports of the poor countries should be increased

D．communication technology in developing countries should be modernized

3.Why does the author say that the electronic economy may have a destructive impact on developing countries?

A．Because it enables the developed countries to control the international market.

B．Because it destroys the economic balance of the poor countries.

C．Because it violates the national boundaries of the poor countries.

D．Because it inhibits the industrial growth of developing countries.

4.The development of modern communication technology in developing countries may________.

A．hinder their industrial production

B．cause them to lose control of their trade

C．force them to reduce their share of exports

D．cost them their economic independence

5.The author’s attitude towards the communication revolution is________.

A．positive                                              B．critical

C．indifferent                                          D．tolerant

 

I came to India a year ago to find a village in which I could live and write but it was many months before I settled down happily in this Himalayan community.I wasted a lot of time looking for the “typical” village, yet no such thing exists. Conditions vary too widely.But the villages I stayed in had much in common—poverty, dirt, ignorance. Often the villagers themselves were puzzled, suspicious. Why had I come? I had put aside my work as a political journalist because my ideas had changed. I had come to believe that what was happening in the Third World was more important than anything else. But to understand how three quarters of the world’s people live, and how their future might affect ours, I felt that I first had to try and share their way of life.In the end I chose a mountain village because it was a little cooler than those in the plains. I took the bus from town along a bumpy road. Then came a rough walk down a steep path to the river. After this I began the climb into the Mils. Whenever I stopped to catch my breath, there was a magnificent view. After several hours’ walk the village came into view.

1.After the writer had arrived in India,________.

A．he spent a year writing about the place he lived in

B．he spent quite some time looking for a suitable place to live in

C．he stayed in an Indian village working for the poor

D．he lived in a Himalayan community for many months.

2.While looking for a typical village, the writer found__________.

A．he was searching for the impossible

B．all the villages were exactly the same

C．he was doing something enjoyable

D．the villagers were curious about him

3.Before coming to India, the writer________.

A．had been a successful politician

B．had made a decision to work for India

C．had studied India culture for some months

D．had worked for newspapers and magazines

 

Speaking of Tom, there are several things that are not easy to ____ ,say, his dishonesty.

A. put up with        B. put aside       C. get along with          D. build up

If women are mercilessly exploited year after year, they have only themselves to blame because they tremble at the thought of being seen in public in clothes that are out of fashion; they are always taken advantage of by the designers and big stores. Clothes which have been worn only a few times have to be put aside because of the change of fashion. Women usually stand in front of a wardrobe full of clothes, announcing sadly that she has nothing to wear.

Changing fashions are nothing more than the international creation of waste. Many women spend vast sums of money each year to replace clothes that have hardly been worn. Women , who cannot afford to throw away clothing in this way, waste hours of their time altering the dresses they have. Skirts are lengthened or shortened; neck-lines are lowered or raised, and so on.

No one can claim that fashion industry contributes anything really important to society. Fashion designers are rarely concerned with vital thing like warmth, comfort and durability（持久性）. They are only interested in outward appearance and they take advantage of the fact women will put up with any amount of discomfort, as long as they look right. There can hardly be a man who hasn’t at some time in his life smiled at the sight of a woman shaking in a thin dress on a winter day, or deliberately picking her way through deep snow in high-heeled shoes.

When comparing men and women in the matter of fashion, the conclusion to be drawn are obvious. Do the constantly changing fashions of women’s clothes, one wonders, reflect qualities of inconstancy and instability? Men are too clever to let themselves be cheated by fashion designers. Do their unchanging styles of dress reflect basic qualities of stability and reliability? That is for you to decide.

1. Designers and big stores always make money _______.

A. by mercilessly exploiting women workers in the clothing industry.

B. because they are capable of predicting new fashions.

C. by constantly changing the fashions in women’s clothing

D. because they attach great importance to quality in women’s clothing.

2. To the writer, the fact that women put aside their old-fashioned dresses is seen as ________.

A. a waste of money                      B. a waste of time

C. an expression of taste                   D. an expression of creativity

3. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A. New fashions in clothing are created for the commercial exploitation of women.

B. The constant changes in women’s clothing reflect their strength of character.

C. the fashion industry makes an important contribution to society.

D. Fashion designs should not be encouraged since they are only welcomed by women.

4. By saying “the conclusion to be drawn are obvious”, the writer means that________.

A. women’s inconstancy in their choice of clothing is often laughed at.

B. women are better able to put up with discomfort.

C. men are also exploited greatly by fashion designers.

D. men are more reasonable in the matter of fashion.

 

---How do you think I can make up with Qiong?

    ---Put aside_____ you disagree and try to find_____ you have in common.

   A. what, what         B. where, what   C. what, whether      D. where, whether