第二节：完形填空：(共30分，每小题1.5分)

　 The western world has always been divided into two types of people-the cool and the uncool. It is a 　36　 that starts in school. The cool kids are good at sports. They are 　37　 with the opposite sex. They are good-looking and people want to 　38　 their style. They can do their homework but they don't 　39　 a big effort. That would not be cool.

　 The uncool kids are in 　40　 corner of the playground. They are very bright, but they don't have great 　　41　 skills and they are 　42　 at sports. When they are not programming computers or doing calculus(微积分)in their heads, they are reading comic books and watching shows　 43　 the X Files. They are 　44　 as the geeks(怪人).

　 Here's the geeks. The geeks are taking over(占上风). Make friends with them now 　45　 they will put virus in your computer and　 46　 your maths homework to ruin. Geeks might not be popular at school, yet they do pass their examinations, and they might not be too popular at university, but 　47　 good degrees.

　 The most important 　48　 of the 21st century, computers and IT, has been at least partly created by geeks. Geek heroes like Bill Gates 　49　 others to follow their examples. Being a geek is a way of earning good money. And the creation of the Internet gave them a 　50　 of their own to work and play in, making them a global force. 　51　 , the effect of the geeks 　52　 popular culture has started a new trend. It is now cool to be 　53　 . Geek culture is becoming an important part of general popular culture, in which what you know is more important than 　54　 you look like.

　 But there are also 　55　 . Geeks were often bullied(欺侮) or laughed at in school. Now a geek may be your boss. Perhaps it is time for punishment.