C

Another day begins with the call of the phone’s alarm, Where are you? Open your eyes. Turn the alarm off and you will start working out on your apps(应用软件).

First stop, weather: Sunny day. Look outside the window. Oh, no, it isn’t. Second stop, Air Quality Index: 344, dangerous, Level 6 Severely Polluted. Mental recheck required: It really is a sunny day and the weather app isn’t lying or in need of being replaced, it’s just that you can’t see the sun throug h the thick fog. Note to self: Cycling to work is out, face mask is in.

Has the world stopped turning? News app merely confirms that it’s business as usual. Another government has fallen, your soccer team has lost again, and China’s economy is still increasing steadily.

Diary app informs you of all the things you failed to do the previous day and loads you up with another half-dozen tasks. Next, browse a couple of social networking apps to determine the status updates of friends.

Another sound from the phone, it’s a message from your significant friend who is already at work, saying the Taobao. com order for Italian cheese is about to arrive.

Apps have become part of our “every-moment” lives. Apps provide so much information. But the dark side to all this connectivity would be lack of privacy, being a slave to the app. The only real problem is that once you lose your smartphone, you lose your life.

Some friends and family do not have smartphones, but prefer the old-fashioned Nokia that merely makes phone calls and sends instant messages. While I respect their purity and desire to be free of the control of technology, it’s obvious they are outsiders, and their lives are loaded up with paper and old devices. They’re still buying books at stores, complaining the lack of CDs on the market, watching TV and missing out on complete news cycles. Though I would add, the y have lives that aren’t spent inside small screens.

My phone is a palm-sized one-stop shop and about the only thing it doesn’t do is teleport(心灵运输). What’s not to like?

64. The functions of apps mentioned in the passage can be listed as follows EXCEPT that _______.

A. the apps can show you weather forecast

B. the apps can tell you how to work directly

C. the apps can inform you the latest news

D. the apps can tell you what you failed to do

65. According to the passage, the author thinks that _______.

A. people’s life is governed by apps B. people feel bored about the use of apps

C. people can’t live without apps D. people hate apps with powerful functions

66. It can be inferred from the last paragraph but one that _______.

A. more and more people like Nokia more than apps

B. using Nokia can be free of the control of technology

C. all people don’t like the advanced smartphones

D. ordinary people don’t like shopping online

D

Festivals play an important role in a culture’s identity. I can’t think of a better way of appreciating a new culture than by taking part in one of its festivals. Here are some special festivals around the world.

★ Boryeong Mud Festival--Boryeong, South Korea

For two weeks in July, millions gather in Boryeong to experience the grey pools and slides. What began as a way of promoting the region’s mineral-rich mud has turned into a festive party , complete with music and fireworks. While the mud is usually only available in cosmetic products, here you can cake yourself in grey as you want.

★ Holi--lndia

Holi, the Festival of Colors, is a Hindu celebration full of joy and one of India’s most important holidays. During the day of the last full moon of the lunar month, usually late February or early March, the air is full of bright colored powder. The festival is celebrated differently throughout the country, but the cheerful spirit is common throughout Hindu communities around the world.

★ Koninginnedag--The Netherlands

Although their current Queen’s birthday is really during the winter, the Queen still celebrates it on April 30th,the country’s official “Queen’s Day” since 1949. Orange is the national color, and the streets become a sea of feather boas(长围巾)and body paint as crowds gather in the plazas(广场). Amsterdam is the center of this outdoor party, with many live music acts, but nearly every town is alive with orange on this day.

★ National Elephant Day in Thailand

In Thailand, March 13 is regarded as National Elephant Day to show that the Thai elephant plays an important role in the Thai history. Thai Elephant Day has been held on an annual basis since the idea was first approved by the Thai government in 1998. Special events are held at a number of venues in northern Thailand. At the Mae Sa Elephant Camp, it has become a tradition on March 13 for the dozens of elephants there to be treated to a huge feast of fruits and sugarcane.

67. What we can learn from the passage is that ________.

A. Boryeong Mud Festival was originally held to advertise for their mineral resources

B. people around the world celebrate Holi differently to promote their religions

C. Koninginnedag--The Netherlands was celebrated on their current Queen’s birthday

D. it is an international custom for the Thai elephant to eat all kinds of fruits and sugarcane

68. What is the purpose of the festival held on March 13 in Thailand?

A. To call on people to protect these endangered elephants.

B. To give the Thai elephant a chance to eat fruits and sugarcane.

C. To stress the importance of the elephant in the Thai history.

D. To help people relax themselves by feeding the Thai elephant.

69. You can experience the Festival of Colors in _______.

A. South Korea B. Thailand C. the Netherlands D. India

70. What is the main purpose of the text?

A. To tell people how to enjoy and relax themselves.

B. To introduce some unique festivals around the world.

C. To get people to celebrate different kinds of customs.

D. To show the importance of celebrating different festivals.