高中英语阅读表达阅读理解

阅读下面短文并回答问题，然后将答案写到答题卡相应的位置上（请注意问题后的词数要求）。
[1]Global difference in intelligence is a sensitive topic, long filled with a large number of different opinions. But recent data has indeed shown cognitive (认知的) ability to be higher in some countries than in others. What's more, IQ scores have risen as nations develop --- a phenomenon known as the "Flynn effect". Many causes have been put forward for both the intelligence difference and the Flynn effect, including education, income, and even non-agricultural labor. Now, a new study from researchers at the University of New Mexico offers another interesting theory：intelligence may be linked to infectious-disease rates.
[2]The brain, say author Christopher Eppig and his colleagues, is the "most costly organ in the human body". Brainpower consumes almost up to 90 percent of a newborn's energy. It's clear that if something affects energy intake while the brain is growing, the impact could be long and serious. And for vast parts of the globe, the biggest threat to a child's body -- and therefore brain ---is parasitic (由寄生虫引起的) infection. These illnesses threaten brain development __________. They can directly attack live tissue, which the body must then try every means to replace. They can invade the digestive pipe and block nutritional intake. They can rob the body's cells for their own reproduction. And then there's the energy channeled (输送) to the immune system to fight the infection.
[3] Using data on national "disease burdens" (life years lost due to infectious diseases) and average intelligence scores, the authors found they are closely associated. The countries with the lowest average IQ scores have the highest disease burdens without exception. On the contrary, nations with low disease burdens top the IQ list.
[4]If the study holds water, it could be revolutionary for our understanding of the still-confusing variation in national intelligence scores.
What is the main idea of the text? (no more than 10 words)
____________________________________________________________________
Complete the following statement with proper words. (no more than 4 words)
Those countries that have the___________ are always at the bottom of the IQ list.
Fill in the blank in Paragraph 2 with proper words. (no more than 5 words)
                                                                     
What can cause intelligence difference? (no more than 8 words)
                                                                     
What does the word "they" (Line 3, Paragraph 3) probably refer to? (no more
than 8 words)
                                                                   

The fourth of July marks the anniversary of America’s Declaration of Independence from Britain. During the summer of 1776, American colonists were deeply divided. Almost one in three was loyal to Britain. Yet most were increasingly angry about what they considered unfair treatment by the British government. By June, fighting had already taken place between colonial forces and Britain. The idea of independence was spreading.
Delegates (代表) from the thirteen colonies gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Continental Congress decided that a document declaring separation from Britain should be declared. Thomas Jefferson led a committee chosen to write it.
On July 4^th, 1776, the Continental Congress voted to approve the Declaration of Independence. It says that people have the right to change their government if it denies them their rights. It states that everyone has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit (追求) of happiness.
Today, the Fourth of July holiday is a time for friends and families to gather. They might play sports and eat hot dogs, hamburgers and other foods cooked outdoors. They might watch a parade in their community. At night, many people gather to watch fireworks bursting in the dark sky.
In Washington, D. C. this year (2011), thousands of people attended a concert with performances by musicians. There was also a huge fireworks show with more than two thousand five hundred shells exploding over the National Mall.
Another event that traditionally took place on the National Mall was the Smithsonian Folk life Festival. This year’s event celebrated the cultures of Mexico and Asian Pacific Americans. Visitors heard the music, eat the food and learn about the many traditions of these cultures.
The third subject of the festival was called “Smithsonian Inside Out”. Smithsonian experts had a chance to present their research and knowledge to the public.
Why was the idea of independence spreading before July 4, 1776? (No more than 10 words)
What right does everyone have according to the Declaration of Independence? (No more than 13 rds)
What does the Fourth of July holiday mean to Americans today? (No more than 10 words)
What happened at “Smithsonian Inside Out” this year (in 2011)? (No more than 12 words)

Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in the numbered blanks by using the information from the passage. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Garlic (大蒜) is one of the most common spices of the kitchen, and the good news is that growing garlic indoors is simple. Garlic can be easily grown at home from individual cloves (瓣), which is the most commonly used form of cultivating garlic than growing garlic from seeds. Here are some useful tips on growing garlic indoors.
Autumn is the best time to plant garlic. Garlic requires enough time to develop strong roots. In warmer climate, it can be delayed to late winter or early spring.
Ensure the container used to grow garlic is large enough for the roots to have enough space to grow. The larger the size of the container, the healthier and bigger the garlic bulbs (鳞茎) will be. The container should also have holes at the bottom so that the water can drain (流走) out easily.
Sow each clove vertically into the soil at a depth of one inch. Ensure that the bluntend (平端) is facing downward. In case of container gardening, the number of cloves to be sowed in each container depends on the size of the container. In case you are planning to sow more than one clove in each container, make sure that each clove is at least 5 inches apart from others.
For the best growth of the garlic plant, choose a sunny spot where there is enough air circulation (流通). This will aid evaporation (蒸发) of too much amount of water and prevent the soil from becoming too damp in case too much watering does occur. Window sill (窗台) is a good place to put your container of garlic plant.
Once the clove has been sowed, cover the soil with a layer of mulch (覆盖物) to protect the roots from extreme cold. Provide fertilizer at the correct time in right amounts, and proper watering. Once the garlic tips start appearing in the spring season, pull back the layer of mulch. Feed the plants once or twice every month with fertilizer.

Items	(1)      on growing garlic indoors.
Time	● It’s best to plant garlic in (2)          ● In warmer climate, it’s also suitable to plant garlic in late winter or early spring.
Container	● Be large enough to (3)           with enough space to grow. ● Have holes at the bottom to (4)            the water to drain out easily.
Sowing	● Sow each clove vertically into the soil one inch (5)          . ● Ensure that the blunt end is facing (6)          . ● Ensure that each clove is at least 5 inches apart from others in a container.
Place	●Choose a sunny spot like window sill having enough(7)                                  to aid evaporation of too much amount of water.
Care	●Cover the soil with a layer of mulch to(8)                                        from extreme cold after sowing the clove. ● Provide right amounts of fertilizer at the correct time. ● Water the clove (9)             . ● (10)                the layer of mulch once the garlic tips start appearing. ● Use fertilizer to feed the plants once or twice a month.

[1] Is the supermarket a place where you listen to music while dragging your feet into it ? Despite the music , supermarket shopping can be interesting . After all , once you’ve chosen those tasty foods , you get to eat them . Before you seize a shopping cart and head for the shopping areas , check out these tips for smart and healthy supermarket shopping.
[2]You can go to a supermarket almost anytime you want-many are open 24 hours . Choosing
        for your food shopping can help you shop smarter .
[3]Don’t shop when you’re hungry
If your stomach is empty when you enter the store , you’ll be crazy when you see all those tasty treats . Eat a healthy meal before you go to the supermarket.
[4]Pick the best supermarket for you
If you have a choice on where to shop , think about the kinds of things that you want the store to have . A salad bar? A great seafood department of bakery? Choose a supermarket that can make your shopping convenient and easy . And once you’ve found a store you like , stick with it . Knowing where to find the things you want in the store will help you find them faster.
[5]Shop during off-peak times
Did you ever get stuck behind a person pushing the cart slowly in front of you because the store was so crowded? Try to avoid stores when they’re likely to be the busiest-after work hours (weekdays between 5 pm and 7 pm ) and weekend mornings , for example . The best time to shop is very early in the morning or on a popular TV night-you can set your VCR, do your shopping , and watch the shows later.
What does the passage mainly tell us ?(no more than 6 words)
                                                  
Why do you avoid the peak times when shopping ? (no more than 6 words)
                                                  
Complete the following sentence with words from paragraph 3. (no more than 3 words)
You’d better not            when you feel very hungry.
Fill in the blank in Paragraph 2 with proper words . (no more than 5 words)
                                                  
What does the word “them” (Line 5, Paragraph 4) probably refer to ? (no more than 4 words)
                                                  

[1]All people have dreams and they obey the rule that if you can dream it, you can achieve it! Here are four goals for people to reach a perfect life in their future.
[2]The first goal common to all of us in health and energy. We all want to be healthy and fit, to have high levels of energy and to live free of pain and illness. Today, with the incredible advances in medical science, the quality of our health and fitness, and our lifespan, is largely determined by design, not by chance. People with excellent health habits are far healthier, have more energy, and live longer and better than people who have poor health habits. Remember that health is not everything, but without health everything is nothing!
[3]The second goal that we all have in common is to enjoy excellent relationships – intimate, personal or social – with the people we like and respect, and who                         is turn. Fully 85% of your happiness will be determined by the quality of your relationships at each stage, and in each area, of your life. How well you get along with people, and how much they     , have more impact on the quality of your life than perhaps any other factor.
The third common goal is to do work that we enjoy, to do it well, and to be well paid for it. You want to be able to get and keep the job you want, to get paid more and promoted (晋升) faster. You want to earn the very most that is possible for you at each stage of your career, whatever you do.
The fourth goal we all have in common is to achieve financial independence. You want to reach the point in life where you have enough money so that you never have any financial worries. You want to be completely free of them. You want to be able to order dinner in a restaurant without referring to the price listing to determine what you want to eat.
What does this passage chiefly talk about? (no more than 12 words)
Fill in the blank in Paragraph 3 with proper words. (no more than 6 words)
Complete the following sentence with proper words according to the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4? (no more than 6 words)
Everybody wants to make                         no matter what job he is engaged in.
Why does the author put health ahead of other goals? (no more than 20 words)
What does the underlined word “them” in the last paragraph probably refer to? (no more than 3 words)                                                      

阅读下面的短文，根据短文后的要求回答问题（注意问题后字数的要求）
Why play games? Because they are fun, and a lot more besides. Following the rules... planning your next move...acting as a team member...these are all "game" ideas that you will come across throughout your life.
Think about some of the games you played as a young child, such as rope-jumping and hide-and-seek. Such game s are entertaining and fun. But perhaps more importantly, they translate life into exciting dreams that teach children some of the basic rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives, such an talking turns and cooperating (合作).
Many children's games have a practical side. Children around the world play games that prepare them for work they will do as grown-ups. For instance, some Saudi Arabian children play a game called bones, which sharpens the hand-eye coordination（协调）needed in hunting.
Many sports encourage national or local pride. The most famous games of all, the Olympic Games, bring athletes from around the world together to take part in friendly competition. People who watch the event wave flags, knowing that a gold medal is a win for an entire country, not just the athlete who carried it. For countries experiencing natural disasters or war, an Olympic win can mean so much.
Sports are also an event that unites people. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. People on all continents play it—some for fun and some for a living. Nicolette Iribarne, a Californian soccer player, has discovered a way to spread hope through soccer. He created a foundation to provide poor children with not only soccer balls but also a promising future.
Next time you play your favorite game or sport, think about why you enjoy it,______, and whether these skills will help you in other aspects of your life. 
what’s the main idea of the passage?(no more than 8 words)
complete the following statement with proper words.(no more than 3 words)
fill in the blank in the last paragraph with proper words. (no more than 6 words)
according to the passage, why is winning Olympic medals so encouraging? (no more than 12 words)
what is they referred to? (no more than 3 words)

阅读下面的短文，并根据短文后的要求答题（请注意问题后的词数要求）
[1]Why play sports? You might say “to get exercise” and you’d be right. To have fun? That’s true, too. But there’s more. In fact, there are at least 5 more reasons. According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, girls who play sports get a lot more than just fit.
[2]Girls who play sports do better in school. You might think that athletics wi1l take up all your study time. But research shows that girls who play sports do better in school than those who don’t. Exercise improves learning, memory, and concentration, which can give active girls an advantage in the classroom.
[3]Girls who play sports learn teamwork and goal-setting skills. Sports teach valuable life skills. When you work with coaches, trainers, and teammates to win games and achieve goals. you’re learning how to be successful. Those skills will        at work and in family life.
[4] Sports are good for a girl’s health. In addition to being fit and maintaining (维持) a healthy weight, girls who p1ay sports are also less likely to smoke. And later in life, girls who exercise are less likely to get breast cancer or osteoporosis (骨质疏松).
[5]Playing sports builds self-confidence. Girls who play sports feel better about themselves. Why? It builds confidence when you know you can achieve your goals. Sports are also a feel-good activity because they help girls get in shape, maintain a healthy weight, and make new friends.
[6] Exercise cuts the pressure. Playing sports can reduce stress and help you feel a little happier. How? The brain chemicals released during exercise improve a person’s mood. Friends are another mood-lifter. And being on a team creates tight bonds between friends. It’s good to know your teammates will support you—both on and off the field!
What’s the main idea of the text? (no more than 8 words)
List three advantages that exercise can give you when you are in school. (two words for each)
Fill in the blanks in Paragraph 3 with proper words.(no more than 5 words)
Translate the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 into Chinese.
What can lift your mood while playing sports? (no more than l5 words)

[1]Online advertising is simply advertising that is done on the Internet. While it has a much shorter history than traditional advertising, the effects of online advertising can not be undervalued As more people turn to the Internet as a source for daily news, socialization and communication, more advertising dollars are likely to be spent. In fact, in a period of five years, from 2006 to 2010, online advertising                       6 percent of all money spent for advertising, to 12 percent or more.
[2]Online advertising is also quickly becoming a serious force for other types of advertising media to deal with. Newspapers and magazines all over the world are facing a number of different challenges, including loss of ad revenue (广告收益). Many attribute (把……归于) some of those struggles to online advertising, which is not only taking a share of the advertising, but a share of the audience as well.
[3]However, newspapers and magazines are not the only media dealing with lower revenue. The remarkable thing about online advertising is it gives the ads a much wider coverage and its globally wider coverage helps in making the advertisements reach more audiences. Furthermore, because of hypertext (超文本) linking, advertisers have the power to transport potential buyers directly to their site.
[4]Online advertising can be presented in many flexible styles. In some cases, it may not look like advertising at all. There was one case. A video that showed popcorn (爆玉米花) being popped by radiation which was put out from mobile phones was put on the website. While this was later revealed as a trick, the company that put the video online received a large amount of attention. The company sold earphones meant to help limit an individual’s exposure to radiation.
What is the main idea of the text? (no more than 7 words)
Fill in the blank in Paragraph 1 with proper words. (no more than 3 words)
Complete the following statement with proper words according to Paragraph 2. (within 5 words)
Traditional types of advertising media such as newspaper and magazines are suffering      
                because of the serious force of online advertising.
List two benefits of online advertising. (no more than 20 words)
①                      ②                  
What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 4 refer to? (withan 3 words)

The Local Ness Monster is said to be a creature or a group of creatures living in the Loch Ness , a lake near the city of Inverness in northern Scotland.
The first modern sighting occurred on May 2,1993. The newspaper Inverness Courier reported a story of Mr. and Mrs John Mackay, who saw a very large animal rolling and plunging (跳入) into the water. The report attracted thousands of readers, of whom some were brave enough to see and even try to capture the animal.
A photograph taken by surgeon R.K Wilson on April 19,1934 seemed to show a large creature with a long neck gliding through the water. However ,decades later the photo was said to have been faked by Marmaduke Wetherell after he was hired by the Daily Mail.
In 1962, the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau was formed to act as a research organization .Whatever the result of their research is, the Loch Ness has become a real place which attracts millions of tourists every year.
Where is the lake Loch Ness?
When was the first modern sighting?
The underlined word “capture” can be replaced by________?

Many years ago, when I was fresh out of school and working in Denver, I was driving to my parents’ home in Missouri for Christmas. I stopped at a gas station(加油站)about 50 miles from Oklahoma City, where I was planning to stop and visit a friend. While I was standing in line at the cash register(收款台), I said hello to an older couple who were also paying for gas.
I took off, but had gone only a few miles when black smoke poured from the back of my car. I stopped and wondered what I should do. A car pulled up behind me. It was the couple I had spoken to at the gas station. They said they would take me to my friend’s. We chatted on the way into the city, and when I got out of the car, the husband gave me his business card.
I wrote him and his wife a thank-you note for helping me. Soon afterward, I received a Christmas present from them. Their note that came with it said that helping me had made their holidays meaningful.
Years later, I drove to a meeting in a nearby town in the morning. In late afternoon I returned to my car and found that I’d left the lights on all day, and the battery (电池) was dead. Then I noticed that the Friendly Ford dealership—a shop selling cars — was right next door. I walked over and found two salesmen in the showroom.
“Just how friendly is Friendly Ford?” I asked and explained my trouble. They quickly drove a pickup truck to my car and started it. They would accept no payment, so when I got home, I wrote them a note to say thanks. I received a letter back from one of the salesmen. No one had ever taken the time to write him and say thank you, and it meant a lot, he said.
“Thank you” —two powerful words. They’re easy to say and mean so much.
Why did the author plan to stop at Oklahoma City?
(No more than 5 words)                                       (2 marks)
________________________________________________________________________________
What happened when the author found smoke coming out of his car?
(No more than 10 words)                                      (2 marks)
________________________________________________________________________________
Why was the battery of the author’s car dead?
(No more than 10 words)                                      (3 marks)
________________________________________________________________________________
What does the author tries to show by telling his own experiences?
(No more than 12 words)                                      (3 marks)
________________________________________________________________________________

Directions: Read the following passage．Answer the questions according to the information
given in the passage.
Why should you keep exercising even when cold temperatures make you want to hide under the covers? With the temperatures dropping at this time of year, many of us tend to hibernate (冬眠) inside our homes. But, hibernating is for bears. As humans it’s important to stay active through all four seasons. Yet, a poll of 5,000 people found that 30 percent get no exercise at all during the winter months.
Just because it is cold outside it is no excuse not to exercise. There are many exercise choices one can choose to take part in regardless of the cold weather. Depending on your location and likes, you can choose to exercise inside or outside.
All that is required for winter-time exercise is some planning and the following of some safety tips. If you prefer to exercise outside, keep the following tips in mind.
Get warm first. A proper warm-up is critical. Cold temperatures can make your muscles tight and therefore they are easier to be injured. So, it’s important to get them warm-up before intense (激烈的) physical activity.
No sweat. Don’t assume that you have to sweat in order to get a good workout. You should avoid sweating that causes the clothing layer closest to your skin to get wet and cause you to be cold.
Don’t undress when you get inside. While you may want to immediately remove your layers when returning inside, you should give your body time to adjust.
Drink up. It’s just as important to stay hydrated (含水的) when exercising in winter as it is in summer, even though you might not feel as thirsty.
Be seen. If possible, it’s best to exercise outdoors during daylight areas. If you exercise outdoors when it is dark, wear reflective (反光的) materials to ensure that you can be seen.
By staying fit during winter, you’ll be able to avoid gaining weight and losing strength caused from inactivity.
Why is it important to get your muscles warmed-up before intense physical activity? (no more than 16 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________
What are needed for exercising in winter? (no more than 6 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________
What are the advantages of staying fit during winter? (no more than 9 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________
What’s the main idea of the text? (no more than 4 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________

Directions: Read the following passage．Fill in the numbered blanks by using the information from the passage．Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer．
In a society such as the United States or Canada, which has many national, religious and cultural differences, people highly value individualism—the differences among people. Teachers place a lot of importance on the qualities that make each student special. The educational systems in these countries show these values. Students do not memorize information. Instead, they work on their own and find answers themselves. There is often a discussion in the classroom. At an early age, students learn to form their own ideas and opinions.
In most Asian societies, by contrast, people have the same language, history and culture. Perhaps for this reason, the educational system in these Asian countries reflects society’s belief in group goals and purposes rather than individualism. Children in China, Japan and Korea often work together and help one another on assignments.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both of these systems of education. For example, one advantage of the system in Japan is that students there learn much more maths and science than American students learn by the end of high school. They also study more hours each day and more days each year than North Americans do. The system is difficult, but it prepares students for a society that values discipline and self-control. There is, however, a disadvantage. Memorization is an important learning method in Japanese schools, but many students say that after an exam, they forget much of the information they have memorized.
The advantage of educational system in North America, on the other hand, is that students learn to think for themselves. The system prepares them for a society that values creative ideas. There is, however, a disadvantage. When students graduate from high school, they haven’t memorized as much basic rules as students in other countries have.
Title: A comparison of two different educational systems

71__________	Features of education	72 __________	Disadvantage
The United States and Canada	● 73__________ ●emphasizing qualit- -ies making each student special	●learning to 74 ________ ●preparing them for a society valuing creative ideas	75 ________
Asian countries such as China, 76__________	● 77__________ in group goals and purposes	●learning much more 78______ than American  students do ●studying more hours each day and more days each year ●preparing students for a society valuing 79________	forgetting much of 80_______

It seems that the Englishman just cannot live without sports of some kinds. A famous French humorist once said that this is because the English insist on behaving like children all their lives. Wherever you go in this country, you will see both children and grown-ups knocking a ball about with a stick or something, as if in Britain men always remains boys and women girls! Still, it can never be bad to get exercise, can it?
Taking all amateur﹙业余的﹚ and professional﹙职业的﹚sports in Britain into consideration, there can be no doubt that football is at the top of the list. It is called soccer in the US. The game started in Britain and was played in the Middle Ages or even earlier, though as an organized game, or association football, it dates only from the beginning of the 19^th century.
The next is rugby, which is called football in the US. It is a kind of football played by two teams of fifteen players rather than eleven. In rugby, an oval-shaped﹙椭圆形的﹚ball is used which can be held by hand as well as kicked. It is a pretty rough game.
In summer, cricket is the most popular sport. In fact, it has sometimes been called the English national game. Most foreigners find the game rather slow or even boring, but it enjoys great popularity among the British.
Tennis rates high on the list, too. It was introduced into England from France in the 15^th century, but it was from England that it spread to almost every country in the world.
Table tennis, or ping-pong, surely is not played as much as it is in China and Japan. Basketball and volleyball were introduced into Britain during the late 19^th century from America and are gaining popularity. Horse-back riding, swimming, rowing and golf all attract a lot of people.
What’s the main purpose of Paragraph 1? ﹙no more than 11 words﹚
                                                                            
What are the differences between football and rugby from the passage? ﹙no more than 10 words﹚
                                                                            
According to the passage, which games were never played in Britain until the late 19^th century? ﹙no more than 3 words﹚
                                                                            
What is the best title for this passage in your opinion? ﹙no more than 4 words﹚
                                                                             

It's every student's dream to do well in the national college entrance examination and enter a good university. In the eyes of students and parents, a good university should have a high ranking, and the employment rate of its graduates should be high. But be careful! The employment rate they tell you might not always be true.
Recently, people created a Chinese phrase "bei jiuye", which has become popular on the Internet almost overnight across China. The word "bei" has a grammatical use in Chinese: it has a function similar to the passive voice in English. But now people often use it to express their doubts about something. Here, the phrase "bei jiuye" has the literal meaning of "to be hired", but people understand that it really means "to be hired without one's knowledge" or "be hired for jobs that may not exist at all".
The story of "bei jiuye" goes like this. Zhao Dongdong, a graduate of a university in Shanxi province, was surprised to find that he got a job from a company he never applied to, which he wasn't even sure was a real place. On his last day of graduation ceremonies, he was surprised to come across the employment contract.
"God! At that time, I had not landed a job yet, but they gave me an employment contract! I wondered who on earth signed the contract with the company." When Zhao made a phone call to the company to check it out, no one answered.
He was not the only one in his college who was "hired" for a job that did not exist. One of his classmates signed a contract with a company called Xi'an Beilin Industrial Corporation, which could not be found on the Internet either. In the end, it turned out that the college had faked the contract to make it seem like the employment rate for new graduates was higher than that. By doing this, the college could build up a "good" reputation that could help it attract new students.
"Bei jiuye" is just one of many hot "bei" words on the Internet. See some of them in "Bonus". The use of "bei" is a satirical (讽刺的) way for the public to express its helplessness and criticize abuses of power, some people say. People also use "bei" words to bring attention to social problems, hoping they will be noticed by authorities.

Standards of students’ and parents’ 1.__________	Having a high ranking
Having a high 2.______________
3._______ of the phrase “ Bei jiuye”	To be hired 4._________
To be hired with no knowledge or for 5.__________ jobs
6._________ of the appearance of the phrase “ Bei jiuye”	Seemingly 7. __________ rate for new graduates
To 8.___________
9.__________ to the hot phrase “Bei jiuye”on the Internet	A way of expressing helpless and 10.__________ A way of fixing attention to social problems and being noticed by authorities

 

Chinese White Collars（白领） Go Down on the Farm
The latest craze among China’s white collar workers, reported in the British newspaper the Daily Telegraph, is an online virtual agricultural game called “Happy Farm.” Virtual farmers can visit each other’s farm, trade livestock and can use real cash to buy virtual (虚拟的) items such as special tools, quality seeds, and animals. The free game is played through social networking sites like kaixin001.com, Face book or xiaonei.com.
Urban office workers can escape the pressures and stresses of everyday life and enter a peaceful virtual existence where players can grow vegetables, practice animal farming and receive satisfaction that comes with a hard-won harvest. Because most Chinese white collars have little amusement after work, Happy Farm gives them a virtual world to make their dreams come true.
Global Times, an English language daily based in Beijing, recently reported that there are more than 15 million Chinese urbanites spending more than five hours a day on their virtual “farms.”
According to the English language website of the People’s Daily newspaper, the increased interest in farming among some urban office workers has resulted in some of them becoming real hobby farmers, tending small plots of land in their free time. Mr. Liu, a white collar worker, has rented a piece of farmland for RMB 3000. Mr. Liu and his family like to drive down to their farm on the weekend and do different farming tasks such as watering, weeding, fertilizing and worming. Later on, cabins will be built on agricultural land making it possible for part-time farmers like Mr. Liu to stay on their land for two weeks enabling them to get a little taste of a farmer’s life.
It is a rather interesting social development that some of urban office workers are becoming interested in farming and agriculture, while large numbers of farmers and agricultural workers continue to move to the cities.
What is “Happy Farm”? (No more than 7 words)
Why do more and more Chinese white collars go down on Happy Farm?
(No more than 14 words)
List 4 farming tasks Mr. Liu and his family do on their farms. (No more than 5 words)
How long do Chinese urbanites spend on their virtual farms every day? (No more than 4 words)