C

　　IT is safe to say that George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), the Irish-born writer, is more famous for being George Bernard Shaw than he is for his writings today. Few of Shaw’s more than 60 plays, novels and essays are performed or read anymore. And yet Shaw genuinely helped make our modern world. Although you’d be lucky to get a chance to see one of his dramas today, in his time he turned the theater into a vehicle for the discussion of social issues, not only in Britain but on the stage of the world. In a way Shaw was someone who created the modern culture of Britain.

　　Where the theater had been dominated by entertainment, Shaw used it to teach people the importance of paying attention to the issues of their day. The plight (苦难) of the poor and the working class, the situation of women and the institutions of society, such as the education system ---- Shaw was among the most well-known figures making these topics central to public debate. His first play, Widowers’ Houses (1892), deals with the question of slum (贫民窟) housing. His Mrs Warren’s Profession (1893) brought a controversial topic to the stage.

　　Shaw was an important mover and shaker in new political movements too. He was an early member of the Fabian Society, which argued for the socialist cause in the UK. Shaw was also the founder (in 1895) of one of the now most famous colleges in the world, the London School of Economics.

　　If few of his works have really stood the test of time, many of his quotations have become part of the furniture of the English language. “Youth is wasted on the young,” he wrote. He also knew how to sum up a political philosophy(哲学) in a few memorable words. For instance: “A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.”

63. Shaw’s influence on the modern world comes mainly from ______.

　A. the changes he brought to the British culture

　B. his philosophies on the role of government

　C. his awareness of social problems of his day

　D. the support for the London School of Economics

64. Widowers’ Houses is a play that mainly focuses on ______.

　A. the failure of the UK education system

　B. the housing problems of poor people

　C. robbery incidents in slum areas

　D. socialist movements in the UK

65. By describing Shaw’s quotations as “part of the furniture of the English language”, the author means that Shaw’s words ______.

　A. have become the best part of English

　B. have greatly developed the English language

　C. have made the English language philosophical

　D. have become an inseparable part of the English language

66. Which of the following about George Bernard Shaw’s works is TRUE?

　A. They should be adapted for modern readers.

　B. They are mostly about the lives of working class.

　C. They deal with important social issues of their day.

　D. Most of them are still performed on the stage of the world today.

　　　D

BERLIN (Reuters)—Germany’s postal service has announced plans to explore improved service and help protect the environment by getting “fetch friends”—ordinary people traveling across cities—to deliver parcels on their way. 

　　　It is hoped that the move, which will be tested in the coming months, might lessen traffic in inner cities and reduce CO2 emissions(排放). This should help DHL, a division of the German postal service, reach its target of improving the company’s carbon efficiency by 30 percent before 2020.

　　　“As the world’s biggest logistics(物流) provider, we recognize a special responsibility to reduce the impact on the environment as much as possible,” said Frank Appel, Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Post DHL, in a statement referring to a variety of measures being considered.

　　　The “fetch friends” find out online about parcels that need delivering to people who live or work along the way that they are planning to travel through the city. They then select the ones that they want to take.

　　　Codes(编码) sent to their mobile phones tell the volunteers where to pick the packages up. Parcels can be taken part of the way or passed on to another volunteer but all volunteers need to have the right code on their mobile phone so the track and trace system can be updated.

　　　Logistics companies will be responsible for looking after the operation to make sure that the privacy of post is respected.

　　　It’s hoped that this could be done using mobile phones but DHL says it recognizes that some security issues remain to be worked out. 

67. According to the passage, the “fetch friend” program ________.

   A. has been tested for months

   B. aims to reduce the cost of the service

   C. employs environmentalists to help with deliveries

   D. encourages ordinary people to help cut the carbon footprint

68. Which of the following statements is TRUE of DHL?

   A. It belongs to the Germany’s postal service.

   B. It has the most up-to-date tracking system in Germany.

   C. It has succeeded in improving its carbon efficiency by 30%.

   D. It has designed many measures to improve its service speed.

69. What may be a problem with the new service according to the article?

   A. Volunteers’ not allowing to select parcels.

   B. The wrong codes in the mobile phones.

   C. The possibility that parcels could be opened on the way.

   D. Parcels’ being taken to the destination by a single volunteer. 

70. What might be the best Title for the best passage?

   A. New Challenges for the Postal Service

   B. A Greener Way to Deliver Parcels

   C. Solutions for Global Warming

　　D. Statements from DHL 
英语学习  http://www.yggk.net/english/