― I had no idea baseball was popular in Japan，‖ replied Alex.
A few hours later, the Itos and the Godfreys were seated inside the stadium among a crowd of excited fans.
\the crowd in chants and cheers. Mrs. Ito nodded，― I forget that Americans don't have cheerleaders for baseball games. That's the difference between American and Japanese baseball culture.―
― Baseball isn't my cup of tea，but today's game promises to be a good one. The two teams are the best in Japan, ― Mr. Ito added.
Once the game began, Emily and Alex found the game itself didn't seem much different at all from the American baseball games. They were surprised，though，to see people waving American flags from time to time.
Mr. Ito explained, ―Japanese teams are each allowed to have three foreign players. When American players come up to bat，their fans show support by waving your country's flag.\
At the end of the game, Alex and Emily were tired, but their minds were racing with all they had seen in the game.
―Did you have a good day, kids?\
They nodded. ― After today, I have a feeling that American baseball may never be quite as interesting again. \
44. Why did Alex and Emily go to Japan?
A. To teach English. B. To watch a baseball game. C.To live in the country. D. To visit their mother's friend. 45. What did Alex and Emily find about baseball in Japan?
A. Baseball was unpopular in the country. B. Japanese teams had no foreign players.
C. Japanese had cheerleaders for baseball games. D. Japanese had different rules of baseball games.
46. How did Alex and Emily feel when they saw American flags?
A. Surprised. B. Proud. C. Excited. D. Nervous.
47. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Mr. Ito was a baseball fan.
B. Alex and Emily enjoyed the game.
C. Alex and Emily knew nothing about baseball. D. Emily thought American baseball more interesting.
C
Technology has become a necessary and important part of our lives. It has changed our lives greatly. In many ways, it makes life more convenient for us： we can send messages quickly through the Internet, cook meals in a few minutes in a microwave, and book train tickets online instead of walking to the station. However, in our increasingly technology-driven world, have we become addicted to technology?
Not too long ago, many children enjoyed reading a good book in their spare time. Nowadays, teenagers are more likely to be seen playing video games or watching television. Some people even say they can't go without watching their favourite TV programme.
Similarly, sending letters has become a thing of the past. It has been replaced by email, immediate messaging and other social media (媒体）.I think this is a huge shame； for me, there's nothing better than receiving a letter in the post. It shows someone has taken the time to sit down and write something； this is much more private than a conversation online. And for some people， especially the old, new ways of communication aren't so easy to use. I often send letters and postcards to my grandma to tell her about my life in France.
The presence of social media has, in some ways, turned us into anti-social beings. Instead of meeting up with friends and seeing them face to face, we now spend a lot of lime communicating online. Although online communication has its advantages — especially，enabling us to keep in touch with loved ones in different countries, we shouldn't forget the value of real-life human interaction. It is, after all, in our nature to socialize with others！
Admittedly (诚然)，I spend a lot of time using technology. I depend on the Internet and my laptop to plan lessons for my classes. I use wifi on my phone to send messages via apps such as Viber and Snapchal. Even so, when I'm on holiday it is nice to turn it all off and have a break. Taking a break from technology is setting yourself free.
48. The phrase \― ___________ ―. A. skillful at B. interested in C. dependent on D. disappointed at 49. What does the writer think of sending letters? A. It wastes a lot of time and energy.
B. It's something out-of-date and shameful.
C. It's a better way to communicate with relatives.
D. It's a more personal and caring way of communication. 50. From Paragraph 4 we know that the writer thinks . A. social media makes people separated and lonely B. it's important for people to communicate face to face
C. people have better skills in communication because of social media
D. online communication has more advantages than real-life communication 51. What's the writer's purpose of writing this passage? A. To direct people to spend free time properly.
B. To remind people to make reasonable use of technology. C. To encourage people to take full advantage of social media. D. To advise people to communicate with each other more often.