Passage 1

    The Information Highway is the road that links computer users to a large number of on-line services: the Web, e-mail, and software, to mention just a few. Not long ago, the information Highway was a new road, with not many users. Now, everyone seems to want to take a drive, with over 30 million families connected worldwide. Not surprisingly, this well-traveled highway is starting to look like a well-traveled highway. Traffic jams can cause many serious problems, forcing the system to close down for repair. Naturally, accidents will happen on such a crowded road, and usually victims are some files, gone forever. Then, of course, there's Mr. Cool, with his new broad-band connection, who speeds down the highway faster than most of us can go. But don't trick yourself; he pays for that speeding.

Passage 2

    Want to know more about global warming and how you can help prevent it? Doctor Herman Friedman, who is considered a leading expert on the subject, will speak at Grayson Hall next Friday. Friedman studied environmental science at three well-known universities around the world before becoming a professor in the subject. He has also traveled around the world observing environmental concerns. The gradual bleaching (变白) of the Grate Barrier Reef, which came into the public eye in 2002, is his latest interest. Signed copies of his colorful book, which was published just last month, will be on sale after his talk.

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    Steven Spielberg never fails to blow us away with his imagination.

    The US director's latest film Ready Player One, which was released in Chinese mainland cinemas on March 30, is a story set in the year 2045, when people escape their hopeless everyday lives by putting on a VR mask and entering a virtual (虚拟的) world named Oasis. This fantasy land is filled with characters and settings right out of classic films and videogames like The Shining and Overwatch. It's a feast both for the eyes and mind. And at the age of 71, Spielberg is still “at the top of his game”, wrote reporter Rafer Guzman on Newsday.

    Indeed, Spielberg has always been a gamer himself or rather a game changer. When his thriller Jaws came out in 1975, it struck a chord (引起共鸣) with audiences all over the world and kept people from going swimming for fear. The film was also the first example of what we now know as summer blockbusters.

    “Jaws invented that form of pleasurable entertainment, wrote Stephen Marche on Esquire. It also turned sharks, in the popular imagination, from fish into monsters.”

    And again, in his 1982 film E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial Spielberg challenged people's beliefs that aliens are something to be feared by telling a story about a loving friendship between a space creature and a little boy. “Spielberg redefined popular sci-fi”, wrote Marc Lee on The Telegraph. “Extra-terrestrials no longer had to be a threat to humanity: the universe, he was saying, is also full of awe and wonder.”

    Now comes Ready Player One. When Wade Watts, the film's teenage protagonist (主角), finally prevents Oasis from falling into the wrong hands, he's given ownership of the virtual world by its late designer James Halliday. But Watts makes a decision that he hopes will make people want to appreciate their real lives, instead of spending all their free time escaping reality in Oasis, which is a real-life message that Spielberg is trying to deliver to the audience.

    Young people and older people do not always agree with each other. They sometimes have different ideas about living, working and playing. But in one special program in New York State, adults and teenagers live together in a friendly way.

    Each summer 200 teenagers and 50 adults live together for eight weeks as members of a special work group. Everyone works several hours each day. They do so not just to keep busy but to find meaning and enjoyment in work. Some teenagers work in the woods or on the farms near the village. Some learn to make things like tables and chairs and to build houses. The adults teach them these skills.

    There are several free hours each day. Weekends are free, too. During the free hours some of the teenagers learn photo-taking or painting. Others sit around and talk or sing. Each teenager chooses his own way to spend his free time.

    When people live together, rules are necessary. In this program, the teenagers and the adults make the rules together. If someone breaks a rule, the problem goes before the whole group. They talk about it and ask, “Why did it happen? What should we do about it?”

    One of the teenagers has this to say about the experience, “You stop thinking only about yourself. You learn how to think about the group.”

    It's not just adults who have a thing or two to discuss with other people, babies too have their own social lives and enjoy group interaction, according to a world-first study.

    The breakthrough study conducted by psychologist Professor Ben Bradley, at Charles Sturt University, could completely transform the way child-care centres are set up. In their study, the researchers examined groups of nine-month-old babies in New South Wales and Britain.

    And they came across astounding (令人吃惊的) results. It was found that infants had "social brains" and focused not just on their mothers but on social life in groups as well.

    "They communicate with more than one baby at once, and show jealousy and generousness," said Professor Bradley.

    He added, "They develop their own meanings through group interaction, they notice if a group member is behaving differently and they take on roles, such as leaders and followers."

    "A baby who has a depressed mother tends to be withdrawn (内向的), but put that same baby in a group of its peers (同龄人) and they behave and interact like any other baby."

    It was the first all-baby group study ever to be conducted. "Most studies of babies concentrate on the infant-mother relationship, assuming that is the single foundation for mental health, but babies are constantly involved with groups of people other than their mothers, fathers, siblings, grandparents and those taking care. Therefore, the mother-baby approach needs to be combined with a group approach," said Bradley.

    Phoebe Christison, a child-care worker at Camperdown Sunshine Bubs in Sydney's inner west, said she often noticed what appeared to be emotional attachments developed between toddlers.

    She said, "Joel (1) months and Isabella (2) months always like to hold hands when they sit in their high chairs and eat. And babies definitely show jealousy. They push and touch each other, and copy what the other is doing."

    Unemployment in the United States is still high at 6.7％. But for job seekers, especially those with college educations, researchers say finding a job can be as easy as logging(登录)on to a computer. It used to be that looking for a job meant hurrying around, knocking on doors and turning to ads. But that's changing, thanks to the Internet. A new report says, for college graduates, looking for a job is getting easier. More than 80 percent of the jobs are available online.

    At the height of the depression(萧条), in the U. S. the highest unemployment rate was 10％, just a little more than two million jobs were being posted each month. But as the recovery takes hold, the job picture looks increasingly bright.

    That's great news for Hamilton. Only once has he ever applied in person for a job at a shopping mall. He said, "I think my generation—the idea of going door to door, out knocking and saying, hey are you hiring? —like that—doesn't exist anymore…those days are gone. Just go online.''

Kim Dancy recently graduated with a master's degree in Public Policy. She found her dream job as an education policy researcher. But she says finding the perfect job online takes a lot of perseverance. She said, "It can be really frustrating and it takes a long time, but if you applied for enough positions and really do your homework you will get somewhere.

    The report's findings suggest careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math provide the greatest opportunities, with salaries that range between $30 to $45 an hour. But for maximum income and satisfaction, workers must be prepared to move and change jobs at least every five years.

Young Adult Groups

    ●Around the World in 80 Books — 9,186 members

    If you love exploring the world through books, you have come to the right place! It all started as a challenge on TNBBC in 2009, and now we have our own group! Challenge participation is not a requirement of joining. Anyone who loves reading books is welcome.

    Website: http: //www.worldinbooks.com

    Rules: Respect each other's opinions and have fun!

    ●Readers That Love Giveaways — 734 members

    This group is for readers that enjoy entering give-aways and finding freebies(免费物)! Follow us for the newestbargain, discounted, and free e-books, as well as new releases and book recommendations. Website: http://www.fireandicebooktours.com

    Rules: Please share your items in the appropriate folders!

    ●Book Loving Kiwis — 706 members

    A group for New Zealand book lovers（and authors）and lovers of New Zealand books（and books in general）. Aplace to share what we're reading, introduce books we have written, and discuss and recommend books. Please recommend us to your friends.

    Website: http://www.kiwisbook.com

    Rules: Enjoy reading! Respect all group members and their opinions.

    ●A Book and a Cappucino — 77 members

    This group is for anyone who likes to read and likes to read at their own pace. It does not matter how much or how little you read. It's just a friendly place to discuss what you're reading and to get ideas for your next read. You can participate as much or as little as you like.

    Website: http://www.bookandcappucino.com

    Rules: Be respectful to all. Everyone has a right to share opinions.