牛津读物.doc

The Internet We are all busy talking about and using the Internet, but how many of us know the history of the Internet? Many people are surprised when they find that the Internet was set up (建立) in the 1960s. At that time, computers were large and expensive. Computer networks didn’t work well. If one computer in the network broke down, then the whole network stopped. So a new network system (系统) had to be set up. It should be good enough to be used by many different computers. If part of the network was not working, information could be sent through another part. In this way computer network system would keep on working all the time. At first, the Internet was only used by the government, but in the early 1970s, universities, hospitals and banks were allowed to use it, too. However, computers were still very expensive and the Internet was difficult to use. By the start of 1990s, computers became cheaper and easier to use. Scientists had also developed software that made “surfing” the Internet easier. Today it is easy to get online and it is said that millions of people use the Internet every day. Sending e-mails is more and more popular among young people. The Internet now has become one of the most important parts in people’s life. Choose the best answer according to the passage. 1. How long has the Internet been used? A. For about 10 years. B. For about 20 years. C. More than 40 years. D. More than 60 years. 2. What would happen when one computer in the network broke down after the new network system was set up? A. The other computers would wait. B. The other computers would still work. C. Some of the others still worked. D. The other computers wouldn’t work. 3. Which of the following used the Internet first? A. Hospitals. B. Universities. C. Banks. D. The government. 4. What can we infer (推断) from the last sentence? A. People will die without the Internet. B. All people should set up their own network. C. People live easily without the Inter