Telephone, television radio, and telegraph all help people communicate with each other. Because of these devices, ideas and news of events spread quickly all over the world. For example, within seconds, people can know the results of an election in another country. An international football match comes into the homes of everyone with a television set. News of a disaster such as an earthquake or flood can bring help from distant countries. Within hours, help is on the way. Because of modern technology like the satellites that travel around the world, information travels fast.
How has this speed of communication changed the world? To many people, the world has become smaller. Of course this does not mean that the world is actually physically smaller. It means that the world seems smaller. Two hundred years ago, communication between the continents took a long time. All news was carried on ships that took weeks or even months to cross the oceans. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, it took six weeks for news from Europe to reach Americas. This time difference influenced people's actions For example, one battle, in the War of 1812 between England and the United States could have bt en avoided. A peace agreement had already been signed. Peace was made in England, but the news of peace took six weeks to reach America. During these six weeks, the large and serious Battle of New Orleans was fought. Many people lost their lives after a peace treaty had been signed. They would not have died if news had come in time. In the past, communication took much more time than it does now.
单选题 News spreads fast because of______.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】该题为目的原因题，可去原文开头处寻找表示原因、目的、结果的信号词。由首段末句Because of modern technology like thesatellites that travel around the world，information travels fast．可知答案为B)。
单选题 According to this passage,______is very important to people in a disaster area.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】由题干中的disaster定位至首段第五句，该句指出地震或者洪涝灾害的消息能够帮助人们从遥远的国家获得帮助。由此可知，对于受灾地区的人们来说，快速的信息交流是最重要的，因此答案应为C)。
单选题 What can be inferred from the second paragraph?
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】由题干中的the second paragraph和选项中的The world定位至第二段前半部分。该部分指出通讯速度的提高改变了这个世界，对很多人来说世界变小了，当然这不是说世界真的变小了，而是说交流速度的加快使人们感觉世界像是变小了。由此可知B)符合文意，为本题的正确答案。
单选题 Two hundred years ago, news between the continents was carried______.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】由题干中的Two hundred years ago定位至第二段第五、六句。文中明确指出二百年前大洲之间传播消息需要花费很长时间，所有的消息都要船运几个周甚至几个月才能漂洋过海，由此可知答案为B)。
单选题 The New Orleans Battle could have been avoided if the peace agreement had been signed______.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】利用专有名词The New OrleansBattle可将答案定位至：艾章结尾处。分析定位句可知，作者提及这场战争是作为例子，用以说明二百年前的洲际通讯速度非常缓慢，影响到了人们的行为。因此可以推断，如果和平协议是在美国签署，就无需花费漫长的时间将消息从英国传至美国，这场战争就有可能避免。