The Entropia Universe

The Entropia Universe is a virtual world on the Internet, which seems very like our real life.It is set in a distant future and based on a planet called Calypso.Entropia was the brainchild of a group of Swedish computer lovers who decided to see if they could create a three dimensional (維度的) virtual world that could be placed on the Internet.They did manage after they received the financial backing they needed.

The game can be played for free, but nearly all in-game activities require personal resources that you have available to use.Although there are various activities to keep you busy on Calypso, what most people do first is to find themselves a profession, such as hunting the fierce animals on Calypso, mining the precious minerals and making tools.Then they can think about buying their virtual house or paying a visit to a virtual nightclub or doing any of the other activities that make life bearable.

Entropia has its very own economy (經(jīng)濟) and its own currency, the PED (Project Entropia Dollars).Players move real world money into PED which they then use to pay for their life on Calypso.However, the virtual things inside Entropia do have a real value in the outside world, and careful business deals mean that players can actually make real money there.PED can be changed into dollars any time at a rate of 10PED to 1US$.

What’s so impressive about The Entropia Universe is the number of players; currently more than 600,000 representing over 220 countries from planet Earth.A number of players insist that it’s a good way to make money.However, the reality of Entropia’s economic system is that most people end up paying more than they earn and it’s not uncommon to find players who are paying up to $200 a month into their PED account.This might not be the most economical way of spending one’s free time.However, some people say that for them the fact that they can escape the realities of the earthbound life and become a different person with a completely different life for a few hours every week is worth the use of money, even if they don’t get any interest rates on it.

1.What can we learn about The Entropia Universe?

A. It costs nothing to join.

B. It focuses on business plans.

C. It is designed for computer lovers.

D. It presents what life is like on other planets.

2.What does Paragraph 2 mainly talk about?

A. What people do on Calypso.

B. When people buy houses there.

C. How people make life bearable.

D. Why people often find a job first.

3.According to the author, playing on The Entropia Universe ______.

A. may be very annoying

B. can be quite expensive

C. is a cheap way to kill time

D. is a good way to earn money

4.What can be inferred about The Entropia Universe?

A. It is technical.

B. It is satisfying.

C. It is ridiculous.

D. It is educational.

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D. call on the government to do more to help poor parents with school-age children

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You may not pay much attention to your daily elevator ride.Many of us use a lift several times during the day without really thinking about it.But Lee Gray,PhD,of the University of North Carolina,US,has made it his business to examine this overlooked form of public transport.He is known as the “Elevator Guy”.

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2.Which of the following describes how people usually stand when there are at least two people in an elevator?

A.

B.

C.

D.

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B. a lack of space

C. their unfamiliarity with one another

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【小題】What’s the passage mainly about _____.

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