题目内容
——It’s _____ to rain.
——Let’s get the work _____ before the rain comes.
A. likely; to be finished B. probable; to be done
C. possible; to be finished D. likely; done
D
解析:
略
Why are we addicted to upgrades? According to Donald Norman, American author of the book The Design of Everyday Things, “planned obsolescence”（计划性报废） is the trick behind the upgrading culture of today’s consumer electronics industry.
The New York Times cited Norman last month, saying that electronics manufactures strategically release new upgrades periodically, both for hardware and software, so that customers on every level feel the need to buy the newest version.
“This is an old-time trick– they’re not inventing anything new,” he said.
Thomas Wensma, a Dutch designer, despises the “planned obsolescence” of companies, as recently reported by UK-based The Guardian.
Wensma said this is a wasteful system through which companies – many of them producing personal electronics – release shoddy products simply because “they know that, in six months or a year, they’ll put out a new one”.
But the new psychology of consumers is part of this system, as Wensma said to the newspaper: “We now want something new, something pretty, the next shiny thing.”
____________________
“It’s to the damage of the consumer and the environment,” as the New York Times quoted Norman. “But perhaps to the betterment of the stockholder.”
In its most recent fiscal(财务的) year, Apple’s profit margin was more than 21 percent, reported the Los Angeles Times. At Hewlett-Packard, the world’s biggest PC manufacturer, it was only 7 percent.
“Steven Jobs pushed the principle of ‘planned obsolescence’ to new heights,” the newspaper commented on the company’s profits and marketing strategy. “Apple’s annual upgrades of its products generate sales of millions of units as owners of one year’s MacBook or iPhone line up to buy the newest version, even when the changes are incremental.”
Peer pressure
As to Li Jijia, the need for upgrading his smart phone comes mainly from friends and classmates. When the majority of friends are switching to the latest devices, he worries about feeling left out.
“Some apps and games require better hardware to run,” said Li. “If you don’t join in, you lose part of the connection to your friends.”
【小题1】Donald Norman believes that electronics makers strategically release new upgrades periodically because __________.
| A．customers need the latest version | B．technology is developing so fast |
| C．they want to invent something new | D．they can make a lot of money |
| A．positive | B．negative | C．indifferent | D．neutral |
| A．Huge profits | B．Apple’s principle |
| C．Environmental damage | D．Marketing strategy |
| A．the new psychology of consumers is also to blame for the wasteful system |
| B．young people are always fond of something new, pretty and shiny |
| C．if you don’t upgrade your smart phone, you will lose contact with your friends |
| D．needs of consumers help to promote the development of electronics industry |
Anthony Horowitz was miserable as child. He was, as he put it, “not very bright” and couldn’t win the attention of his very wealthy parents, who preferred his “clever” older brother. At age 8, Horowitz was sent away to an abusive boarding school in his native England, even though he screamed and pleaded(恳求) with his parents year after year not to send him. “The thought was, It’ll be good for him,” he recalled.
It was not. Horowitz did badly in his studies, had few friends and was bullied (欺负) for five yea
rs. “My teachers couldn't have had a lower opinion of me,” he said. “I wasn't even smart enough to rebel . The one thing I remember from the very earliest age was this desire to write. When I was 10 years old, I remember asking my parents to get me a typewriter for my birthday because I wanted to be a writer.”
Now, at age of 55, Horowitz is one of the world's most successful children's book authors. His Alex Rider series has sold more than 5 million copies, and the eighth book featuring the young spy, Crocodile Tears, came out this month.
The Alex Rider books tell the adventures of 14-year-old Alex Rider, an agent for the British intelligence agency M16.
Horowitz said he doesn't try to write for kids; it just comes out that way. “I have a feeling it's to do with purity and simplicity. I give as little information as is necessary to describe the room, the character in the room, and get on with the action,” he said.
The style has also made Horowitz a successful writer of television shows for adults in Britain because, he says, writing books for kids is a lot like writing television for grown-ups: In both cases, it's all about entertaining people with a good story.
Now, Horowitz couldn't be happier with his life. He sums up his success: “…you can be anything you want to be if you just believe in yourself. I do believe it completely.”
【小题1】In the boarding school, Horowitz’s teachers .
| A．often criticized him | B．showed great concern for him |
| C．taught him how to write stories | D．thought little about his ability |
| A．He was the beloved child of his family. |
| B．He benefited a lot from boarding school. |
| C．He emphasizes the plot rather than character in stories. |
| D．Although he is successful, he isn’t very happy. |
| A．Confidence is the key to success. | B．Hardship teaches valuable lessons. |
| C．Interest is the best teacher. | D．Industry is the parent of success. |
hich section can you most probably read the passage?| A．Campus Trends | B．Culture & Leisure |
| C．Our World | D．Science Life |
NEW YORK (AP) — In a report, the Pew Internet and American Life Project said 47 percent of U.S. adult Internet users have looked for information about themselves through Google or another search engine.
That is more than twice the 22 percent of users who did in 2002, but Pew senior research specialist Mary Madden was surprised that the growth wasn’t higher than it had been expected.
“Yes it’s doubled, but it’s still the case that there’s a big chunk of Internet users who have never done this simple act of connecting their names with search engines,” she said. “Certainly more and more people have become aware of this, but I don’t know it’s necessarily kept pace with the amount of content we post about ourselves or what others post about us.”
About 60 percent of Internet users said they aren’t worried about the extent of information about themselves online, although they are increasingly concerned over how that data can be used.
Americans under 50 and those with more education and income were more likely to self-Google---in some cases because their jobs demand a certain online persona(形象).
Meanwhile, Pew found that 53 percent of adult Internet users admit to looking up information about someone else, famous people not included.
Often, it’s to find someone they’ve lost touch with. But looking up information about friends, relatives, colleagues and neighbors also was common.
Although men and women equally searched for online information about themselves, women were slightly more likely to look up information about someone they are dating.
In many cases, the search is not harmful, done to find someone’s contact information. But a third of those who have conducted searches on others have looked for public records, such as bankruptcies(破产) and divorce proceedings. A similar number have searched for someone else’s photo.
Pew also found that teens were more likely than adults to limit the range of people who can see their information at an online hangout like Facebook or News Corp.’s MySpace, contrary to conventional wisdom.
“Teens are more comfortable with the applications in some ways, (but) I also think they have their parents and teachers telling them to be very careful about what they post and who they share it with,” Madden said.
【小题1】 Mary Madden was surprised at the result that ______.
| A．fewer and fewer adult Internet users are looking for information about themselves |
| B．the number of adult Internet users looking for information about themselves has doubled |
| C．more adult Internet users should have looked for information about themselves |
| D．so many people don’t know how to connect their names with search engines |
| A．they are not rich enough to get a computer |
| B．they are not well educated |
| C．they don’t know they can look for their own information on the Internet |
| D．they think it unnecessary to look for their own information on the Internet |
| A．Teens. | B．Women. | C．The old. | D．The educated. |
| A．see what they are doing | B．find someone they have lost touch with |
| C．have a look at their photos | D．know their perso nal affairs |
Having put down your pens at the end of the college entrance exam, you have ended 12 years of hard study. Forget your studies for a while. It's time to enjoy yourselves!
There are many ways to celebrate this special month of graduation. You can have photos taken with your classmates and teachers, or dine out together and exchange gifts.
High school students in Western countries such as the United States and Canada usually have a prom to mark their graduation. It's to mark the time kids turn into young men and women. After the prom, teenagers either go to college or find a job. It means they are no longer as dependent on their parents as they were before.
At the prom, boys usually dress in dinner jackets and bow ties, though many different types of formal clothes are worn. Traditionally, girls give boys matching boutonnieres ( 佩带在扣眼上的花). Girls traditionally wear formal dresses, or dress to shock or be noticed, in shiny or brightly colored materials.
Common prom activities include dining, dancing, the crowning (加冠) of a prom king and queen, and just talking to friends. In some cases, high school students collect funds for their class prom through the four years of their high school.
High schools in or near large cities may rent ballrooms at expensive hotels or, to be unusual, in a pleasure cruise boat.
But often costs are cut by simply using the school gym. Students make a lot of effort to decorate the gym to make the event special. The music played at the prom will be the most popular kinds, like rock and hip-hop.
The students elect the Prom Queen. She is partnered with a Prom King who is elected similarly. These are great honors that the pair take very seriously. The two dance with each other to celebrate their election.
1.The word "prom" is probably closest in meaning with________.
|
A．a party to celebrate graduation |
B．a dancing competition |
|
C．a fashion show |
D．an election ceremony |
2.Which of the following is an economical way to hold the prom?
|
A．Renting a ballroom. |
B．Taking a cruise boat. |
|
C．Holding it in the school gym. |
D．Wearing informal dresses. |
3. What clearly indicates that prom is very important to students?
|
A．Music is played at the prom. |
|
B．They take pictures at the prom. |
|
C．The King and Queen dance with each other. |
|
D．They wear formal clothes or special clothes. |
4.For what do the students just talk to friends at a prom?
|
A．They don't want to get help from their parents. |
|
B．They will part with their friends in a short time. |
|
C．They don't like to be accompanied by their parents. |
|
D．They want to be elected by their friends as the Prom King or Queen. |
5.How is the prom significant to the students?
|
A．They can be relieved from the study pressure. |
|
B．They are going to say goodbye to their friends. |
|
C．They have chances to be elected as the Prom King or Queen. |
|
D．The prom marks the graduation and after it they will be independent. |