Clothes can make phone calls, play music, dial your pal's number, keep you warm during cold weather and operate your computer.
This is not a fantasy. A British company, called Electrotextiles, has created a wide range of clothes—clothes that have minds of their own! Scientists, working for the company, have invented a kind of fabric that can be blended (混合) with flexible electronic materials to create intelligent clothing. The results are electronic garments.
If you think the wearer has to be wired to different devices, think again. These designer clothes are wire-­free, soft to touch and washable! Like any electronic device, these high-­tech clothes have to be powered. Currently, a tiny nine-­volt battery serves the purpose. But the researchers hope that in the near future the clothes will generate electricity by using body heat. These clothes are 100% shock ­proof, they say.
The Electrotextiles team has also created the world's first cloth keyboard. This keyboard can be sewn into your trousers or skirt. To use this device, you will have to sit down and tap on your lap! These “lap-­tap” gadgets (器具)are all set to take over laptop computers!
Another useful garment is the shirt­-cum-­mobile phone. This handy invention enables drivers to chat comfortably with others at the wheel! Other popular electronic wear include the denim(牛仔布) jacket with flexible earphones sewn into the hood(风帽) and the electronic ski jacket with a built-­in heater. The ski jacket is also programmed to send signals to a satellite. This technology is known as global positioning system and can be used to track lost skiers and wandering kids.
Having completed the cloth keyboard, scientists have already started to work on a new project—a necktie that can be used as a computer mouse. What is the next? Do you have any idea?
【小题1】The electronic garments are similar to other electronic devices in that________.

A.they use electricity to generate power
B.they feel smooth and soft
C.they can be washed in water
D.they are made from flexible materials
【小题2】How will researchers improve these high­-tech clothes?
A.A tiny nine­-volt battery will work.
B.The wearer will not get shocked.
C. Body heat will be used to generate electricity
D.They will get charged automatically.
【小题3】What does the underlined phrase “This handy invention” in Paragraph 5 refer to?
A.The laptop computer.
B.The electronic ski jacket.
C.The shirt-­cum-­mobile phone.
D.The world's first cloth keyboard.
【小题4】If you are going on a ski adventure, which device do you need?
A.The cloth keyboard.
B.The electronic ski jacket.
C.The necktie to be used as a mouse.
D.The denim jacket with earphones.
【小题5】The main purpose of the text is________.
A.to advertise for an English company
B.to predict the future trend of science
C.to show how rapidly science develops
D.to introduce some intelligent clothing

If you are ever lucky to be invited to a formal dinner party in Paris,remember that the French have their own way of doing things, and that even your finest manners may not be “correct” by French custom.For example,if you think showing up promptly(迅速地)at the time given on the invitation,armed with gifts of wine and roses,complimenting(称赞)your hostess on her cooking,laughing heartily at the host’s jokes and then leaping up to help the hostess will make you the perfect guest,think again.
Here Madame Nora Chabal,the marketing director of the Ritz Hotel in Paris,explained how it works.
The first duty of the guest is to respond to the invitation within 48 hours.And,the guest may not ask to bring a guest because the hostess has chosen her own.
Flowers sent ahead of schedule are the preferred gift.They may also be sent afterwards with a thank–you note.It is considered a very bad form to arrive with a gift of flowers vase when she is too busy to do with that.
See,that’s the logic!The type of flowers sent has a code of its own,too.One must never send chrysanthemums(菊花)because they are considered too humble(谦卑)for occasion.Carnations(康乃馨)are considered bad luck,and calla(马蹄莲)are too reminiscent(令人联想)of funerals(葬礼).A bouquet of red roses is a declaration of romantic intent.Don’t send those unless you mean it,and never to a married hostess.And though the French love wine,you must never bring a bottle to a dinner party.Why?It’s as if you feared your hosts would not have enough wine on hand,and that’s an insult(侮辱).You may,however,offer a box of chocolates which the hostess will pass after dinner with coffee.
If an invitation is for eight o’clock,the considerate guest arrives at a quarter past eight.Guests who arrive exactly on time or early are mere thoughtless ones who are not giving the hostess those last few minutes she needs to deal with details and crises.
【小题1】Which of the following is right about sending gifts?

A.If someone in France is dead, send chrysanthemums or calla.
B.If someone in Paris is ill in hospital, send carnations.
C.If you are invited to a dinner party in UK, never bring a bottle of wine, because that’s an insult.
D.If you are invited by a single French hostess whom you love, send red roses.
【小题2】What does the word “considerate” in the last paragraph mean?
A.thoughtful B.shamefulC.respectfulD.grateful
【小题3】If you are invited to a French dinner, the correct custom is to ______.
A.compliment your host on his cooking
B.arrive fifteen minutes behind schedule
C.hurry to help the hostess
D.show up promptly at the time given on the invitation
【小题4】What is the passage mainly about?
A.Different flowers have different meanings
B.How to send flowers
C.Good manners at a French dinner party
D.Different countries have different manners

Clothes can make phone calls, play music, dial your pal's number, keep you warm during cold weather and operate your computer.

This is not a fantasy. A British company, called Electrotextiles, has created a wide range of clothes—clothes that have minds of their own! Scientists, working for the company, have invented a kind of fabric that can be blended (混合) with flexible electronic materials to create intelligent clothing. The results are electronic garments.

If you think the wearer has to be wired to different devices, think again. These designer clothes are wire-­free, soft to touch and washable! Like any electronic device, these high-­tech clothes have to be powered. Currently, a tiny nine-­volt battery serves the purpose. But the researchers hope that in the near future the clothes will generate electricity by using body heat. These clothes are 100% shock ­proof, they say.

The Electrotextiles team has also created the world's first cloth keyboard. This keyboard can be sewn into your trousers or skirt. To use this device, you will have to sit down and tap on your lap! These “lap-­tap” gadgets (器具)are all set to take over laptop computers!

Another useful garment is the shirt­-cum-­mobile phone. This handy invention enables drivers to chat comfortably with others at the wheel! Other popular electronic wear include the denim(牛仔布) jacket with flexible earphones sewn into the hood(风帽) and the electronic ski jacket with a built-­in heater. The ski jacket is also programmed to send signals to a satellite. This technology is known as global positioning system and can be used to track lost skiers and wandering kids.

Having completed the cloth keyboard, scientists have already started to work on a new project—a necktie that can be used as a computer mouse. What is the next? Do you have any idea?

1.The electronic garments are similar to other electronic devices in that________.

A.they use electricity to generate power

B.they feel smooth and soft

C.they can be washed in water

D.they are made from flexible materials

2.How will researchers improve these high­-tech clothes?

A.A tiny nine­-volt battery will work.

B.The wearer will not get shocked.

C. Body heat will be used to generate electricity

D.They will get charged automatically.

3.What does the underlined phrase “This handy invention” in Paragraph 5 refer to?

A.The laptop computer.

B.The electronic ski jacket.

C.The shirt-­cum-­mobile phone.

D.The world's first cloth keyboard.

4.If you are going on a ski adventure, which device do you need?

A.The cloth keyboard.

B.The electronic ski jacket.

C.The necktie to be used as a mouse.

D.The denim jacket with earphones.

5.The main purpose of the text is________.

A.to advertise for an English company

B.to predict the future trend of science

C.to show how rapidly science develops

D.to introduce some intelligent clothing

 

Are you stuck in a rut(车辙)and looking for a change? Fed up of seeing hungry, poor faces on your TV screen and want to do something to help? Perhaps you’ve considered volunteering overseas but ruled it out because you thought you were too old, couldn’t commit enough time, or have a family. If so, think again.

“Over the past five years it has become far safer --- and more professionally acceptable --- to take up a job volunteering overseas,” says David Stitt, managing director of Gap Year for Grown Ups, a company catering for volunteers in their late 20s and upwards. “While 10 years ago intrepid souls took financial and personal risks in volunteering abroad, now several organizations exist to make the experience safe and well-organized.

Nowadays, universities and business encourage overseas volunteering among students and employees. Entire families can volunteer abroad, and agencies are employing more disabled and retired people. A prosperous “humanitarian tourism” industry has sprung up; thousands of UK citizens will do some form of overseas volunteering this year.

“Some volunteering jobs are easier to find than others,” explains Kevin Cusack, from a volunteer advice agency. “If you can speak English, it’s not too hard to land a job teaching English, even without a qualification, and those who enjoy working with children should be able to find child care work.” zxxk

Whether your interest is rainforests or women’s rights, you can find a volunteer position to suit you. But be warned: unless you have relevant skills or existing overseas development experience, it’s going to cost. Just how much depends on the location and length of the position, but you should budget for somewhere between £1,500 and £6,000.

“Having to pay to volunteer may sound paradoxical (矛盾的), but it’s the best way to ensure you get a position that benefits the local community while matching your interests and skills,” explains Cusack.  “You can also discuss the time you want to commit to a project --- many positions can fit into a holiday or even a weekend.”

1.The underlined words “intrepid souls” in Paragraph 2 most probably refers to ___________.

A.companies        B.volunteers         C.fighters           D.students

2.In Kevin Cusack’s opinion, paying to volunteer overseas ___________.

A.must be incredible and unrealistic

B.can help volunteers learn more about another culture

C.may benefit both volunteers and the community they work in

D.needs confidence, courage and determination

3.What can we learn from the text?

A.Disabled people can also take up a job volunteering overseas.

B.In the past no one could take up a job volunteering overseas.

C.“Humanitarian tourism” industry is in its beginning stage.

D.Taking up a job volunteering overseas needs at least £1,500.

4.Where can we most probably read this article?

A.In a job guidebook.

B.In a celebrity biography.

C.In a guidebook to work overseas.

D.In a report on volunteer work.

5.What is the writer’s attitude towards volunteer work?

A.Critical.           B.Unfavorable.       C.Supportive.        D.Disagreeable.

 

Being able to multitask---doing several things at the same time---is considered a welcome skill by most people. But if we consider the situation of the young people aged from eight to eighteen, we should think again.

What we often see nowadays is that young people juggle an ever larger number of electronic devices as they study. While working, they also surf on the Internet, send out emails, answer the telephone and listen to music on their iPods. In a sense, they are spending a significant amount of time in fruitless efforts as they multitask.

Multitasking is even changing the relationship between family members. As young people give so much attention to their own worlds, they seem to have no time to spend with the other people around them. They can no longer greet family members when they enter the house, nor can they eat at the family table.

Multitasking also affects young people’s performance at university and in the workplace. When asked about their opinion of the effect of modern gadgets on their performance of tasks, many young people gave a positive response. However, the response from the worlds of education and business was not quite as positive.

Educators feel that multitasking by children has a serious effect on later development of study skills. They believe that many college students now need help to improve their study skills. Similarly, employers feel that young people entering the job market need to be taught all over again, as modern gadgets have made it unnecessary for them to learn special skills to do their work.

1.What does the underlined word “juggle” in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?

A.Want to buy.

B.Take the place of.

C.Use at the same time.

D.Seek for information from.

2.In Paragraph 3, the author points out that  ________.

A.family members do not eat at the family table.

B.family members do not greet each other.

C.young people live happily in their families

D.young people seldom talk with their family members

3.What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A.multitasking is harmful to young people’s development.

B.Young people benefit a lot from modern gadgets.

C.Multitasking is an important skill to young people.

D.Yong people must learn skills for future jobs.

4.The author develops the passage mainly by ________.

A.providing typical examples

B.following the natural time order

C.comparing opinions from different fields

D.presenting a cause and analyzing its effects

 

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