When was the last time someone unexpectedly did something nice for you? Not someone you knew, but a total stranger? It’s happened to me a few times, but two instances really stand out.

A few years ago, I was dining in a restaurant with a friend who kept talking about himself, completely not aware of the fact that I was sitting there in misery. It wasn’t my friend’s talks that made me suffer. I was recovering from a broken heart, and just sitting down to dinner reminded me of my last relationship. I could have burst into tears right there at the table.

When we picked up the check, the waitress said, “Your meal was already paid for.” My friend and I didn’t have a clue how it happened. Then I remembered a man I saw out of the corner of my eye. He was dressed in mostly white, sat down at the bar, had a beer, and stayed for maybe ten minutes. The waitress said, “Yes, the gentleman in white paid for you.” It felt like an angel was saying, “I see you, honey. It’s going to be okay.”

Just last year, I was running a half?marathon. With just 1 mile to go, I was out of gas. Runners call it “hitting the wall”. I thought I couldn’t move another inch. Out of nowhere, a stranger came up to me and said, “What’s your name, sweetie? Jennifer? Okay, Jennifer, let’s go! Come on! It’s just around the corner! You can do it!” And he ran with me until I picked up my pace. I found him at the finish line to thank him for the encouragement only to learn he wasn’t even supposed to be in the race that day.

I still shake my head when I think of these momentary angels that came to me at my point of need. Do you have any experiences like these?

1.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A.The kindness of strangers

B.Valuable friendship

C.Two special experiences

D.Helping others is worthwhile

2.According to the passage, the man in white ________.

A.was the author’s friend

B.had a big meal in the restaurant

C.was generous and kind?hearted

D.enjoyed making fun of others

3.The underlined expression in the passage means “________”.

A.being hurt by the wall B.winning the game

C.taking a deep breath D.running out of energy

4.Who is the stranger in the marathon race?

A. the writer’s friend

B. the winner of the race

C. an athlete in the race

D. a stranger passing by

The Future of Technology

William, a businessman, arrives in a foreign airport. He doesn’t show his passport. Instead, a machine in the wall reads the computer chip(芯片)in his arm. This contains information about him: his name, age, and I.D number. He exits the airport, and a car door opens when it “sees” him. The car takes him to his hotel. His room “knows” he has entered the building and it “reads” his body. He is cold, so the room becomes warmer. William then watches a business presentation on a video wall. When he takes a bath, the presentation “follows him and continues on the bathroom wall. Finally, the room plays music to help him sleep. It turns off the music when it “sees” him sleeping.

William doesn’t exist, and none of this is real. But it might be soon. “In five to ten years, computing and communications are going to be free and everywhere, in your walls, in your car, on your body,’ says Victor Zue, leader of Project Oxygen.

Project Oxygen has one big idea: to create better relationships between machines and people. The dream is that computer will learn to understand what people want.

So, what changes will there be at work? Firstly, the building will know where everyone is, all the time. You want to talk to someone? Type the person’s name on the nearest computer. It will show you a map of the building and exactly where this person is. You then call this person, who picks up the nearest telephone, also shown on the computer. If he or she is busy with a client(客户)or in a meeting, the computer will tell you.

Is all this really possible? Visit the Siebel Center, Illinois and see for yourself: computers in the doors and walls, cameras everywhere, the technology of the future, but here today.

1.William doesn’t’ show his passport because__________.

A. he is not required to show his passport

B. he doesn’t need a passport in that airport

C. his information can be read by a machine

D. only a man from foreign country needs to show his passport

2.The computer chip in William’s arm contains his information except_______.

A. his name B. his age

C. his I.D. number D. his job

3.The dream of Project Oxygen is that computers will ________

A. show you where the person is you are calling

B. let you pick up the nearest telephone

C. learn to understand what people want

D. show you a map of every building

4.In the Siebel Center, Illinois, ________.

A. computers are everywhere

B. the technology of the future is there today

C. there are cameras in the doors and walls

D. the future technology will be there in 5-10 years

Eco-friendly Car Racer

Can you image a car racer is so eco-friendly that its tyres are made from potatoes, its body is created from hemp (大麻) and rapeseed oil and it runs on fuel made from wheat and sugar beet? The one-seater racing car called Eco One is built by experts from Warwick University, who hope that Eco One will be adopted by the automotive industry. It is sold at $ 51,000.

Pollution-sensitive Dress

Don’t be caught outside unaware of pollution levels in the air. The pollution-sensitive EPA Dress by Stephanie Sandstrom notices pollution in the air accordingly. This dress – which is actually quite pretty – looks like you pull it from the bottom of the dirty laundry pile when the air is dirty. It might protect your health by advising you to stay indoors for the day, but it won’t do you any favor if you’re meeting with clients.

Eco-friendly Umbrella

Traditional umbrellas come with a fixed surface. Although it is changeable, you cannot replace it easily. This eco-friendly design is more flexible. It is actually only an umbrella skeleton without any surface, which can be folded, so you can put anything such as newspapers, plastic bags or whatever you want to serve as the protecting surface.

Eco-friendly Moss (苔藓) Carpet

It is said that walking on fresh grass increases your blood circulation. The Moss Carpet, created by Nguyen La Chanh, looks at getting the grass to your feet. The mat includes ball moss, island moss and forest moss. The humidity (湿度) of the bathroom ensures that it grows well. And that’s why you need to place it there and not anywhere else.

1.According to Paragraph 1, we can find Eco One _____.

A. can seat one passenger and one driver

B. can’t be afforded by the public at present

C. is mainly made from some kinds of plants

D. will take the place of the traditional car industry

2.Why is EPA Dress designed?

A. To advise people to stay at home as often as possible

B. To keep users informed of the polluted levels in the air.

C. To make women look pretty even in the polluted air.

D. To stop people from meeting their clients if necessary.

3.Compared with traditional umbrellas, the Eco-friendly Umbrella _____.

A. is changeable B. hasn’t any surface

C. can be folded D. is made of newspapers

4.Where does the text probably come from?

A. A science report B. A personal blog

C. A health report D. An official document

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