题目内容

The iPhone, the iPad: each of Apple’s products sounds cool and has become a fad (一度时髦的风尚). Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter “i” — and many other brands are following suit. The BBC’s iPlayer — which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet — adopted the title in 2008. A lovely bear — popular in the US and the UK — that plays music and video is called “iTeddy”. A slimmed-down version of The Independent newspaper was launched last week under the name “i”.

In general, single-letter prefixes have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce first came into use.

Most “i” products are aimed at young people and considering the major readers of The Independent’s “i”, it’s no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name.

But it’s hard to see what’s so special about the letter “i”. Why not use “a”, “b”, or “c” instead? According to Tony Thorne, former head of the Language Center at King’s College London, “i” works because its meaning has become ambiguous. When Apple uses “i”, no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBCMagazines. “Even when Apple created the iPod, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition,” he says.

“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now associated with portability (轻便).” Adds Thorne.

Clearly the letter “i” also agrees with the idea that the Western world is centered on the individual. Each person believes they have their own needs, and we love personalized products for this reason.

Along with “Google” and “blog”, readers of BBCMagazines voted “i” as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade.

But as history shows, people grow tired of fads. From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was associated with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the trend unavoidably disappeared.

1.People use iPlayer to _________.

A.listen to music      B.make a call         C.read newspapers    D.watch TV programs online

2.We can infer that The Independent’s i” is aimed at _________.

A.engineers         B.old readers        C.fashionable women  D. young readers

3.Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products which are _________.

A.environmentally friendly                  B.easy to carry       C.advanced  D.recyclable

4.The writer suggests that _________.

A.“i” products are often of high quality

B.iTeddy is a living bear

C.the popularity of “i” products may not last long

D.the letter “b” replaces the letter “i” to name the products

 

【答案】

1.D

2.D

3.B

4.C

【解析】

试题分析:本文主要讲述的是“I”这个单词在英语的广泛使用,并分析了原因和前景。

1.细节题。根据第一段3,4行The BBC’s iPlayer — which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet — adopted the title in 2008.说明人们用这种工具在网上看电视节目,故D正确。

2.细节题。根据文章第三段Most “i” products are aimed at young people and considering the major readers of The Independent’s “i”, it’s no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name.说明这样的产品主要的目标人群就是年轻人,故D正确。

3.细节题。根据文章倒数第三段“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now associated with portability (轻便).” Adds Thorne.说明这样的说法是与轻便有关,故B正确。

4.推理题。根据文章最后一段But as history shows, people grow tired of fads. From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was associated with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the trend unavoidably disappeared.说明人们对于时尚的品味是不断变化的,故也许不久以后,人们就会不再使用I这个字了。故C正确。

考点:考查文化类短文阅读

点评:本文主要讲述了I这个字母的流行的原因,本文主旨鲜明,做题时要注意文章的首段和每一段的首句或尾句,因为它们往往就是文章的主题句。阅读中要注意要点之间的关系。然后带着问题,再读全文,找出答题所需要的依据,完成阅读任务。

 

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Don’t talk to me; I’m busy with my iPhone

Riding a London subway, a person from China will notice one major difference: in London, people do not look at each other. In fact, eye contact is avoided at all times. That’s not rudeness—people are just too busy to bother looking.

Busy doing what, you ask? Well, they’re certainly not using the time for a moment of quiet reflection, nor are they reading a book. New technology has replaced quiet habits. Today the only acceptable form of book on the London underground is an e-book.

Apple must earn a fortune from London commuters(乘车上下班的人). Since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, over 40,000—yes, that’s 40,000—“apps” (programs downloaded for the iPhone) have been designed.

Commuters love them because they are the perfect time-fillers. One “app”, called iShoot, is a game that features tanks. Another one, Tube Exits, tells passengers where to sit on the train to be closest to the exit of their destination. ISteam clouds the iPhone screen when you breathe into the microphone. You can then write in the “ steam” on your phone screen.

For those without an iPhone, another Apple product, the iPod, may be another choice. It’s not just teenagers who “plug in” to their music—iPods are a popular way to pass the time for all ages.

And if games, e-books and music aren’t enough to keep you occupied, then perhaps you would prefer a film. The development of palm DVD technology means many commuters watch their favorite TV show or film on the way to work. With all this entertainments, it’s amazing that people still remember to get off the train.

1.People in London do not make eye contact on the subway because they are busy ________.

A.playing games, reading e-books, listening to music or watching films.

B.going to work

C.reading books

D.thinking private things

2.Those who like war games can download ________ to their iPhones.

A.Tube Exits   B.iShoot C.ISteam         D.iPod

3.The underlined word “occupied” in the last paragraph probably means ________.

A.delighted    B.busy    C.controlled   D.amused

4.The article tells us that ________.

A.London commuters are unfriendly to strangers

B.Apple has earned a lo of money from selling 40,000 iPhones

C.with all the new time-fillers, London commuters often forget to get off the train.

D.technology is changing the way London commuters spend their traveling time.

 

Riding a London subway, a person from other countries will notice one major difference: in London, people do not look at each other.In fact, eye contact is avoided at all times. That’s not rudeness ― people are just too busy to bother looking.

  Busy doing what, you ask? Well, they’re certainly not using the time for a moment of quiet thinking.Nor are they reading a book.New technology has replaced quiet habits.Today the only acceptable form of book on the London underground is an e-book.

  Apple must earn a fortune from London commuters(使用月票上下班者). Since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, over 40, 000 ― yes, 40, 000 “apps” have been designed.

  Commuters love them because they are the perfect time - fillers. One “app”, called iShoot, is a game that features tanks.Another one, Tube Exits, tells passengers where to sit on the train to be closest to the exit of their destination. iSteam clouds the iPhone screen when you breathe into the microphone. You can then write in the “steam” on your phone screen.

  For those without an iPhone, another Apple product, the iPod, may be the distraction (消遣) of choice. It’s not just teenagers who “plug in” to their music - iPods are a popular way to pass the time for all ages.

  And if games, e-books and music aren’t enough to keep you occupied, then perhaps you would prefer a film? The development of palm DVD technology means many commuters watch their favorite TV shows or films on the way to work.With all these distractions, it’s amazing that people still remember to get off the train.

1.Those who want to save time to reach where they go can download ________ to their iPhones

A. iShoot                         B. Tube Exits         C. iSteam               D. iPod

2.People in London do not make eye contact on the subway because ________.

A. they are going to work and have no time to communicate with each other

B. they love reading books and do not want to be disturbed

C. they feel sleepy because of getting up early

D. they’re busy playing games, reading e-books, listening to music or watching films

3.The underlined word “apps” in the third paragraph means ________.

A. computers

B. programs downloaded for the iPhone

C. computer companies

D. fortune from London commuters

4.The main idea of the passage is that ________.

A. London commuters are unfriendly to strangers

B. Apple has earned a lot of money from selling 40, 000 apps

C. technology is changing how London commuters spend their traveling time

D. riding a London subway is a must when visiting London

 

Have you listened to music on an iPod? Used a computer at home? Those are just two of the ways your life was touched by the work of Steve Jobs.

Jobs, one founder of Apple Computers, died on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at the age of 56. He had been fighting with cancer since 2004.

Steven Jobs was born in Los Altos, California. He and his childhood friend, Steve Wozniak, designed and built the first Apple computer in his parents’ garage in the 1970s. The Apple II, built when Jobs was just 21 years old, was the first personal computer to be widely sold to the public.

Steven Jobs didn’t stop there. He went on to invent more devices (设备) that allowed people to bring their own creativity to computing: the Macintosh, the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad. People found his products beautiful and easy to use.

Jobs also changed the music and film industries. He started Pixar, a film production company in 1986. Toy Story was the world’s first computer-animated feature film (电脑动画电影).

“Steve was among the greatest of American innovators — brave enough to think differently, confident enough to believe he could change the world, and clever enough to do it,” said President Barack Obama. “By making computers personal and putting the Internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only easy to reach, but fun ... And there may be no greater praise to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his death on a device he invented.”

All around the world, people are talking about the effects that Jobs’ creations have had. By creating products that surprised people, he changed the way people worked and lived their everyday lives.

1.Which of the following about Steve Jobs is NOT true?

A.He was born in California in 1955.

B.He built the Apple II in 1970.

C.He set up a film production company at 31.

D.He was found to suffer from cancer at 49.

2.The underlined word “innovators” in Paragraph 6 could best be replaced by _____.

A.inventors         B.businessmen       C.producers         D.founders

3.According to Barack Obama, the highest praise for Steve Jobs is that _____.

A.his products are widely used all over the world

B.his products are thought to be beautiful and easy to use

C.people all over the world are sad at his death

D.people learned about his death from his products

4.Jobs changed the way we work and live by _____.

A.building the first personal computer

B.making computer-animated feature films

C.developing the music industry

D.creating surprising products

 

Maybe you’ve just invented something better than the iPhone or a solar-powered car. You don’t want anyone to steal your design. What should you do? Patent (申请专利) it! Patents are the best way to get credit for your work and help others continue advancing in that field. Here’s what you need to know.

A patent gives you the right to an invention. The patent protects its owner, which means the invention can’t be copied or sold without their agreement. In exchange, the owner must reveal information about the invention. This contributes knowledge that helps other inventors improve on their own research. A patent usually lasts about 20 years.

The first step to getting a patent is the application. The person applying must name the invention, explain its use and describe it clearly. The invention must be practical and contain some new characteristic — something that hasn’t been seen or used before. But not everything “new” can be patented. Many countries don’t allow patents on things like new concepts, scientific theories, medical procedures or substances already found in nature.

You may not be able to see patents, but they’re connected to nearly everything. There are patents on things you use every day, like plastic, medicine and your computer. There are patents on things that are unavailable on the market, too. Apple is well-known for its patents on potential products, such as the “iBike” or the “iKey”.

Of course there are also patents on inventions like this. Take the anti-eating face mask for example. This device locks around your head with a metal cage covering your mouth. You can breathe and speak, but you can’t eat!

Although many patented inventions can be failures, there’s plenty of room for success. So if you have a cool invention, try to patent it.

1.Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?

A.A patent can last for around 20 years.

B.Everything new can be patented.

C.Your invention is protected after you have applied for a patent.

D.Some patents are on the things that we use every day.

2.We can infer that Apple’s iBike is _____.

A.a popular product                       B.a mere new concept

C.a famous brand in the world               D.a practical bike on the market

3.The underlined word “device” in Paragraph 5 can best be replaced by “_____”.

A.weapon           B.medicine          C.equipment         D.strength

4.The purpose of writing this passage is to _____.

A.advertise          B.persuade          C.warn             D.inform

 

The iPhone, the iPad: each of Apple’s products sounds cool and has become a fad(一时的风尚). Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter “i” – and many other brands are following suit. The BBC’s iPlayer – which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet –adopted the title in 2008. A lovely bear – popular in the US and UK – that plays music and video is called “iTeddy”. A slimmed-down version of London’s Independent newspaper was launched last week under the name “i”.

In general, single-letter prefixes(前缀) have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce first came into use. Most “i” products are targeted at young people and considering the major readers of Independent’s “i”, it’s no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name.

But it’s hard to see what’s so special about the letter “i”. Why not use “a”, “b”, or “c” instead? According to Tony Thorne, head of the Language Center at King’s College, London, “i” works because its meaning has become ambiguous. When Apple uses “i”, no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBC Magazines. “Even when Apple created the iPod, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition,” he said.

“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now linked with portability.” added Thorne.

Clearly the letter “i” also agrees with the idea that the Western World is centered on the individual. Each person believes they have their own needs, and we love personalized products for this reason.

Along with “Google” and “blog”, readers of BBC Magazines voted “i” as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade.

But as history shows, people grow tired of fads. From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was associated with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the trend inevitably disappeared.

1.People use iPlayer to ________.   

A.listen to music                          B.make a call

C.watch TV programs online                 D.read newspapers

2.We can infer that the Independent’s “i” is aimed at ________.

A.young readers      B.old readers        C.fashionable women  D.engineers

3.The underlined word “ambiguous” means “________”.

A.popular           B.uncertain          C.definite           D.unique

4.Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products which are ________.

A.portable                              B.environmentally friendly

C.advanced                             D.recyclable

5.The writer suggests that ________.

A.“i” products are often of high quality

B.iTeddy is a live bear

C.the letter “b” replaces the letter “i” to name the products

D.the popularity of “i” products may not last long

 

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