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 company must earn a fortune from London commuters. Since the iPhone was put on market 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. going to work

B. talking to others

C. thinking private things

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

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

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

3.The underlined word “commuters” in Paragraph 3 probably means _______.

A. students B. passengers

C. designers D. businessmen

4.The article tells us that ____________.

A. London commuters are unfriendly to strangers

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

C. technology has totally changed the way London commuters spend their traveling time

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

The following are introductions to some programs that BBC I will show on TV.

12:25a.m Tuesday

The Real Swiss Robinson Family

Laura worried that her children have had their life too easy due to her husband’s career in big business, so she decides to take her teenagers to the Cook Islands to experience the simple life. They face storms and a lack of food, but Laura is happy as their local guide shows them the island’s wealth of rare fruits and foods.

11:00a.m Wednesday

A team have come across an armed man who is holding two baby chimps who were trapped. One of them, David, is sent to a medical emergency in the forest. Later a center director, Nielsen, finds a suitable place to set free more rescued animals.

7:50p.m Thursday

Lost Building of Britain

Simon Thurley visits the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey(修道院), which ,before its destruction by Henry VIII, was famous for some of the most amazing stained glasses of its age. It also had a great deal of financial power, acting as the center of an influential business empire.

1.Why is Laura worried?

A. Because life on the Cook Islands is too simple.

B. Because her husband faces difficulties in his business.

C. Because storms are approaching her hometown.

D. Because her children may not know how to cherish(珍惜) life.

2.Jim enjoys TV programs of organizations that take care of animals. He should probablywatch TV at _______.

A. 7:50 p.m Thursday

B. 11:00 p.m on Wednesday

C. 11:00 a.m on Wednesday

D. 12:25 a.m on Tuesday

3.We can infer from the text that _______.

A. David is a farmer

B. Henry VIII set up a business empire in the Abbey

C. Nielsen is an animal-lover

D. Glastonbury Abbey is famous today for its stained-glass

When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Doctor Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never yelled at us for playing in his yard, but was always very kind.

When Doctor Gibbs wasn’t saving lives, he was planting trees. He had some interesting theories about planting trees. He believed in the principle “No pain, no gain”. He hardly watered his new trees, which flew in the face of conventional(传统的) wisdom. Once I asked why and he told me that watering plants spoiled them because it made them grow weaker. He said you had to make things tough for the trees so that only the strongest could survive. He talked about how watering trees made them develop shallow roots and how, if they were not watered, trees would grow deep roots in search of water. So, instead of watering his trees every morning, he’d beat them with a rolled-up newspaper. I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree’s attention.

Doctor Gibbs died a couple of years after I left home. Every now and then, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I’d watched him plant some twenty five years ago. They were all tall and strong.

I planted a couple of trees myself a few years ago. Two years of attending these trees meant they grew up weak. Whenever a cold wind blew, their branches trembled. Adversity(逆境) seemed to benefit Doctor Gibb’s trees in ways comfort and ease never could.

Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. I often pray that their lives will be easy. But lately I’ve been thinking that it’s time to change my prayer. I know my children are going to meet with hardship. There’s always a cold wind blowing somewhere. What we need to do is to pray for deep roots, so when the rains fall and the winds blow, we won’t be torn apart.

1.With the trees planted, Doctor Gibbs often __________.

A. kept watering them every morning

B. paid little attention to them

C. talked to them to get their attention

D. beat them to make them grow deep roots

2.What does the author think of the way Doctor Gibbs planted trees?

A. strange and harmful

B. interesting and funny

C. original and reasonable

D. cruel and unacceptable

3.Which prayer does the author wish for his sons?

A. Have an easy life, without too much to worry about.

B. Meet people like Dr Gibbs in the future.

C. Have good luck, encountering less hardship in their life.

D. Be able to stand the rain and wind in their lives.

4.Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A. Growing roots

B. Doctor Gibbs and his trees

C. Prayers for my sons

D. Watering trees

A new concept vehicle, Pod was introduced by Toyota and Sony at the Tokyo motor show. The car is intended as a four-wheeled friend. It aims to provide affection, sympathy and encouragement. Like a dog welcoming its master, the car sits up, wags its tail and acknowledges its owner’s presence using hydraulics(液压装置) and a multi-coloured LED display panel(引擎) across the front.

While on the road, the car constantly monitors the driver’s mood with pulse and sweat(汗) sensors on the joystick(操纵杆). Cameras focused on the eyes keep watch for any sigh of drowsiness. If a driver appears to be losing his or her cool, Pod will display warnings, play soft music and blow cold air at the face. Drivers are shaken awake with loud music and a shaking chair.

To improve driving skills, Pod uses a comparison to score drivers, offer advice and rank all Pod owners. Toyota claims that the car will eventually be able to learn its owner’s likes and dislikes by monitoring passenger conversations. If the car hears a favorite song being discussed, it will download the track from the Internet and play it without being asked. It will also recommend(推荐) restaurants that might suit the driver’s taste and take photographs of passengers when they sound particularly happy.

In keeping with the moodiness that is the car’s main selling point, Pod expresses a form of road anger. If a driver brakes or swerves(急转弯) suddenly, the LED panel shows an angry red and the tail rises at the back.

Anger is one of the car’s ten “emotional states”. Another is sadness --- a blue front with tear-shaped lights seemingly dropping from headlights --- which appears after a flat tire or when gas is low.

“We wanted to show that the cars can be cheerful and entertaining,” said Yasunori Sakamoto, part of the Toyota design team. Mr Sakamoto said Toyota has no plans to put Pod on the market. Sad, really.

1.The underlined word “drowsiness” in Paragraph 2 means _________.

A. fear B. boredom C. excitement D. sleepiness

2.According to the text, Pod can ___________.

A. rank the restaurant nearby

B. recommend a song to passenger

C. have a conversation with drivers

D. test the driver’s driving skills

3.If the new concept vehicle is running out of gas, __________.

A. the LED panel turns red

B. the tail rises at the back of the car

C. the front light turn blue and look like tears

D.the car stops and shake with loud music

4.What is the author’s attitude towards Pod?

A. Supportive. B. Doubtful.

C. Pessimistic. D. Tolerant.

阅读下面的短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

One day a mother brought home a small and gave it to her little girl on her birthday. She told her little girl that the jar was , and that she could write to her mommy about anything in the world and then put it in the jar. And , in its place, there would be a for her. Soon the jar became a special part of their lives.

The little girl loved to get from her mommy. They always told her how she was. Sometimes, too, there would be a little in the jar with a note telling her how her mommy was of her. She all of her mommy’s letters in a pretty box by her bed.

The mother each of her little girl’s letters, too. As the years went by, that little girl into a young lady and then got married and started a of her own. For the first time, the jar sat . The mother dusted the jar every day and sometimes looked inside, sadly that the magic jar years had to end.

One day the young lady came to her mother. She went straight to her mother’s room, opened the chest at the end of her bed, and found what she was looking for. She a piece of paper and put it in the jar, and it to her mother. The mother opened the magic jar and there was that note from so long ago, “You’re going to be a !”

And when that baby boy was born months later, there was the jar in his nursery(育儿室) with a blue ribbon tied around it, and a note that read, “Magic jar years never : they are always just beginning.”

1.A. jarB. boxC. bottleD. vase

2.A. dangerousB. magicC. beautifulD. mysterious

3.A. thusB. somewhatC. laterD. anyway

4.A. dollB. toyC. bookD. note

5.A. lettersB. sweetsC. flowersD. gifts

6.A. fatB. specialC. ordinaryD. wise

7.A. airB. loveC. presentD. money

8.A. ashamedB. afraidC. tiredD. proud

9.A. keptB. hidC. buriedD. forgot

10.A. marketB. treasuredC. countedD. numbered

11.A. developedB. turnedC. grewD. fell

12.A. businessB. factoryC. shopD. home

13.A. empty B. uprightC. fullD. whole

14.A. judgingB. rememberingC. realizingD. knowing

15.A. treatB. awardC. visitD. notice

16.A. designedB. cutC. preparedD. folded

17.A. handedB. fellC. postedD. sent

18.A. heroB. grandmaC. actressD. mother

19.A. hangingB. placingC. sittingD. lying

20.A. disappear B. sellC. breakD. end

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