A. when B. unless

C. whether D. because

Factory manager of a busy printers, Brett Freeman, 46, from Nottingham, changes into “Padmore,” a Victorian street-seller selling stationery (文具).

Already a veteran (老兵) of military re-enactments, Brett joined the “Ragged Victorians” when middle-age kicked in. “I was too old to portray a soldier but I wanted to get back into the hobby and the Ragged Victorians looked the best in terms of being genuine.”

At his first event, group members gave him “loaner gear” and a year to research his character. His teeth blackened with theatrical stain, in top hat and floppy coat, Brett looks every bit his Victorian image.

Seeking inspiration, Brett dipped into the works of Victorian journalist, Henry Mayhew, who wrote about the working people of London.

“My character is inspired by the description of a stationer in Mayhew’s London Labour and London Poor. I mixed that up with my own background in print, and local historical sources to create street stationer, Padmore, which is the name of my Victorian great-great grandfather.”

“Getting into kit (装备) helps immensely and once you are in the public area you try to remain in character wherever possible.” For extra authenticity, Brett combines his language with Victorian selling patter (顺口溜), replacing the word “envelope” with “hangflups.”

“Re-enacting is great fun, but we’re always glad of a hot shower and a comfortable bed at the end of the weekend,” says Brett. “Normal life can seem very dull after a particularly good weekend. It would be wonderful to go back in time for a visit, but studying the period as I have done, makes you realise just how hard life was for our ancestors.”

【1】Why does Brett choose to be a Victorian street-seller?

A.He has already played a veteran.

B.Portraying a soldier no longer fit him.

C.He is a manager of a busy printers.

D.His blackened teeth make it real.

【2】What does the underlined phrase “loaner gear” in paragraph 4 mean?

A.Stage costume lent to him.B.Money paid on loan.

C.Adequate time.D.An assistant.

【3】Which of the following words can best describe Brett?

A.Brave and careful.B.Kind and positive.

C.Humorous and caring.D.Serious and devoted.

【4】Where can you probably find the above passage?

A.In a research report.B.In a magazine.

C.In a travel brochure.D.In an advertisement.

Speeding Into the Future With Biometrics

Imagine checking in for a flight by simply walking onto the plane. Or buying groceries with a nod of your head, or withdrawing funds from a ATM with a single glance. Thanks to biometric technology - which uses voice, face, fingerprint, or other physical or behavioral characteristic recognition to 【1】 verify an individual's identity -- those scenarios are not far from becoming reality.

Rapid user identification and more intuitive（简便的）shopping 【2】 are just a couple of the emerging capabilities of biometrics, which is ready to blossom into a $ 59.31 billion global industry by 2025, according to Grand View Research. Whether it's providing better ways to fight fraud or delivering smarter customer service, the biometrics industry is expanding the 【3】 applications of the technology and transforming human interactions across business and government.

Tools that enable voice recognition, iris recognition, and other methods of identification offer faster and more 【4】 ways to access electronic devices or physical locations by creating unique identifiers such as "voice-prints" and "eye-prints" that can't be faked. They also allow users to maintain consistent digital identities wherever they go.

Millions of smart-phone and tablet users already rely on finger-print scanners and facial recognition systems to unlock or manipulate their devices, but more sophisticated solutions are being 【5】 or are in development across a variety of industries.

"The future of business lies in highly intelligent and automated transactions and smart, faultless customer interactions," says Brett Beranek, general manager of security and biometrics at Nuance Communications. "Among today's fastest-growing trends, the 【6】 toward more nautral and personalized exchanges is quickly making biometrics a go-to technology for firms all around the world, including Fortune 500 leaders."

Nuance has been developing its 【7】 biometrics technologies over the past two decades. Its tools go beyond identifying simple characteristics, such as the sound of an individual's voice, to learning speaking, typing, and behavioral patterns and memorizing 【8】 vocabulary. Such capabilities allow the technologies to recognize when someone is trying to impersonate a customer on the phone or during digital transactions, stopping fraud in its tracks.

Nuance's technology is not only capable of identifying who is 【9】 with it, but also what the user is likely looking for, enabling personalized interactions from the moments they begin. This friction-less experience can be a competitive advantage - driving 【10】 and improving customer satisfaction.

A.WhenB.That

C.WhereD.Why

A. in search of B. in face of C. in place of D. in need of

—Thank you! I ______ it when I worked in UK.

A. learned B. had learned

C. have learned D. learn

A.mustB.could

C.wouldD.shall

A. although B. as C. while D. however

A. benefited B. would benefit

C. has benefited D. benefits

—No. Most of the relevant information ______ to them.

A. has been provided B. has provided

C. had been provided D. had provided