Apple iPad Mini Wi-Fi 16 GB - Black & Slate   $329 online    71 reviews  

    October 2012 - Apple - Handheld - 16 GB - iOS - Wi-Fi Only - 7.9 inch - With Camera - 10.9 ounces（1 pound =16 ounces）

With a touch screen and the ability to take an awesome 360-degree picture from the top of a mountain, its 7.9-inch display more than measures up to the complete iPad experience. View web pages. See where you are and what's around you using online maps. Flick（浏览） through your photos and watch videos in vivid detail. And wave hello to the family on a video call. With the same LED backlight technology and the same fast, fluid performance that the iPad is known for, the iPad Mini doesn't disappoint customers. And with automatic shake-resistant video, your videos are instantly ready to share.

         Apple iPad 2 Wi-Fi 16 GB – Black       $350 online     2,564 reviews

    March 2011 - Apple - Handheld - 16 GB - iOS - Wi-Fi Only - 9.7 inch - With Camera - 10 hour battery -1.32 pounds

    This device has two cameras, a dual-core（双核） A5 chip, and the same battery life – all in a thinner, lighter Multi-Touch design. It makes surfing the Web, checking email, watching movies, and reading books feel natural. LED backlighting makes everything you see remarkably vivid and bright. With every turn of the device (even upside down), the display adjusts to fit. It has a wide, 178° viewing angle.

         Apple iPad 1 Wi-Fi 32 GB        $600 online     454 reviews       

May 2010 - Apple - Handheld - 32 GB - iOS - Wi-Fi Only - 9.7 inch - 1.5 pounds  

Apple iPad 1 Wi-Fi is a magical and revolutionary product and the best way to experience the web, email, photos, and video. Taking advantage of the large multi-touch screen and advanced capabilities of the iPad, you can do things that you can't do on any other device. The high-resolution（分辨率）, 9.7-inch LED-backlit display on the iPad is remarkably vivid. Thin and light and with a wide viewing angle, it automatically locates available Wi-Fi networks.

1.According to the advertisement, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. The Apple iPad 2 has a single core and 360-degree viewing angle.

B. The Apple iPad Mini can store as much information as the Apple iPad 2 can.

C. The Apple iPad Mini’s performance is disappointing compared to that of others.

D. The Apple iPad 1 is the oldest, the most expensive and the smallest of all three.

2.According to the advertisement, which one probably attracts most attention?

A. Apple iPad 2    B. Apple iPad Mini

C. Apple iPad 1   D. Dual-Core A5

3.We know from the advertisement that____________

A. we can’t voice chat with friends using the Apple iPad Mini.

B. we need to locate available Apple iPad 1Wi-Fi networks ourselves.

Ⅲ. Reading Comprehension: 35%
Part A: Cloze Test 15%
Competition for admission to the country’s top private schools has always been tough. This is spreading from Manhattan to the rest of the country. Precise 50 data on private schools are unavailable, but interviews with representatives of independent and religious schools all told the same 51: too many applicants, higher rejection rates. Surveys indicate that Americans’ No. 1 52 is education. 53 the long economic boom(繁荣) has given parents more income, many are turning to private schools, even at price tags of well over $10,000 a year. “We’re getting applicants from a broader area, 54, than we ever have in the past,” said Besty Haugh of the Latin School of Chicago, which experienced a 20 percent increase in 55 this year.
The problem is that while demand has increased, supply has not. “Every year, there are a few children who do not find places, but this year, for the first time that I know of, there are a(n) 56 number of children who don’t have places,” said Krents, who also heads a private-school admissions group in New York.
So what can parents do to give their 4-year-old a(n) 57? Schools know there is no simple way to pick a class when children are so young. Many schools give preference to boys or girls or alumni(校友) children. Some use lotteries. But most rely on a 58 of subjective and objective measures: tests that at best 59 developmental maturity and learning potential, interviews with parents and observation of applicants in classroom settings. They also want a diverse mix. Children may end up on a waiting list simply because their birthdays 60 at the wrong time year, or because too many applicants were boys.
The worst thing a parent can do is to pressure preschoolers to perform --- 61, by pushing them to read or do math exercises 62 they’re ready. Instead, the experts say, parents should take a breath and look for 63. Another year in preschool may be all that’s needed. Parents, meanwhile, may need a more 64 mind about relatively unknown private schools --- or about magnet（具有吸引力的）schools in the public system. There’s no sign of the private-school boom letting up.
50. A. traditional                B. current                                   C. processed                 D. average
51. A. story                       B. advice                             C. context                     D. promise
52. A. venture                    B. concern                           C. occupation                D. interest
53. A. For that                   B. So that                                   C. Now that                  D. After that
54. A. intellectually            B. psychologically                C. commercially            D. geographically
55.   A. applications             B. locations                         C. schools                     D. admissions
56.   A. considerate               B. inadequate                       C. significant                D. moderate
57.   A. advantage                 B. skill                                C. place                        D. school
58.   A. choice                      B. mix                                C. preference                D. base
59.   A. identify                    B. exploit                                  C. employ                    D. confirm
60. A. set                           B. fix                                  C. date                         D. fall
61. A. in a word                 B. to a great extent               C. in any case               D. for example
62. A. when                       B. since                               C. before                      D. until
63.   A. occasions                 B. competitions                    C. alternatives               D. pressures
64.   A. open                        B. closed                             C. active                       D. secret 

Ⅲ. Reading Comprehension: 35%

Part A: Cloze Test 15%

Competition for admission to the country’s top private schools has always been tough. This is spreading from Manhattan to the rest of the country. Precise 50 data on private schools are unavailable, but interviews with representatives of independent and religious schools all told the same 51: too many applicants, higher rejection rates. Surveys indicate that Americans’ No. 1 52 is education. 53 the long economic boom(繁荣) has given parents more income, many are turning to private schools, even at price tags of well over $10,000 a year. “We’re getting applicants from a broader area, 54, than we ever have in the past,” said Besty Haugh of the Latin School of Chicago, which experienced a 20 percent increase in 55 this year.

The problem is that while demand has increased, supply has not. “Every year, there are a few children who do not find places, but this year, for the first time that I know of, there are a(n) 56 number of children who don’t have places,” said Krents, who also heads a private-school admissions group in New York.

So what can parents do to give their 4-year-old a(n) 57? Schools know there is no simple way to pick a class when children are so young. Many schools give preference to boys or girls or alumni(校友) children. Some use lotteries. But most rely on a 58 of subjective and objective measures: tests that at best 59 developmental maturity and learning potential, interviews with parents and observation of applicants in classroom settings. They also want a diverse mix. Children may end up on a waiting list simply because their birthdays 60 at the wrong time year, or because too many applicants were boys.

The worst thing a parent can do is to pressure preschoolers to perform --- 61, by pushing them to read or do math exercises 62 they’re ready. Instead, the experts say, parents should take a breath and look for 63. Another year in preschool may be all that’s needed. Parents, meanwhile, may need a more 64 mind about relatively unknown private schools --- or about magnet（具有吸引力的）schools in the public system. There’s no sign of the private-school boom letting up.

50. A. traditional                B. current                                   C. processed                 D. average

51. A. story                       B. advice                             C. context                     D. promise

52. A. venture                    B. concern                           C. occupation                D. interest

53. A. For that                   B. So that                                   C. Now that                  D. After that

54. A. intellectually            B. psychologically                C. commercially            D. geographically

55.   A. applications             B. locations                         C. schools                     D. admissions

56.   A. considerate               B. inadequate                       C. significant                D. moderate

57.   A. advantage                 B. skill                                C. place                        D. school

58.   A. choice                      B. mix                                C. preference                D. base

59.   A. identify                    B. exploit                                  C. employ                    D. confirm

60. A. set                           B. fix                                  C. date                         D. fall

61. A. in a word                 B. to a great extent               C. in any case               D. for example

62. A. when                       B. since                               C. before                      D. until

63.   A. occasions                 B. competitions                    C. alternatives               D. pressures

64.   A. open                        B. closed                             C. active                       D. secret 

Ⅲ. Reading Comprehension: 35%

Part A: Cloze Test 15%

       Competition for admission to the country’s top private schools has always been tough. This is spreading from Manhattan to the rest of the country. Precise 50 data on private schools are unavailable, but interviews with representatives of independent and religious schools all told the same 51: too many applicants, higher rejection rates. Surveys indicate that Americans’ No. 1 52 is education. 53 the long economic boom(繁荣) has given parents more income, many are turning to private schools, even at price tags of well over $10,000 a year. “We’re getting applicants from a broader area, 54, than we ever have in the past,” said Besty Haugh of the Latin School of Chicago, which experienced a 20 percent increase in 55 this year.

       The problem is that while demand has increased, supply has not. “Every year, there are a few children who do not find places, but this year, for the first time that I know of, there are a(n) 56 number of children who don’t have places,” said Krents, who also heads a private-school admissions group in New York.

       So what can parents do to give their 4-year-old a(n) 57? Schools know there is no simple way to pick a class when children are so young. Many schools give preference to boys or girls or alumni(校友) children. Some use lotteries. But most rely on a 58 of subjective and objective measures: tests that at best 59 developmental maturity and learning potential, interviews with parents and observation of applicants in classroom settings. They also want a diverse mix. Children may end up on a waiting list simply because their birthdays 60 at the wrong time year, or because too many applicants were boys.

       The worst thing a parent can do is to pressure preschoolers to perform --- 61, by pushing them to read or do math exercises 62 they’re ready. Instead, the experts say, parents should take a breath and look for 63. Another year in preschool may be all that’s needed. Parents, meanwhile, may need a more 64 mind about relatively unknown private schools --- or about magnet（具有吸引力的）schools in the public system. There’s no sign of the private-school boom letting up.

50. A. traditional                B. current                                   C. processed                 D. average

51. A. story                        B. advice                             C. context                     D. promise

52. A. venture                    B. concern                           C. occupation                D. interest

53. A. For that                   B. So that                                   C. Now that                  D. After that

54. A. intellectually            B. psychologically                C. commercially            D. geographically

55.   A. applications             B. locations                         C. schools                     D. admissions

56.   A. considerate               B. inadequate                       C. significant                D. moderate

57.   A. advantage                 B. skill                                C. place                        D. school

58.   A. choice                      B. mix                                C. preference                D. base

59.   A. identify                    B. exploit                                   C. employ                    D. confirm

60. A. set                           B. fix                                  C. date                         D. fall

61. A. in a word                 B. to a great extent               C. in any case               D. for example

62. A. when                       B. since                               C. before                      D. until

63.   A. occasions                 B. competitions                    C. alternatives               D. pressures

64.   A. open                        B. closed                             C. active                       D. secret 

A super drug that could remove Alzheimer’s (老年痴呆症)，heart disease and diabetes (糖尿病) and help people live to 100 is being developed by scientists. Their research is based on the identification of three genes that help prolong lives and prevent diseases which occur in old age. Medically controlling the proteins made by the “ longevity genes” will allow millions to live longer, predicts Dr Nir Barzilai.

  Those whose DNA strongly features the three genes are 80 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. The genes also fight against the deadly impact of smoking, poor diet, obesity and lack of exercise.

  Already, several laboratories are working on a pill to imitate the benefits of the genes and Dr Barzilai thinks it could be tested within three years. The pill could remove some diseases that damage old age. “ The advantage of finding a gene that involves longevity is that we can develop a drug that will imitate exactly what this gene is doing,” he said.

  Of the three longevity genes, two genes increase the production of so-called good cholesterol(胆固醇), which reduces the risk of heart disease. The third prevents diabetes. They were discovered by Dr Barzilai’s team while studying the DNA of 500 Ashkenazi Jews with an average age of 100. The chances of living that long are one in 10,000 but the group, which shared relatively few common ancestors, was 20 times more likely to hit the entury. Dr Barzilai said: “ 30 percent of them were obese or overweight and 30 percent smoked two acks of cigarettes a day for more than 40 years, however they can live to 100.”

  But Andrew Ketteringham of the Alzheimer’s Society said: “Alzheimer’s disease, a most common disease, is likely to be caused by a combination of genetic disosition(遗传倾向), lifestyles and life events. Many genes are probably involved.

Some people are able to live to 100 years because of ______.

   A. a magical medicine  B. three special genes    C. good living habits     D. longevity proteins

Why does the discovery of the longevity genes mean a lot?

   A. Because it can bring great benefits to scientific labs.              

B. Because it can help people change their unhealthy genes

   C. Because it helps produce a drug that can make people live longer.  

D. Because it will help scientists build up a new branch of biology.

From Paragraph 4 we can infer that ________.

   A. longevity genes can create good cholesterol.                   

B. the volunteers share some common ancestors

   C. bad habits are likely to have no effect on the volunteers           

D. longevity genes protect the volunteers against bad habits

What is Andrew Ketteringham’s attitude toward the study?

   A. Positive    B. Negative         C. Critical                 D. Cautious