Express delivery: How you can buy your groceries from a virtual supermarket

Aug, 1st, 2011 Daily Mail

A “virtual supermarket” consisting of posters of goods put on platform walls is set to be introduced at London Underground stations. Passengers “shop” by scanning QR—Quick Response—codes of the items they want to buy using their smart phones. These goods are later delivered to their home address. Supermarket giant(巨头) Tesco successfully trialed the hi-tech store in a South Korean underground station and there are now plans to bring the concept to Britain.

NYPD to Scan Facebook, Twitter for Trouble

Aug, 11th, 2011 Forbes

The New York Police Department announced it will form a new unit to search social media as part of its law enforcement(执行) efforts, responding to the criminals’ growing use of these sites to plan and celebrate illegal activities. The NYPD unit created particularly to comb social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and BlackBerry messenger for information on planned crimes and their criminals.

Space Junk(太空垃圾) reaching “tipping point”, report warns

Sep 3rd, 2011 Toronto Sun

The amount of debris(碎片) orbiting the Earth has reached “a tipping point” for crashes, which would produce more debris that may be dangerous to astronauts and satellites, according to a US study. According to the US Space Surveillance Network, the number of orbital debris jumped from 9,949 in December 2006 to 16,094 in July 2011.

1.The “virtual supermarket” would be introduced to Britain because of??????????? .
A. the successful experience of a hi-tech store in South Korea
B. the wide use of smart phones for scanning QR codes
C. the large varieties of goods in the supermarket
D the convenient home delivery system around London

2.we can learn from the news that??????????? .

A. people with mobile phones can shop at London Underground stations
B. Facebook, Twitter, and BlackBerry messenger are not popular in the US
C. the amount of space junk has more than doubled in the past few years
D. more and more criminals are using social media sites for crimes

3.what does the underlined word “comb” in the second piece of news mean?
A. Create.????????????? B. Operate.????????????? C. Block.????????????? D. Search.

4.The third piece of news will be in the?????????? section of the newspaper.
A. sports????????????? B. opinion????????????? C. science????????????? D. business

第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
Machines in the home have a short history. Sewing machines, washing machines and tumble dries are common enough today, but a hundred years ago few people could even imagine such things. However, inventors have designed and built a wide range of household machines since then. In most cases the inventor tried to patent（申请专利）his machine, to stop anyone copying it. Then he tried to produce a lot of them. If the machine became popular, the inventor could make a lot of money.
In 1790 the first sewing machine was patented. The inventor was an Englishman called Thomas Saint. There was nothing to match his machine for forty years, and then someone built a similar device. He was a Frenchman, Bartelemy Thimonier. Neither of these early machines worked very well, however, it wasn’t until 1846 that an inventor came up with a really efficient sewing machine. He was an American, Elias Howe and his machine was good enough to beat five skilled sewing women. He didn’t make much money from it, however. The first commercially successful sewing machine was patented by Isaac Singer five years later.
Today, we take washing machines for granted, but there was none before 1869. The revolving drum（旋转桶）of that first machine set a pattern for the future, but it was crude by today’s standards. The drum was turned by hand, and needed a lot of effort. Eight years passed before someone produced an electric washing machine. The world had to wait even longer for a machine to dry clothes. The first spin-drier was another American invention, patented in 1924; but it was 20 years before such machines were widely used.
It was yet another American, called Bissell, who introduced the carpet sweeper. He patented the original machine back in 1876. It didn’t pick up dirt very well, but it was quicker than a dustpan and brush. Thirty-six years later, even the carpet sweeper was old-fashioned: modern homes now have a vacuum cleaner（吸尘器）with an electric motor to suck the dust.
1. Whose sewing machine could do far more than the work that was done by five skilled sewing women?
A. Thomas Saint’s.                               B. Bartelemy Thimonier’s.
C. Elias Howe’s.                                         D. Isaac Singer’s.   [来源:学+科+网]
2. According to the article, modern inventors __________ .
A. follow the pattern of the first revolving drum but improve it much
B. only imitate the first washing machine
C. power the first ever-made washing machine by electricity
D. have to wait for the first spin-drier for a long time
3. The underlined word “crude” in the sentence “but it was crude by today’s standards”
probably means __________ .  
A. useless       B. ugly-looking     C. rough       D. not skillfully made
4 The article mainly tells us about __________ .
A. the great inventors in the world
B. the important inventions in the world
C. the short history of household machines
D. the importance of the machines used in the home

第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)

Machines in the home have a short history. Sewing machines, washing machines and tumble dries are common enough today, but a hundred years ago few people could even imagine such things. However, inventors have designed and built a wide range of household machines since then. In most cases the inventor tried to patent（申请专利）his machine, to stop anyone copying it. Then he tried to produce a lot of them. If the machine became popular, the inventor could make a lot of money.

    In 1790 the first sewing machine was patented. The inventor was an Englishman called Thomas Saint. There was nothing to match his machine for forty years, and then someone built a similar device. He was a Frenchman, Bartelemy Thimonier. Neither of these early machines worked very well, however, it wasn’t until 1846 that an inventor came up with a really efficient sewing machine. He was an American, Elias Howe and his machine was good enough to beat five skilled sewing women. He didn’t make much money from it, however. The first commercially successful sewing machine was patented by Isaac Singer five years later.

     Today, we take washing machines for granted, but there was none before 1869. The revolving drum（旋转桶）of that first machine set a pattern for the future, but it was crude by today’s standards. The drum was turned by hand, and needed a lot of effort. Eight years passed before someone produced an electric washing machine. The world had to wait even longer for a machine to dry clothes. The first spin-drier was another American invention, patented in 1924; but it was 20 years before such machines were widely used.

     It was yet another American, called Bissell, who introduced the carpet sweeper. He patented the original machine back in 1876. It didn’t pick up dirt very well, but it was quicker than a dustpan and brush. Thirty-six years later, even the carpet sweeper was old-fashioned: modern homes now have a vacuum cleaner（吸尘器）with an electric motor to suck the dust.

1. Whose sewing machine could do far more than the work that was done by five skilled sewing women?

   A. Thomas Saint’s.                                          B. Bartelemy Thimonier’s.

   C. Elias Howe’s.                                                        D. Isaac Singer’s.   [来源:学+科+网]

2. According to the article, modern inventors __________ .

   A. follow the pattern of the first revolving drum but improve it much

   B. only imitate the first washing machine

   C. power the first ever-made washing machine by electricity

   D. have to wait for the first spin-drier for a long time

3. The underlined word “crude” in the sentence “but it was crude by today’s standards”

probably means __________ .  

   A. useless       B. ugly-looking     C. rough       D. not skillfully made

4 The article mainly tells us about __________ .

   A. the great inventors in the world

   B. the important inventions in the world

   C. the short history of household machines

   D. the importance of the machines used in the home

Machines in the home have a short history. Sewing machines, washing machines and tumble dries are common enough today, but a hundred years ago few people could even imagine such things. However, inventors have designed and built a wide range of household machines since then. In most cases the inventor tried to patent（申请专利）his machine, to stop anyone copying it. Then he tried to produce a lot of them. If the machine became popular, the inventor could make a lot of money.

    In 1790 the first sewing machine was patented. The inventor was an Englishman called Thomas Saint. There was nothing to match his machine for forty years, and then someone built a similar device. He was a Frenchman, Bartelemy Thimonier. However, neither of these early machines worked very well. It wasn’t until 1846 that an inventor came up with a really efficient sewing machine. He was an American, Elias Howe and his machine was good enough to beat five skilled sewing women. He didn’t make much money from it, however. The first commercially successful sewing machine was patented by Isaac Singer five years later.

   Today, we take washing machines for granted, but there was none before 1869. The revolving drum（旋转桶）of that first machine set a pattern for the future, but it was crude by today’s standards. The drum was turned by hand, and needed a lot of effort. Eight years passed before someone produced an electric washing machine. The world had to wait even longer for a machine to dry clothes. The first spin-drier was another American invention, patented in 1924; but it was 20 years before such machines were widely used.

    It was yet another American, called Bissell, who introduced the carpet sweeper. He patented the original machine back in 1876. It didn’t pick up dirt very well, but it was quicker than a dustpan and brush. Thirty-six years later, even the carpet sweeper was old-fashioned: modern homes now have a vacuum cleaner（吸尘器）with an electric motor to suck the dust.

    72. Whose sewing machine could do as much as,or even more than the work of five skilled sewing women?

       A. Thomas Saint’s.                 B. Bartelemy Thimonier’s.

      C. Elias Howe’s.                   D. Isaac Singer’s.  

73. According to the article, modern inventors __________ .

      A. follow the pattern of the first revolving drum but improve it much

      B. only imitate (模仿)the first washing machine

      C. power the first ever-made washing machine by electricity

      D. have to wait for the first spin-drier for a long time

   74. The underlined word “crude” in the sentence “but it was crude by today’s standards” probably means __________ .  

      A. useless       B. ugly-looking     C. rough       D. not skillfully made

   75. The article mainly tells us about __________ .

      A. the great inventors in the world

      B. the important inventions in the world

      C. the short history of household machines

      D. the importance of the machines used in the home

Machines in the home have a short history. Sewing machines, washing machines and tumble dries are common enough today, but a hundred years ago few people could even imagine such things. However, inventors have designed and built a wide range of household machines since then. In most cases the inventor tried to patent（申请专利）his machine, to stop anyone copying it. Then he tried to produce a lot of them. If the machine became popular, the inventor could make a lot of money.

    In 1790 the first sewing machine was patented. The inventor was an Englishman called Thomas Saint. There was nothing to match his machine for forty years, and then someone built a similar device. He was a Frenchman, Bartelemy Thimonier. However, neither of these early machines worked very well. It wasn’t until 1846 that an inventor came up with a really efficient sewing machine. He was an American, Elias Howe and his machine was good enough to beat five skilled sewing women. He didn’t make much money from it, however. The first commercially successful sewing machine was patented by Isaac Singer five years later.

   Today, we take washing machines for granted, but there was none before 1869. The revolving drum（旋转桶）of that first machine set a pattern for the future, but it was crude by today’s standards. The drum was turned by hand, and needed a lot of effort. Eight years passed before someone produced an electric washing machine. The world had to wait even longer for a machine to dry clothes. The first spin-drier was another American invention, patented in 1924; but it was 20 years before such machines were widely used.

    It was yet another American, called Bissell, who introduced the carpet sweeper. He patented the original machine back in 1876. It didn’t pick up dirt very well, but it was quicker than a dustpan and brush. Thirty-six years later, even the carpet sweeper was old-fashioned: modern homes now have a vacuum cleaner（吸尘器）with an electric motor to suck the dust.

    72. Whose sewing machine could do as much as,or even more than the work of five skilled sewing women?

       A. Thomas Saint’s.                 B. Bartelemy Thimonier’s.

      C. Elias Howe’s.                   D. Isaac Singer’s.  

73. According to the article, modern inventors __________ .

      A. follow the pattern of the first revolving drum but improve it much

      B. only imitate (模仿)the first washing machine

      C. power the first ever-made washing machine by electricity

      D. have to wait for the first spin-drier for a long time

   74. The underlined word “crude” in the sentence “but it was crude by today’s standards” probably means __________ .  

      A. useless       B. ugly-looking     C. rough       D. not skillfully made

   75. The article mainly tells us about __________ .

      A. the great inventors in the world

      B. the important inventions in the world

      C. the short history of household machines

      D. the importance of the machines used in the home