The iPhone, the iPad, the iPod, each of apple's products sounds cool and has become a pad (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 prefix 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 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，head of 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 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  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 the 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.
【小题1】
We can infer that the Independent’s “i”is aimed at _______.

 “Our aim is to take our art to the world and make people understand what it is to move，” said David Belle, the co­founder of parkour (跑酷)．

Do you love running? It is a good exercise, yet many people find it boring. But what if making your morning jog a creative one？Like jumping from walls and over gaps and ground rolls? Just like the James Bond in the movie Casino Royale? Bond jumps down from a roof to a windowsill and then runs several blocks over obstacles on the way. It is just because of Bond's wonderful performances that the sport has become popular worldwide.

Yes, that's parkour, an extreme street sport aimed at moving from one point to another as quickly as possible, getting over all the obstacles in the path using only the abilities of the human body. Parkour is considered an extreme sport. As its participants dash around a city, they may jump over fences, run up walls and even move from rooftop to rooftop.

Parkour can be just as exciting and charming as it sounds，but its participants see parkour much more than that.

Overcoming all the obstacles on the course and in life is part of the philosophy (哲理) behind parkour. This is the same as life. You must determine your destination, go straight, and jump over all the barriers as if in parkour and never fall back from them in your life, to reach the destination successfully. A parkour lover said，“I love parkour because its philosophy has become my life, my way to do everything.”

Another philosophy we've learnt from parkour is freedom. It can be done by anyone, at any time, anywhere in the world. It is a kind of expression of trust in yourself that you earn energy and confidence.

1.Parkour has become popular throughout the world because of ________.

A．its co­founder, David Belle

B．the film, Casino Royale

C．its risks and tricks

D．the varieties of participants

2.The underlined word “obstacles” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to “________”．

A．streets           B．objects           C．barriers           D．roofs

3.Which of the following is TRUE of parkour?

A．It challenges human abilities.

B．It is a good but boring sport.

C．It needs special training.

D．It is a team sport.

4.Which of the following is the philosophy of parkour?

A．Sports and extremes.

B．Excitement and popularity.

C．Dreams and success.

D．Determination and freedom.

The iPhone, the iPad, the iPod : each of Apple’s products sounds cool and has become a fad (时尚). 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 came out 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 Independent’s “i”, it is 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 iPad, 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 “Twitter”, 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, fads come and go. 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（不可避免地）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. Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products that are ______________.

   A. advanced      B. portable          C. recyclable      D. environmentally friendly

4.The author of the passage would probably agree that _______________.

   A. “i” products are often of high quality      B. all “i” products have something to do with Internet

   C. the popularity of “i” products may not last long   D. iTeddy is a live bear

BEIJING — After a night of wining and dining with 50 of China’s richest people, Warren Buffet and Bill Gates told the journalists on Thursday that the biggest difference between eating with Chinese tycoons(企业界大亨) and Western ones was the food.
“I was amazed last night, really, at how similar the questions and discussions and all that were to those in the dinners we had in the U.S.,” said Mr. Buffett.
Mr. Buffett and Mr. Gates, two of the best known Westerners here, announced in September, 2010 that they planned to invite 50 wealthy Chinese tycoons to dinner in Beijing to encourage philanthropy(慈善事业) among China’s new rich.
On Thursday, the two men pronounced the dinner a great success, saying that two-thirds of those invited had shown up, and that more than half of them had offered their own ideas on how Chinese philanthropy should work.
The guest list wasn’t made public, but the Chinese news media reported that it included Jet Li, the movie star; Niu Gensheng, the founder of a Chinese dairy business; and Pan Shiyi and Zhang Xin, who control the SOHO China real estate(房地产) empire.
As with four earlier dinners held in the United States, Mr. Buffett and Mr. Gates said, no one at the Beijing event was asked to donate money or to promise to engage in charity. “Bill and I won’t be calling anybody. What happens in China will depend on what the Chinese people feel about a project of this sort,” said Mr. Buffett.
China is widely reported to be second only to the United States in the number of dollar billionaires. Mr. Gates and Mr. Buffett said the nation was unique because its wealthy class had arisen almost wholly in the past 30 years, so the philanthropic practices established among European and American dynasties are new here, and open to change.
The two said the dinner wasn’t a long planned matter, but an offshoot of a trip that Mr. Buffett had already scheduled to Guangdong and Hunan Provinces, where BYD Company, a maker of clean-energy automobiles, has factories. Mr. Buffett’s company, Berkshire Hathaway, holds a 10% stake(股金) in the company.
But Mr. Gates suggested that their philanthropic trip wasn’t yet over. “We may do an event in India,” he said.
【小题1】What is the text mainly about?

A．A brief analysis of future philanthropy.

B．The development of Chinese philanthropy.

C．An introduction on Mr. Buffett and Mr. Gates’ trip in China.

D．A charity dinner held in Beijing by Mr. Buffett and Mr. Gates.

A．China has the largest number of dollar billionaires in Asia

B．many people have promised to donate money at dinner

C．Beijing will be the last stop of their philanthropic trip

D．the Chinese news media published the complete guest list of the dinner

Last year, I lived in Chile for half a year. I lived with a Chilean family and had the responsibilities of any Chilean teenager. I had good days and bad days I didn’t understand.
Chuquicamata, my host community, is a mining camp. When I arrived there, I was scared. It was so different from what I was used to. There were lots of dogs on the streets, and there was no downtown, few smoothly paved streets, and little to do for entertainment. Rain was not seen very often, earthquakes and windstorms were frequent.
I had studied Spanish for two and a half years and was always one of the best students in my class. But in my first week in Chile I was only able to communicate and needed one person to whom I could explain my shock. I couldn’t speak the thoughts in my head and there were so many.
Most exchange students experience this like me. Culture shock presents itself in everything from increased aggression (敌对心理) towards the people to lack of appetite. I was required to overcome all difficulties.
As time passed, everything changed. I began to forget words in English and to dream in Spanish and love Chilean food. I got used to not depending on expensive things for fun. Fun in Chuquicamata was being with people. And I took math, physics, chemistry, biology, Spanish, art, and philosophy.
But the sacrifices were nothing compared to the gain. I learned how to accept and to succeed in another culture. I now have a deeper understanding of both myself and others.
【小题1】The author came to Chile last year with the purpose of ________.