题目内容
B．being
C．to be
D．to have been
For those who are tired of doing the laundry, Samsung has found an answer: a washing machine that can tell you when your laundry is done via a smartphone app (application).
Strange though it may seem — "my wife already does that" was a common response among attendees viewing the device when it was introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week — Samsung is just one of many appliance makers racing to install a large number of internet-connected features in machines in an effort to make them "smart".
Last year, it was a refrigerator that tweeted. This year, it's Wi-Fi-enabled laundry machines and fridges that can tell you when your groceries are going bad.
The washers and dryers, available starting in the spring, connect to any smartphone through a downloadable application. The phone can then be used as a remote control, so the machines can be turned on and off while their owner is at work or on the bus.
Samsung says it's not just something new — the app connection actually has some practical uses.
"If you started to dry clothes in the morning and forgot to take them out, you can go to your phone and restart your dryer for the time when come home, so your clothes are refreshed and ready to go." said spokesperson Amy Schmidt.
The company also says that with electricity rate (电价) varying depending on the time of day, more control over when the machines are used can help save money.
Perhaps, but what they will probably really accomplish is what all good technologies do — enable laziness. Rather than getting up to check on whether the laundry is done, users will instead monitor it on their phones while watching TV.
【小题1】 What can be inferred from the common response of the attendees at the CES?
| A．The machine will be a big success. |
| B．their wives like doing the laundry. |
| C．The machine is unrelated to their life. |
| D．This kind of technology is familiar to them. |
| A．the app connection makes life easier |
| B．it is better to dry clothes in the morning |
| C．smartphone can shorten the drying time |
| D．we should refresh clothes back at home |
| A．The laundry should be frequently checked |
| B．Lazy people like using such machines |
| C．Good technologies also cause problems |
| D．Television may help do the laundry |
Lawmakers in the United States have expanded an investigation into the use of location-tracking systems on mobile devices. The action follows recent reports about the storing of information on the Apple iPhone. Some people consider location tracking to be a threat to personal privacy and security.
Allan Friedman, the research director, says, “All wireless companies do some location tracking as part of their networks. This information is usually stored by the companies, not the devices, and there are laws to protect it. Law enforcement(执法) agencies, for example, have to have a fairly high standard before it can access that data. And the phone company is also prohibited from selling that information.
Now, two researchers report that location tracking information is being stored directly on Apple devices. They said Apple’s newest operating systems gather global positioning system and timestamp information. The information is stored on the device in a file that is also uploaded (上传) to any computer that the device is connected to. The researchers say the information is available to anyone who has access to the device or computer.
Allan Friedman says, “This raises additional concerns. There’s the idea that because it’s on my phone and on my computer, rogue applications(恶意程序) that I pay for or that I’m tricked into downloading may be able to access this data and somehow misuse it.”
Apple says it is “not tracking the location of your iPhone”. It is simply keeping a database of Wi-Fi hotspots and cell phone towers near the user’s location. This information is meant to help the iPhone quickly find its location when needed.
Letters have been sent to some of the leading mobile device developers, including Apple and Google. The letters asked for more information about their location tracking systems. Allan Friedman calls this an important start to strengthening privacy laws. He says, “There aren’t strong controls over things like location information, what they are doing with it, how long they are keeping it. And perhaps the most important question is, is my location data with other facts about me?”
【小题1】Why did American lawmakers investigate the use of location-tracking systems on cell-phones?
| A．Because the systems can store users’ information |
| B．Because many users have suffered loss after using them. |
| C．Because it is thought to threaten users’ privacy. |
| D．Because many reporters have shown the problem of the systems. |
| A．wireless companies focus on personal privacy. |
| B．people are forbidden to get access to private data at will |
| C．phone companies may sell private information secretly |
| D．customers may ask wireless companies to locate their tracking |
| A．Location tracking information is stored online. |
| B．Apple’s newest operating systems collect all kinds of information. |
| C．Location tracking information may be uploaded to any iPhone. |
| D．Apple’s newest operating systems may reveal the private information of users. |
| A．Apple denies that it tracks the location of users. |
| B．The researchers may misunderstand the Apple’s systems. |
| C．The global positioning system is to blame for rogue applications. |
| D．The iPhone can quickly find its location by using its user’s information. |
| "Your first home," Laurence Yep wrote in his autobiography, The Lost Garden (1991), "will always be the one that you remember best." For Yep, whose father and maternal grandparents emigrated from China, that home was an apartment, and the family grocery store it came with , in an African-American neighborhood of San Francisco. As young people, both he and his older brother, Thomas, helped out at the store. It was there that young Laurence taught himself to juggle while unpacking endless cartons of soup cans. And it was there that he learned about patience, hard work, and getting along with neighbors. A high school English teacher who set high goals for his students was the first person to encourage Yep to write. The experience of that class changed the direction of his life. Yep was eighteen when he published his first short story, a sci-fi fantasy. He has since written many books and many kinds of books, including picture books, mysteries, historical novels, science fiction, fantasy, and realistic stories set in the present day. He has retold Chinese folk stories and written for the theater. In nearly all these varied works, Yep, who is married to the children's book author Joanne Ryder, has returned to questions he has been asking himself since childhood: What does it mean to be Chinese and American? What is it like to live the life of an outsider in an alien world or culture? Can one who belongs to two cultures ever feel at home anywhere? |
Laurence Yep was asked this question: How has being of Chinese heritage been important to you? Laurence Yep replied, “The answer to that question has changed dramatically more than once. As a child I hated Chinese school. I wanted to be as American as possible. Then, in my early twenties, I became very interested in my Chinese roots. ” “For years after that, I thought that my function as a Chinese American writer was to act as a bridge between two cultures. Now, though, I am not so sure that it is possible to blend two cultures together. Asian cultures are family-and cooperation- oriented. American culture on the other hand emphasizes the individual and competition. The two cultures pull in opposite directions. So I see myself now as someone who will always be on the border between two cultures. That works to my benefit as a writer because not quite fitting in helps me be a better observer. ” |
1．Based on the information in the passage, knowledge Laurence Yep gained at his family's store is .
A．being competitive B．setting high goals
C．living life as an outsider D．getting along with neighbors
2．Which sequence best expresses the change in Laurel Yep's view of his own heritage?
A．wanted to keep Chinese heritage →wanted to be of American culture only→became disconnected both cultures
B．was interested in American culture→became interested in Chinese culture→chose to keep Chinese culture only
C．Felt connected to two cultures→became interested in American culture→ chose to keep American culture only
D．wanted to be part of American culture only→became interested in Chinese culture →became a part to both cultures
3．How is the information in the interview different from the information in the passage?
A．It describes the author’s varied writing styles.
B．It discusses the author’s relationship with his family .
C．It provides details about the author’s childhood and family .
D．It explains the link between the author's heritage and his writing .
4．Which saying best describes Laurence Yep’s attitude as it is revealed in the interview?
A．Learn to embrace your own differences .
B．Put the needs of others ahead of your own.
C．Work hard and you will receive many benefits.
D．Challenge others as you would wish to be challenged .