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.People use iPlayer to ____________.
| A．listen to music | B．make a call | C．watch TV programs online | D．read newspapers |
We can infer that the Independent’s “ i ” is aimed at _____________.
| A．young readers | B．old readers | C．fashionable women | D．engineers |
Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products that are ______________.
| A．advanced | B．portable | C．recyclable | D．environmentally friendly |
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 |
As most university students are packing their bags，boarding trains or flying home for the Spring Festival，some will stay behind to spend the holiday on campus．
Zhou Yunyun，22，a senior finance major at Jilin University，has decided that instead of traveling to Hainan province，he will kill the time by playing computer games with his online friends．
“I'm used to chatting and playing with them every day．It’s just fun to make friends this way，”he said．“When I returned home in past years，my relatives always asked me a lot of questions about my plans after graduation．They had high expectations of me，which made me feel stressed，” said Zhou．
The campus，usually lively，will probably turn into a death town，with most restaurants，shops and student centers closed during the break．But there are also a few advantages，according to Jia Debao，2 1，a junior majoring in administration at China Agricultural University．“I might feel a bit lonely，but at least I can stay away from my parents’ complaining and enjoy the peaceful and quiet stay，” he said．“More importantly，I can enj oy the high speed of the Internet，I can always find empty seats in classrooms，and I don’t have to wait to use the bathroorm” But education experts recommend students who stay on campus to come up with more interactive plans．That’s because communication on the Internet can’t replace real life interpersonal relationships．
Society has promoted a kind of“couch potato" or close-in culture among some young people, according to Shi Tongyu, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He warned that this kind of lifestryl can damage students’ mental and physical development.
“When you constantly stare at a computer screen and type on your keyboard，you gradually lose the ability to socialize and survive normally，"said Shi．“A human’s most important task is to survive，which cannot be completed by staying at home all the time． Instead，it must be achieved through real life experience and communication．”What can we learn about Zhou Yunyun?
| A．He feels very lonely on campus． |
| B．He will promote close-in culture． |
| C．He will spend the Spring Festival with relatives． |
| D．He will spend the Spring Festival with on-line friends． |
Spending the Spring Festival on campus for Jia Debao means .
| A．he will miss his parents a little bit |
| B．there will be more seats in classrooms |
| C．he will have a quiet and peaceful break |
| D．the speed of the Internet will get faster |
The underlined phrase“couch potato” is closest in meaning to .
| A．inactive person | B．close friend |
| C．sociable student | D．addicted gamer |
What do education experts recommend students to do?
| A．To do some traveling． |
| B．To stay more with families． |
| C．To find empty seats in classrooms． |
| D．To experience real life and communication． |
As a leading safari(狩猎游)company in Kenya，Game-watchers has been recognized s the Tour Operator of 20 11 Kenya Travel Awards，and rewarded with some other international tour prizes in recent years．
Safari tours go to some of the best wildlife national parks and game parks in Africa， even the Masai Mara in Kenya．We are ready to offer a more personalized service，including staying in smaller safari eco-camps and providing high quality professional safari guides，plus 4x4 safari vehicles for game drives．We can also offer you the choice to fly straight into the wildlife areas，using light airplane，to avoid lengthy road journeys．
Here is a typical Tour Plan of Game-watchers(2 nights／3 days)
If you have any further questions, please contact us at www. Gamewatchers. com or call us at 0944-598-580.According to the passage，Game-watchers is
| A．a travel plan in Kenya’s best national parks |
| B．Kenya’s largest and best safari company |
| C．Kenya’s online travel company of game drives |
| D．a winner of many travel awards home and abroad |
Which of the following is offered as an alternative means of·transportation if you can’t wait to get into the wildlife areas?
| A．4×4 safari vehicle． | B．Plane． |
| C．Walk． | D．Bus． |
How many meals are offered in a typical Tour Plan of 2 nights／3days?
| A．Nine． | B．Eight． |
| C．Seven． | D．Six. |
The author’s purpose of writing the passage is
| A．to introduce the beautiful scenery of Kenya |
| B．to make an advertisement for a tour company |
| C．to inform tourists of the detailed tour information |
| D．to make people curious about the wild life in Kenya |
Beautiful cars surrounded by even more beautiful models--it’s no secret why the 2012Beijing Auto Show was popular.
The exhibition was held between April 23 and May 2. Although renowned companies showed off their top models, it wasn’t just their expensive sports cars that grabbed people’s attention.
Concept cars are a way for designers to test out their ideas on the public with complete freedom. They can try out cars with special features that could not be massively(批量) produced easily.
Designers don’t have to follow industry rules；they don’t even need to worry about whether their cars would be fllowed on the roads．
At the Beijing Auto Show，the@Ant by Chery was one concept car to draw a lot of attention．China Daily called it‘‘the very definition of a concept car”．
The vehicle is powered by electricity and is capable of driving itself．But the magic doesn’t end there．
The@Ant was inspired by actual ants．According to Car News China，with the help of automated telemetric systems，@Ants are able to“see” other@Ants and compare destination information. If two are heading the same way for a while, the vehicles connect, with one car’s rear (后面的)wheels matching up with the front wheels of another car．Up to 10@Ants can be put together and will automatically connect to form a“train"．This will help save energy while traveling, as well reducing traffic jams.
The car sounds like a great idea．Further research will be needed to turn this concept car into something for the market，but concepts like Chery’s show how carmakers are working for cleaner and greener vehicles．It’s like what the@Ant motto says，“Exploring future human beings’lifestyles”．The concept car is getting popular because .
| A．it looks like an ant |
| B．it is beautifully designed |
| C．it is exhibited as a top model |
| D．it conveys a new idea for the future |
How can the@Ants help save energy while travelling according to the passage?
| A．By connecting each other and running together． |
| B．By driving themselves without man’s control． |
| C．By comparing their destination information． |
| D．By reducing traffic jams on the roads． |
What the designers of the concept car need to do at the Auto Show is .
| A．to test the safety of the concept car |
| B．to follow the rules in the car industry |
| C．to show their unique idea of complete freedom |
| D．to see if concept cars can be massively produced |
The best title of the passage is .
| A．Concept Cars Are Driving to the Future |
| B．The@Ant Draws a Lot of Attention |
| C．The@Ant Is a Top Model of Concept Cars |
| D．Concept Cars Are Cleaner and Greener |
One day I was driving to a business appointment and, as usual, I was planning in my mind what I was going to say. I came to a very busy crossroad where the stoplight had just turned red.
A young couple, both blind, were walking across the road. Each of them had a white cane(手杖). They were overcoming the most feared blindness. I held my breath when I noticed that the couple was not walking on the crosswalk, but was instead stepping directly into the middle of the crossroad. Without realizing the danger they were in, they were walking right into the path of the oncoming cars. I was frightened for them because I didn’t know if the other drivers understood what was happening. Then I saw a miracle unfold before my eyes. Every car in every direction came to a stop at the same time. Nobody can yelled, “Get out of the way!”
Amazed, I noticed that everyone’s attention was also fixed on the couple. Suddenly the driver to my right reacted. He yelled, “To your right.”Other people followed, shouting, “To your right!”Trusting their elite canes and the calls from some concerned citizens, they made it to the other side of the road. I could judge they had no idea what was really going on around them. Yet I immediately felt smiles appeared on everyone’s face. The driver to the left of me was saying, “I can’t believe it!”
I thought all of us were deeply moved by what we had just seen. Here were human beings stepping outsides themselves for a while to help other people in deed.When the author drove to work, he saw_________.
| A．some drivers were driving their cars very fast |
| B．a couple failed to cross the road as usual |
| C．most drivers drove in the same direction |
| D．A blind couple was walking into the driveway |
What does the underlined word “miracle” in paragraph 2 refer to?
| A．Everybody told the blind couple to go to the right |
| B．The blind couple avoided many cars by themselves |
| C．The blind couple kept calm in danger |
| D．Every car stopped for the blind couple |
It can be inferred from the text that________.
| A．people felt a relief after the couple crossed the road |
| B．the author was amazed at the expressions on the couple’s faces |
| C．the couple’s quick crossing of the road surprised everyone |
| D．calls from everyone made the couple realize their danger |
Disney’s cartoon, Finding Nemo, tells a touching story of a father called Martin and his son Nemo.
Martin loses his wife and an entire family of unhatched eggs to a huge shark. Only one fish egg remains, Nemo. Martin promises his dead wife that he will protect his young son at any cost. So, Martin becomes fearful of almost everything in the ocean. That makes him over protective-he hopes to keep his kid safe from the challenges that life presents. Martin’s nagging（唠叨）makes Nemo feel that he doesn’t need his dad telling him what to do.
So on his first day of school, Nemo and some friends swim to the edge of their coral reef, a place Martin always thinks is very dangerous. When Martin shouts at Nemo come back, Nemo refuses to listen to him and swim out to a boat in the distance. Suddenly, he gets caught by some divers. So begins Martin’s journey to find Nemo, who ends up in an aquarium in an office in Australia. Soon the worried father runs into Dory, a forgetful blue fish, who helps Martin find his son. Meanwhile, Nemo misses his father terribly. He soon hears that he will be given to an eight-year-old girl who likes to kill fish.
Can Martin find his son before it is too late?
Finding Nemo is a physical and mental journey. Martin overcomes his shyness and anxieties and Nemo discovers his own and his father’s hidden strengths. It celebrates the relationship between fathers and their sons.
The cartoon paints a sea world that is alive with color. All the characters are very human-like and have their own personalities.
Finding Nemo was released in the US on may 30, earning about US $70.6 million in just three days, it has set a new opening records for a cartoon. What is the passage mainly about?
| A．How a father finds his son |
| B．How to get home when getting lost |
| C．A brief introduction to a cartoon film |
| D．The love between a father and his son |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the second paragraph?
| A．Martin’s wife and most of his children died because of disease. |
| B．Martin is a coward that he is afraid of everything. |
| C．Nemo has grown up and doesn’t need his father’s protection any longer. |
| D．Martin loves his son so much that he becomes so protective. |
It can be concluded according to the cartoon that ________.
| A．Nemo has a wonderful journey after leaving his father. |
| B．Martin has met a lot of difficulties finding his son. |
| C．Nemo is really independent after leaving his father. |
| D．Nemo never needs any protection from his father. |
What is the theme of the cartoon?
| A．We should always listen to our parents. |
| B．Parents should let their children have an independent life. |
| C．Parent should take care of their children in case they get lost. |
| D．Parental love is the greatest love in the world. |
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