Maybelle said she wouldn't be coming with me to the library. I asked why, and she said she could get all the short stories she wanted off the Internet. Saved walking all the way to the library, and putting up with my long chat on the way there, and on the way back. Maybelle is very direct like that, always has been.
"But, Maybelle, we've been walking to the library every Monday for the last fifty years!"
She said," Why don't you get Internet'? We can send each other emails."
So I had to get Internet. I called the local high school. They said they'd send me a good student to tell me all about computers and such.
Evil thing, this Internet. Makes you lose old friends, forces you to learn new complex ideas, even if you're too old. But Maybelle said you have to be modern; otherwise, you're dead.
The kid came the next day. Tall skinny black kid, by the name of Arsenius, said his work would cost more.
I said, "All right. As long as I get Internet."
"You need a computer, then you need to get hooked up," he said.
"Let's buy a computer and get hooked up, then."
"How much you want to spend?"
"Whatever it takes."
"How many rams you want?"
I wasn't going to show him my ignorance, so I said, "Whatever it takes."
"Let's go to the mall. You got a car?"
"In the garage."
When I opened the garage door, he gasped. Daddy's car is still there, a'57 Chevy. I never drive it. Walk everywhere.
I said," Let's walk. It's only a mile or so."
He said," Let's drive, or you will faint on me in this heat."
"Young man, I don't faint, never have. We're walking."
"I get paid by the hour," he said. "Walking will cost you a lot more. Also, you feel like carrying a computer a mile or so?"What kind of person is Maybelle?
| A．She always says what she means in an honest way. |
| B．She no longer likes reading in her old age. |
| C．She doesn't want to be friends with the writer any more. |
| D．She doesn't want to keep up with the time. |
Why does the writer want to have Internet at his place?
| A．Because the writer believes that one is never too old to learn. |
| B．Because the writer thinks that it is better late than never. |
| C．Because of the pressure from people of his age. |
| D．Because of the convenience the Internet will bring. |
Arsenius gives _________ reasons for driving to the mall.
| A．two | B．three | C．four | D．five |
Dear Reader，
I receive many letters from children and can't answer them all -- there wouldn't be time enough in a day. That is why I am sending you this printed reply to your letter. I'll try to answer some of the questions that are commonly asked.
Where did I get the idea for Stuart Little and for Charlotte's Web? Well, many years ago I went to bed one night in a railway sleeping car, and during the night I dreamed about a tiny boy who acted rather like a mouse. That's how the story of Stuart Little got started.
As for Charlotte's Web, I like animals and my barn is a very pleasant place to be, at all hours. One day when I was on my way to feed the pig, I began feeling sorry for the pig because, like most pigs, he was doomed to die. This made me sad. So I started thinking of ways to save a pig's life. I had been watching a big grey spider at her work and was impressed by how clever she was at weaving. Gradually I worked the spider into the story that you know, a story of friendship and salvation(拯救) on a farm. Three years after I started writing it, it was published. (I am not a fast worker, as you can see.)
Sometimes I'm asked how old I was when I started to write, and what made me want to write. I started early – as soon as I could spell. In fact, I can't remember any time in my life when I wasn't busy writing. I don't know what caused me to do it, or why I enjoyed it, but I think children often find pleasure and satisfaction is trying to set their thoughts down on paper, either in words or in pictures. I was no good at drawing, so I used words instead. As I grew older, I found that writing can be a way of earning a living.
Some of my readers want me to visit their school. Some want me to send a picture, or an autograph, or a book. And some ask questions about my family and my animals and my pets. Much as I'd like to, I can't go visiting. I can't send books, either – you can find them in a bookstore or a library. Many children assume that a writer owns (or even makes) his own books. This is not true – books are made by the publisher. If a writer wants a copy, he must buy it. That's why I can't send books. And I do not send autographs – I leave that to the movie stars. I live most of the year in the country, in New England. From our windows we can look out at the sea and the mountains. I live near my married son and three grandchildren.
Are my stories true, you ask? No, they are imaginary tales, containing fantastic characters and events. In real life, a family doesn't have a child who looks like a mouse; in real life, a spider doesn't spin words in her web. In real life, a swan doesn't blow a trumpet. But real life is only one kind of life – there is also the life of the imagination. And although my stories are imaginary, I like to think that there is some truth in them, too – truth about the way people and animals feel and think and act.
Yours sincerely,
E.B. WhiteHow many animal characters in E.B.White’s books have been mentioned in his letter?
A. 2. B. 3. C. 4. D. 5.Which of the following has inspired E.B.White to write his famous Charlotte’s Web?
A. His dream of a little boy acting like a mouse.
B. His sympathy for a dying pig.
C. His impression of spiders wearing skill.
D. His imagination of a swan blowing a trumpet.Which of the following may not be the question asked by E.B.White’s readers?
A. Where do you live?
B. Are your stories true?
C. Can you come and visit our school?
D. Why do you send us this printed letter?From the letter, we can know that E.B.White _____.
A. could spell at a very young age
B. makes a living by writing
C. lives under a roof of four generations
D. is busy writing animals all his life
Technology and the present generation of kids go hand in hand. Taking advantage of this factor, Lim Hojoon, the designer from South Korea, has come up with an educational gadget (小装置) especially for children.
Kidget, as the name suggests, is a combination of two words – kid and gadget. This kid-friendly gadget has various uses. When your child is in a mood to read, it takes the form of a storybook. When the mood is to draw and color, this wonder gadget turns into a perfect canvas (画布). Your child can freely give color to all his/her imaginations. Should he or she wish to have some fun, see this device change into a musical instrument. You too would enjoy doing activities with your loved one using this gadget. This touch screen device will definitely prove to be an ideal friend.
As many parents agree, in this age of technological advancements it is much easier to introduce children to new gadgets than adults. While many adults refrain (克制) from trying out something new, kids are more than prepared to take the leap. Keeping this fact in mind, Kidget is the perfect gift for the child of the 21st century. You will be surprised to see how fast your little one gets acquainted with the device. You might even find yourself lagging (落后) behind at times.
Kidget has another hidden advantage. It helps take the load off young shoulders. With three things rolled into one, a child has much fewer books, stationary items and related goods to carry. It comes with a promise to make life simpler for kids. Not only is it simple to use but also easy to carry along. The stylish protective case comes with a belt attached to it. Children up to 14 years of age, the targeted audience, enjoy the freedom that comes with it. The Kidget probably can’t serve as a ______.
| A．storybook | B．perfect canvas |
| C．musical instrument | D．television |
We learn from the second paragraph that Kidget ______.
| A．has many functions |
| B．is only suitable for kids |
| C．can make kids addicted if not properly used |
| D．can change its shape and color |
A hidden advantage of Kidget is that ______.
| A．it can be put into a schoolbag |
| B．children can carry much less with it |
| C．it has a stylish protective case |
| D．it contains all the textbooks |
We can infer from the text that Kidget ______.
| A．is easily operated by kids |
| B．meets with parents’ disapproval |
| C．needs to be further improved |
| D．replaces schoolbags |
Study shows that walking fast at your old age is a ___ that you will live a long life.
| A．sign | B．mark | C．symbol | D．signal |
Supermarkets are trying out new computers that make shopping carts (购物车) more intelligent(具备智能的). They will help shoppers find paper cups or toilet soap, and keep a record of the bill.
The touch-screen devices(触摸屏装置) are on show at the Food Marketing Institute’s exhibition here this week, “These devices are able to create value and get you around the store quicker,” said Michael Alexander, manager of Springboard Retail Networks Inc., which makes a smart cart computer called the Concierge.
Canadian stores will test the Concierge in July. A similar device, IBM’s “Shopping Buddy”, has recently been test-marketed at Stop & Shop stores in Massachusetts.
Neither device tells you how many fat grams or calories are in your cart, but they will flash you with items on sale. The idea is to make it easier for people to buy, not to have second thoughts that maybe you should put something back on the shelf.
“The whole model is driven by advertisers’ need to get in front of shoppers,” said Alexander. “They’re not watching 30-second TV ads anymore.”
People can use a home computer to make their shopping lists. Once at the store, a shopper can use a preferred customer card to start a system(系统) that will organize the trip around the store. If you’re looking for toothpicks, you type in the word or pick it from a list, and a map will appear on the screen showing where you are and where you can find them.
The device also keeps a record of what you buy. When you’re finished, the device figures out your bill. Then you go to the checker or place your card into a self-checkout stand and pay.
The new computerized shopping assistants don’t come cheap. The Buddy devices will cost the average store about $160,000, and the Concierge will cost stores about $500 for each device.Which of the following is the correct order of shopping with computerized shopping carts?
a. Start the system.
b. Make a shopping list.
c. Find the things you want.
d. Go to a self-checkout stand.
| A．abdc | B．acbd | C．bacd | D．bcad |
We can learn from the last paragraph that ______.
| A．the Concierge is cheaper than the Buddy devices |
| B．intelligent shopping carts cost a large sum of money |
| C．shop assistants with computer knowledge are well paid |
| D．average stores prefer the Concierge to the Buddy devices |
What might be the most suitable title for the text?
| A．New computers make shopping carts smarter |
| B．Concierge and Shopping Buddy |
| C．New age for supermarkets |
| D．Touch-screen devices make shopping enjoyable |
In the course of working my way through school, I took many jobs I would rather forget. But none of these jobs was as terrible as my job in an apple plant(工厂). The work was hard; the pay was poor; and, most of all, the working conditions were terrible.
First of all, the job made huge demands on my strength. For ten hours a night, I took boxes that rolled down a metal track and piled them onto a truck. Each box contained twelve heavy bottles of apple juice. I once figured out that I was lifting an average of twelve tons of apple juice every night.
I would not have minded the difficulty of the work so much if the pay had not been so poor. I was paid the lowest wage of that time—two dollars an hour. Because of the low pay, I felt eager to get as much as possible. I usually worked twelve hours a night but did not take home much more than $ 100 a week.
But even more than the low pay, what made me unhappy were the working conditions. During work I was limited to two ten-minute breaks and an unpaid half hour for lunch. Most of my time was spent outside loading trucks with those heavy boxes in near-zero-degree temperatures. The steel floors of the trucks were like ice, which made my feet feel like stone. And after the production line shut down at night and most people left, I had to spend two hours alone cleaning the floor.
I stayed on the job for five months, all the while hating the difficulty of the work, the poor money, and the conditions under which I worked. By the time I left, I was determined never to go back there again.Why did the writer have to take many jobs at that time?
| A．To gain some experience |
| B．To save for his future |
| C．To support his family |
| D．To pay for his schooling |
The following facts describe the terrible working conditions of the plant EXCEPT ______.
| A．loading boxes in the freezing cold |
| B．having limited time for breaks |
| C．getting no pay for lunch time |
| D．working and studying at the same time |
What is the topic discussed in the text?
| A．The writer’s hard work in an apple plant. |
| B．The writer’s eagerness to earn money. |
| C．The writer’s experience to earn money. |
| D．The writer’s unhappy school life. |
How is the text organized?
| A．Topic—Argument—Explanation |
| B．Opinion—Discussion—Description |
| C．Introduction—Supporting examples—Conclusion |
| D．Main idea—Comparison—Supporting examples |
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