Why are we addicted to upgrades? According to Donald Norman, American author of the book The Design of Everyday Things, “planned obsolescence”（计划性报废） is the trick behind the upgrading culture of today’s consumer electronics industry.
The New York Times cited Norman last month, saying that electronics manufactures strategically release new upgrades periodically, both for hardware and software, so that customers on every level feel the need to buy the newest version.
“This is an old-time trick– they’re not inventing anything new,” he said.
Thomas Wensma, a Dutch designer, despises the “planned obsolescence” of companies, as recently reported by UK-based The Guardian.
Wensma said this is a wasteful system through which companies – many of them producing personal electronics – release shoddy products simply because “they know that, in six months or a year, they’ll put out a new one”.
But the new psychology of consumers is part of this system, as Wensma said to the newspaper: “We now want something new, something pretty, the next shiny thing.”
____________________
“It’s to the damage of the consumer and the environment,” as the New York Times quoted Norman. “But perhaps to the betterment of the stockholder.”
In its most recent fiscal(财务的) year, Apple’s profit margin was more than 21 percent, reported the Los Angeles Times. At Hewlett-Packard, the world’s biggest PC manufacturer, it was only 7 percent.
“Steven Jobs pushed the principle of ‘planned obsolescence’ to new heights,” the newspaper commented on the company’s profits and marketing strategy. “Apple’s annual upgrades of its products generate sales of millions of units as owners of one year’s MacBook or iPhone line up to buy the newest version, even when the changes are incremental.”
Peer pressure
As to Li Jijia, the need for upgrading his smart phone comes mainly from friends and classmates. When the majority of friends are switching to the latest devices, he worries about feeling left out.
“Some apps and games require better hardware to run,” said Li. “If you don’t join in, you lose part of the connection to your friends.”Donald Norman believes that electronics makers strategically release new upgrades periodically because __________.
| A．customers need the latest version | B．technology is developing so fast |
| C．they want to invent something new | D．they can make a lot of money |
Thomas Wensma’s attitude to the “planned obsolescence” is __________.
| A．positive | B．negative | C．indifferent | D．neutral |
What subtitle can best fit into the blank in the text?
| A．Huge profits | B．Apple’s principle |
| C．Environmental damage | D．Marketing strategy |
The writer takes the example of Li Jijia to show that __________.
| A．the new psychology of consumers is also to blame for the wasteful system |
| B．young people are always fond of something new, pretty and shiny |
| C．if you don’t upgrade your smart phone, you will lose contact with your friends |
| D．needs of consumers help to promote the development of electronics industry |
When was the last time you did something really fun with one of your parents—just the two of you?
Parents who take their young children to music, swimming and art classes often stop arranging such activities once their kids are older and in school all day. But it doesn't have to be that way. Doing something enjoyable with your kids just might make you look at each other in a whole new way, especially if you do it through a class or an event. When parent and child become students together, it puts them on the same level, at least for a while.
“I really like parents to come to class with their kids—they start sharing things and talking about what they're doing and what they like，” said art teacher Pyper Dixon.
However, finding something new in common is a big choice for them, especially when kids get involved in sports and other afterschool activities. But it's possible to learn a new skill or hobby together.
That's certainly true of Lauren, 11, of Silver Spring, who is in Dixon's class with her father, Dennis. “I was just going to drop her off，” Dennis said, “but Dixon persuaded me to stay.”
Now Lauren gets to nag her father about doing his art homework. “He always leaves it to the last minute，” she said.“But then he'll turn around to do amazing drawings，” she added, “We have different styles of drawing, so it's interesting to talk it over with him.”
Without the Saturday morning art class, Dennis said, he would be reading the paper, and Lauren would be on her own in her room or on the computer. But they talk more now. “I can't think of an experience where you communicate with your kid so closely，” he said.The author raises the question at the beginning to ________.
| A．expect an answer |
| B．criticize some parents |
| C．introduce the topic |
| D．support his argument |
What does Dixon think is the benefit of parent and child studying art together?
| A．The two will become equal. |
| B．The two will communicate more. |
| C．The child will learn art much better. |
| D．The parent will learn something new. |
The underlined word “nag” in the text probably means ______.
| A．urge | B．help |
| C．ignore | D．teach |
We can learn from the text that ________.
| A．Lauren used to talk a lot with her father |
| B．Dennis enjoys studying art with Lauren |
| C．Lauren dislikes her father's drawings |
| D．Dennis likes playing computer games |
Beatrix Potter was a great English writer and artist, best known for her children's books featuring animal characters such as in the children's classic—The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
Beatrix was born into a rich Londonbased family where she was tutored by very strict private teachers and so spent her youth isolated from other youngsters. During her youth she had a lot of pets and spent vacations in Scotland and also the Lake District. It was at the Lake District that she developed a love of wildlife. She studied the area's natural wonders carefully and painted them continuously. But her oldfashioned, Manchesterborn parents discouraged her intellectual improvement, thinking it inappropriate for a young lady. However, her study and watercolour paintings of wild mushrooms made her widely respected within the field of biology.
In her 30's, Beatrix Potter wrote the remarkably successful kid's book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Close to that time she became secretly engaged to her publisher Norman Warne. This caused a great disagreement with her parents, who did not approve of Beatrix getting married to somebody of lower social status. Sadly, Warne died before the marriage ceremony.
Ultimately Beatrix Potter began writing and also illustrating (绘图) kid's books fulltime. Using profits from her books, Beatrix grew to become economically independent of her parents and was eventually in a position to buy Hill Top Farm in the Lake District. She extended the property with additional purchases of neighbouring land over time. In her 40's, Beatrix married William Heelis, a local lawyer. She ended up becoming a sheep breeder and farmer while continuing to publish as well as illustrate books for children. In all she authored 23 publications.
Beatrix died on December 22, 1943, and left the majority of her property to the National Trust. Her books carry on selling well globally, in many different languages. Her stories have been retold in numerous formats including a ballet, movies, and cartoons.
Such is her reputation, and that of the characters from her publications, that many Beatrix Potter statues have been created. These tiny Beatrix Potter statues which include pretty much all the actual characters in her publications have become highly valued by art collectors and fans of her literature throughout the world.What can we learn about Beatrix Potter's early life?
| A．She learned drawing skills from her tutors. |
| B．She was very sociable and outgoing. |
| C．She was greatly inspired by the beauty of nature. |
| D．She was encouraged to think creatively and independently. |
Why did Beatrix Potter's parents oppose the idea of her marriage to Norman Warne?
| A．They did not believe she was mature enough to get married. |
| B．They thought Warne was only interested in Beatrix Potter's wealth. |
| C．They believed that the couple's characters were mismatched. |
| D．They considered Warne to be too common for their daughter. |
According to the passage, which part of the UK did Beatrix Potter love most?
| A．Manchester. | B．Scotland. |
| C．The Lake District. | D．London. |
In which of the following areas did Beatrix Potter show an interest during her life?
| A．Writing, biology, farming. |
| B．Drawing, nature, ballet. |
| C．Movies, farming, drawing. |
| D．Writing, mushrooms, travel. |
What is the function of the last two paragraphs of the passage?
| A．To describe the consequences of Beatrix Potter's death. |
| B．To present the lasting cultural influence of Beatrix Potter and her works. |
| C．To show the changes in attitude towards Beatrix Potter's works over the past years. |
| D．To criticise the commercialization of Beatrix Potter's characters since her death. |
Space is where our future is — trips to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Most people would think that aside from comets(彗星) and stars, there is little else out there. But, since our space journey started we have left so much trash（垃圾） there that scientists are now concerned that if we don't clean it up, we may all be in mortal （致命的）danger.
The first piece of space junk was created in 1964, when the American satellite Vanguard I stopped operating and lost its connection with the ground center. However, since it kept orbiting around the Earth without any consequences, scientists became increasingly comfortable abandoning things that no longer served any useful purpose in space.
It is estimated that there are now over 500,000 pieces of man-made trash orbiting the Earth at speeds of up to 17,500 miles per hour. The junk varies from tiny pieces of paint chipped off rockets to cameras, huge fuel tanks, and even odd items like the million-dollar tool kit that astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn Piper lost during a spacewalk.
The major problem with the space trash is that it may hit working satellites and damage traveling spacecraft(飞船). Moreover, pieces of junk may collide（碰撞） with each other and break into pieces which fall back to the Earth. To avoid this, scientists have invented several ways for clearing the sky. Ground stations have been built to monitor larger pieces of space trash to prevent them from crashing into working satellites or space shuttles. Future plans include a cooperative effort among many nations to stop littering in space and to clean up the trash already there.What was the first piece of man-made space trash?
| A．A camera. | B．A tool kit. |
| C．A fuel tank. | D．A broken satellite. |
Why were scientists NOT concerned about space trash in the beginning?
| A．It no longer served any useful purpose. |
| B．It was millions of miles away from the Earth. |
| C．It did not cause any problems. |
| D．It was regarded as similar to comets and stars. |
Which of the following statements is true about space junk?
| A．It is huge, heavy machines. |
| B．It never changes position. |
| C．It floats slowly around the Earth. |
| D．It may cause problems for space shuttles. |
What has been done about the space trash problem?
| A．Scientists have cleaned up most of the trash. |
| B．Large pieces of space trash are being closely watched. |
| C．Many nations have worked together to stop polluting space. |
| D．Ground stations are built to help store the trash properly in space. |
It seems hard to watch someone yawn（打哈欠） and not to yawn ourselves. Even reading about yawning can make you do it. Now, a new study has found why yawning has such a powerful force.
Yawning when others yawn, the study suggests, is a sign of pity and a form of social connection. Kids don’t develop this deeply rooted behavior until around age four, the study found. Kids with autism (自闭症) are less likely to catch yawns. In the most serious cases, they never do. Yawning might help doctors to see whether the children are developing rightly. The work could also lead to a better understanding of the ways that people communicate and connect.
"Emotional infection seems to be a born thing that connects us together," said Molly Helt, a graduate student in psychology at the University of Connecticut. "Yawning may be part of that." Inspiration for her study came when she tried to get her own autistic son to clear his ears on an airplane. She repeatedly yawned at him, hoping he would yawn back. He never did.
"The fact that autistic kids don’t do it might mean they’re really missing out on that emotional connection with people around them," she said. "The biggest thing people try to figure out after birth is how we become humans and understand that humans have minds that are different from others’," she added. "Autistic people never seem to understand that."
Like infectious （有感染力的）laughter and crying, scientists have found that yawning is a shared experience that promotes social connection. Helt said it could fight stress after a period of being nervous and spread a feeling of calm through a group.What does the new study suggest, according to the first two paragraphs?
| A．Yawning is a form of communication. |
| B．It is easy to stop yawning when you see others yawn. |
| C．Children follow others in yawning just after they are born. |
| D．Yawning has some mysterious force which is related to God. |
According to Molly Helt, _________.
| A．humans differ from animals because they communicate with others |
| B．yawning is a kind of emotional connection among humans |
| C．emotions are infectious, but yawning is not |
| D．yawning helps clear ears on planes |
Which of the following is NOT true about yawning?
| A．It is natural to yawn back if people around you yawn. |
| B．Some kids are too young to yawn after others. |
| C．Yawning can be used to test children’s development. |
| D．Kids with autism yawn easily when others yawn. |
The author implies in the last paragraph that ________.
| A．yawning is different from infectious laughter and crying in theory |
| B．it is bad manners to yawn on some social occasions |
| C．the more you yawn, the happier you will be |
| D．yawning can make people feel relaxed |
The Swiss army knife is a popular device that is recognized all over the world. In Switzerland, there is a saying that every good Swiss citizen has one in his or her pocket. But the knife had poor beginnings.
In the late nineteenth century, the Swiss army issued（发给） its soldiers a gun that required a special screwdriver（螺丝刀） to take it apart and clean it. At the same time, canned food was becoming common in the army. Swiss generals decided to issue each soldier a standard knife to serve both as a screwdriver and a can opener.
It was a lifesaver for Swiss knife makers, who were struggling to compete with cheaper German imports. In 1884, Carl Elsener, head of the Swiss knife manufacturer（maker） Victorinox, seized that opportunity with both hands, and designed a soldier's knife that the army loved. It was a simple knife with one big blade(刀片), a can opener, and a screwdriver.
A few years after the soldier's knife was issued, the "Schweizer Offizier Messer," or Swiss Officer's Knife, came on the market. Interestingly, the Officer's Knife was never given to those serving in the army. The Swiss army purchasers considered the new model with a corkscrew（瓶塞钻） for opening wine not "essential for survival," so officers had to buy this new model by themselves. But its special multi-functional design later launched(发行) the knife as a global brand. After the Second World War, a great number of American soldiers were stationed in Europe. And as they could buy the Swiss army knife at shops on army bases, they bought huge quantities of them. However, it seems that "Schweizer Offizier Messer" was too difficult for them to say, so they just called it the Swiss army knife, and that is the name it is now known by all over the world.What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To explain the origin of the Swiss army knife. |
| B．To introduce the functions of the Swiss army knife. |
| C．To emphasize the importance of the Swiss army knife. |
| D．To tell a story about the designer of the Swiss army knife. |
What does "It" in the third paragraph refer to?
| A．The Swiss army needed a knife for every soldier. |
| B．Every good Swiss citizen had a knife in his pocket. |
| C．Swiss knives were competing with imported knives. |
| D．Canned food was becoming popular in the Swiss army. |
Why didn't the Swiss army purchase the Swiss Officer's Knife?
| A．The design of the knife was too simple. |
| B．The knife was sold out to American soldiers. |
| C．The army had no budget to make the purchase. |
| D．The new design was not considered necessary for officers to own. |
Who gave the name "the Swiss army knife" to the knife discussed in the passage?
| A．Carl Elsener. | B．Swiss generals. |
| C．American soldiers. | D．German businessmen. |
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