The past week was possibly the most eventful in the history of customer technology markets,or to be precise, the 7-inch (17.8-cm) tablet (平板电脑)market. Never before have three of thebiggest players in the industry scheduled what could be truly historic productlaunches (上市）so close together.
Despite its name, the 7.9-inch iPad Mini is one of the largest among the mini-tablets. It's gotall the aesthetics of its earlier 9.7-inch iPad and is unbelievably thin-just 7.2 mm, 23 percentthinner than the iPad.
Apple's iPad Mini
Release date: Nov 2,2012 (Wi-Fi version)
Operating system: iOS 6
Size: 19.9 x 13.5 x 0.7 cm
Prices: $329 (16GB Wi-Fi), $429 (32GB Wi-Fi), $519 (64GB Wi-Fi), or $459 (16GB Data)
$559 (32GB Data), $659 (64GB Data)
Google may have been forced to cancel its Android event in New York City on Oct 29 due to the threat of hurricane Sandy, but that isn't stopping it from making same big announcements. For starters, Google has confirmed (证实）that the Nexus 10 will be running Android 4.2 out of the box, so get excited. It will also come equipped with a 10-inch display running at an impressive 2560x1600 resolution. On the inside, it'll have a A15 dual-core (双核）processor running alongside 2GB of RAM(内存)，so expect the Nexus 10 to be a speedy little tablet. Google's Nexus 10 Release date: Nov 13，2012 Operating system: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Size: 26.4 x 17.8x0.9 cm Prices: $399 (16GB), $449 (32GB)
Microsoft's Surface is a bold product with some great touches. It doesn't feature a camera and focuses on Office software, which suggests Microsoft is focusing this product on an executive toy. There's no 3G connection (only Wi-Fi) so owners won't have to worry about an extra contract.
The real delight, however, is Metro, the impressive navigation interface (导航界面).It is beautifully designed with brightly colored squares for navigation. Pre-orders for Surface in the US sold out over the weekend, so it would seem customers are excited.
Microsoft's Surface
Release date: Oct 26,2012
Operating system: Windows 8 RT
Size: 27.5 x 17.2 x 0.9 cm
Prices: $499 (32GB M-Fi)What can be inferred from the first paragraph?
| A．The three biggest companies made a new product together. |
| B．A technology has been introduced to tablet industry. |
| C．The three companies launched their new products nearly at the same time. |
| D．The tablet market, in October was out of control. |
What is the 7.9-inch iPad Mini's major contribution to the customers?
| A．Wi-Fi version | B．Operating system |
| C．Prices | D．Size |
How many technologies will be introduced to the Nexus 10 according to Google?
| A．6 | B．5 | C．4 | D．3 |
Which tablet with 32GB Wi-Fi is the most expensive?
| A．Microsoft's Surface. | B．Apple's iPad Mini. |
| C．Google's Nexus 10. | D．A15 dual-core processor. |
Baggy has become the first dog in the UK﹣and potentially the world﹣to join the fight against air pollution by recording pollutant levels near the ground.
Baggy wears a pollution monitor on her collar so she can take data measurements close to the ground. Her monitor has shown that air pollution levels are higher closer to ground level， which has helped highlight concerns that babies and young kids may be at higher risk of developing lung problems.
Conventional air pollution monitors are normally fixed on lampposts at about nine feet in the air. However， since Baggy stands at about the same height as a child in a pushchair （婴儿车）， she frequently records pollution levels which are much higher than the data gathered by the Environment Agency.
The doggy data research was the idea of Baggy's 13﹣year﹣old owner Tom Hunt and his dad Matt. The English youngster noticed that pollution levels are around two﹣thirds higher close to the ground than they are in the air at the height where they are recorded by the agency. Tom has since reported the shocking findings to the government in an attempt to emphasise that babies are at higher risk of developing asthma （哮喘）.
Matt Hunt said he was "very proud" of his son because "when the boy gets an idea， he keeps his head down and gets on with it， and he really does want to do some good and stop young kids from getting asthma."
"Tom built up a passion for environmental protection at a very early age，" Matt added. "He became very interested in gadgets （小装置）. About one year ago， he got this new piece of tech which is like a test tube. One Sunday afternoon， we went out to do some monitoring， and he said， 'why don't we put it on Baggy's collar and let her monitor the pollution？' So we did it." Tom said， "Most of the time， Baggy is just like any other dog. But for the rest of the time she is a super dog， and we are all really proud of her."
（1）With a monitor on her collar， Baggy can .
| A． |
take pollutant readings |
| B． |
record pollutant levels |
| C． |
process collected data |
| D． |
reduce air pollution |
（2）What can we learn from the Baggy data？
| A． |
High places are free of air pollution. |
| B． |
Higher pushchairs are more risky for kids. |
| C． |
Conventional monitors are more reliable. |
| D． |
Air is more polluted closer to the ground. |
（3）What is Tom's purpose of doing the research？
| A． |
To warn of a health risk. |
| B． |
To find out pollution sources. |
| C． |
To test his new monitor. |
| D． |
To prove Baggy's abilities. |
（4）According to the passage， which word can best describe Tom Hunt？
| A． |
Modest. |
| B． |
Generous. |
| C． |
Creative. |
| D． |
Outgoing. |
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At the core of Lancom is a world﹣class effective method that enhances language learning with advanced technology. Examples and dialogues are recorded with real native speakers instead of automatic computers. Lancom trains your brain to learn efficiently， so you absorb more information while in the app and continue learning outside of it. The app makes our practical language lessons available wherever and whenever. We work directly for our learners， not for any third party. And it's all supported by an efficient customer service team， available through telephone， email and online chat.
Millions of learners have their own stories and their own reasons for learning a new language. Lancom cares about you and addresses your individual learning type. Lancom is the only product to offer courses tailored to your native language， building on grammar and words you already know. Our content is about real﹣life topics that are relevant because we know what matters to you is what sticks best. You will find it very rewarding to learn with Lancom.
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（1）Who can provide Lancom with a huge potential for innovation in learning？
| A． |
Culture researchers. |
| B． |
AI specialists. |
| C． |
Language experts. |
| D． |
Art designers. |
（2）What lies at the core of the Lancom app？
| A． |
A flexible system. |
| B． |
An effective method. |
| C． |
The brain﹣training technique. |
| D． |
The informative content. |
（3）Lancom claims that it is unique in its .
| A． |
personalised courses |
| B． |
multiple languages |
| C． |
pricing policy |
| D． |
service team |
Monkeys seem to have a way with numbers．
A team of researchers trained three Rhesus monkeys to associate 26 clearly different symbols consisting of numbers and selective letters with 0﹣25 drops of water or juice as a reward． The researchers then tested how the monkeys combined﹣or added﹣the symbols to get the reward．
Here's how Harvard Medical School scientist Margaret Livingstone， who led the team， described the experiment： In their cages the monkeys were provided with touch screens． On one part of the screen， a symbol would appear， and on the other side two symbols inside a circle were shown． For example， the number 7 would flash on one side of the screen and the other end would have 9 and 8． If the monkeys touched the left side of the screen they would be rewarded with seven drops of water or juice； if they went for the circle， they would be rewarded with the sum of the numbers﹣17 in this example．
After running hundreds of tests， the researchers noted that the monkeys would go for the higher values more than half the time， indicating that they were performing a calculation， not just memorizing the value of each combination．
When the team examined the results of the experiment more closely， they noticed that the monkeys tended to underestimate（低估）a sum compared with a single symbol when the two were close in value﹣sometimes choosing， for example， a 13 over the sum of 8 and 6． The underestimation was systematic： When adding two numbers， the monkeys always paid attention to the larger of the two， and then added only a fraction（小部分）of the smaller number to it．
"This indicates that there is a certain way quantity is represented in their brains， "Dr． Livingstone says． "But in this experiment what they're doing is paying more attention to the big number than the little one．"
（1）What did the researchers do to the monkeys before testing them？
| A． |
They fed them． |
| B． |
They named them． |
| C． |
They trained them． |
| D． |
They measured them． |
（2）How did the monkeys get their reward in the experiment？
| A． |
By drawing a circle． |
| B． |
By touching a screen． |
| C． |
By watching videos． |
| D． |
By mixing two drinks． |
（3）What did Livingstone's team find about the monkeys？
| A． |
They could perform basic addition． |
| B． |
They could understand simple words． |
| C． |
They could memorize numbers easily． |
| D． |
They could hold their attention for long． |
（4）In which section of a newspaper may this text appear？
| A． |
Entertainment． |
| B． |
Health． |
| C． |
Education． |
| D． |
Science． |
Before the 1830s，most newspapers were sold through annual subscriptions in America， usually ﹩8 to ﹩10 a year． Today ﹩8 or ﹩10 seems a small amount of money， but at that time these amounts were forbidding to most citizens． Accordingly， newspapers were read almost only by rich people in politics or the trades． In addition， most newspapers had little in them that would appeal to a mass audience． They were dull and visually forbidding． But the revolution that was taking place in the 1830s would change all that．
The trend， then， was toward the "penny paper"﹣a term referring to papers made widely available to the public． It meant any inexpensive newspaper； perhaps more importantly it meant newspapers that could be bought in single copies on the street．
This development did not take place overnight． It had been possible（but not easy）to buy single copies of newspapers before 1830，but this usually meant the reader had to go down to the printer's office to purchase a copy． Street sales were almost unknown． However， within a few years， street sales of newspapers would be commonplace in eastern cities． At first the price of single copies was seldom a penny﹣usually two or three cents was charged﹣and some of the older well﹣known papers charged five or six cents． But the phrase "penny paper " caught the public's fancy， and soon there would be papers that did indeed sell for only a penny．
This new trend of newspapers for "the man on the street" did not begin well． Some of the early ventures（企业）were immediate failures． Publishers already in business， people who were owners of successful papers， had little desire to change the tradition． It took a few youthful and daring businessmen to get the ball rolling．
（1）Which of the following best describes newspapers in America before the 1830s？
| A． |
Academic． |
| B． |
Unattractive． |
| C． |
Inexpensive． |
| D． |
Confidential． |
（2）What did street sales mean to newspapers？
| A． |
They would be priced higher． |
| B． |
They would disappear from cities． |
| C． |
They could have more readers． |
| D． |
They could regain public trust． |
（3）Who were the newspapers of the new trend targeted at？
| A． |
Local politicians． |
| B． |
Common people． |
| C． |
Young publishers． |
| D． |
Rich businessmen． |
（4）What can we say about the birth of the penny paper？
| A． |
It was a difficult process． |
| B． |
It was a temporary success． |
| C． |
It was a robbery of the poor． |
| D． |
It was a disaster for printers． |
For Western designers， China and its rich culture have long been an inspiration for Western creative．
"It's no secret that China has always been a source（来源）of inspiration for designers，" says Amanda Hill， chief creative officer at A+E Networks， a global media company and home to some of the biggest fashion（时尚）shows．
Earlier this year， the China Through A Looking Glass exhibition in New York exhibited 140 pieces of China﹣inspired fashionable clothing alongside Chinese works of art， with the aim of exploring the influence of Chinese aesthetics（美学）on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries． The exhibition had record attendance， showing that there is huge interest in Chinese influences．
"China is impossible to overlook，" says Hill． "Chinese models are the faces of beauty and fashion campaigns that sell dreams to women all over the world， which means Chinese women are not just consumers of fashion ﹣ they are central to its movement． "Of course， not only are today's top Western designers being influenced by China﹣some of the best designers of contemporary fashion are themselves Chinese．" Vera Wang， Alexander Wang， Jason Wu are taking onGalliano， Albaz， Marc Jacobs﹣and beating them hands down in design and sales，" adds Hill．
For Hill， it is impossible not to talk about China as the leading player when discussing fashion． "The most famous designers are Chinese， so are the models， and so are the consumers，" she says． "China is no longer just another market； in many senses it has become the market． If you talk about fashion today， you are talking about China﹣its influences， its direction， its breathtaking clothes， and how young designers and models are finally acknowledging that in many ways．"
（1）What can we learn about the exhibition in New York？
| A． |
It promoted the sales of artworks． |
| B． |
It attracted a large number of visitors． |
| C． |
It showed ancient Chinese clothes． |
| D． |
It aimed to introduce Chinese models． |
（2）What does Hill say about Chinese women？
| A． |
They are setting the fashion． |
| B． |
They start many fashion campaigns． |
| C． |
They admire super models． |
| D． |
They do business all over the world． |
（3）What do the underlined words"taking on" in paragraph 4 mean？
| A． |
learning from |
| B． |
looking down on |
| C． |
working with |
| D． |
competing against |
（4）What can be a suitable title for the text？
| A． |
Young Models Selling Dreams to the World |
| B． |
A Chinese Art Exhibition Held in New York |
| C． |
Differences Between Eastern and Western Aesthetics |
| D． |
Chinese Culture Fueling International Fashion Trends |
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