For those who are tired 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 (安装) 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 owners 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. 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. |
What can we learn about the new laundry machines?
| A．They can tell you when your clothes need washing |
| B．They can be controlled with a smartphone |
| C．They are difficult to operate |
| D．They are sold at a low price |
We can conclude form Samsung’s statements that ___________.
| 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 |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
| 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. |
If you are looking for the place that has everything, there’s only one place to visit, and that’s New York. It’s a whole world in a city.
The World of Theatre: All of New York is a stage. And it begins with Broadway. Where else can you find so many hit(成功) shows in one place? Only in New York.
The World of Music: Spend an evening with Beethoven at Lincoln Centre. Swing to the great jazz of Greenwich Village. Or rock yourself silly at the hottest dance spots found anywhere.
The World of Art: From Rembrandt to Picasso. From Egyptian tombs to Indian teepees. Whatever kind of art you like, you’ll find in New York.
The World of Fine Dining: Whether it’s roast Beijing duck in Chinatown, or the finest French coq au vin found anywhere, there’s a world of great taste waiting for you in New York.
The World of Sights: What other city has a statue of Liberty(自由女神像), a Rocketfeller Centre or a Bronx Zoo? Where else can you take a horse-drawn carriage through Central Park, only in New York.Which of the following programme can a visitor have only in New York?
| A．To enjoy Beijing duck. | B．To taste the finest French coq au vin. |
| C．To spend an evening with Beethoven. | D．To see the statue of Liberty. |
From the text we know that ‘Rembrandt’ is most likely the name of a famous _______.
| A．singer | B．painting | C．play | D．painter |
What the writer really wanted to do is to _______.
| A．try to persuade readers to pay a visit to New York |
| B．give readers some information about New York |
| C．supply readers some wonderful programmes in New York |
| D．help readers to get a better understanding of New York |
There are two types of people in the world. Although they have equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy and the other becomes unhappy. This arises from the different ways in which they consider things, persons, events and the resulting effects upon their minds.
People who are to be happy fix their attention on the convenience of things: the pleasant parts of conversation, the well prepared dishes, the goodness of the wine and the fine weather. They enjoy all the cheerful things．Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the opposite things. Therefore, they are continually dissatisfied. By their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, offend（hurt） many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere. If this term of mind was founded in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied. The intention of criticizing（批评）and being disliked is perhaps taken up by imitation（模仿）.It grows into a habit, unknown to its possessors. The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it realize its bad effects on their interests and tastes. I hope this little warning may be of service to them, and help them change this habit.
Although in fact it is chiefly an act of the imagination, it has serious results in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck. Those people offend many others; nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect. This frequently puts them in bad temper and draws them into arguments. If they aim at getting some advantages in social position or fortune, nobody wishes them success. Nor will anyone start a step or speak a word to favor their hopes. If they bring on themselves public objections, no one will defend or excuse them, and many will join to criticize their wrongdoings. These should change this bad habit and be pleased with what is pleasing, without worrying needlessly about themselves and others. If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact（接触）with them. Otherwise, it can be disagreeable and sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one becomes mixed up in their quarrels.People who are unhappy _______．
| A．always consider things differently from others |
| B．usually are affected by the results of certain things |
| C．usually misunderstand what others think or say |
| D．always discover the unpleasant side of certain things |
We can conclude from the passage that _______．
| A．we should pity all such unhappy people |
| B．such unhappy people are dangerous to social life |
| C．people can get rid of the habit of unhappiness |
| D．unhappy people can not understand happy persons |
If such unhappy persons insist on keeping the habit, the author suggests that people should ____．
| A．prevent any communication with them | B．show no respect and politeness to them |
| C．persuade them to recognize the bad effects | D．quarrel with them until they realize the mistakes |
In this passage, the writer mainly _______．
| A．describes two types of people |
| B．laughs at the unhappy people |
| C．suggests the unhappy people should get rid of the habits of unhappiness |
| D．tells people how to be happy in life |
Once upon a time, there was a man who was so famous that everyone in his country knew him.
One day, the famous man was sitting in a restaurant with his sister. “It must be great to be famous. Everyone tries to please you, and you can do whatever you want to,” said his sister. “It’s quite the opposite sometimes, in fact. Because I’m famous, I can’t do what I want to,” he denied. “But look, we’re sitting at the best table and eating the best food. We couldn’t sit here and eat this if you weren’t famous,” said his sister. “I’ll show you what I mean,” said he.
The next day, the famous man picked up his sister and took her to another country. “I’m not at all famous here,” he said. “Let’s see how we get on.” Soon they found a restaurant, but it was very busy, so they had to queue. “This wouldn’t have happened if you were famous,” said his sister, but the famous man just smiled.
When they finally got a table, it took the waiter years to bring what they ordered. And the food supposed to be hot was cold, and the food supposed to be cold was hot! Eventually, the famous man couldn’t stand any more and asked to see the manager. “This food is awful. We had to wait an hour for a seat, and the service is also very poor. Look, even my spoon is dirty!”
Showing his horribly yellow teeth, the manager, smiling, said, “Well, that’s just bad luck for you.”
“Don’t you know who I am?” asked the famous man.
“I’ve no idea,” replied the manager.
So the famous man and his sister ran away, without paying.What’s the attitude of the man’s sister toward famous people?
| A．Indifferent. | B．Envious. | C．Curious. | D．Annoyed. |
The famous man took his sister to another country to ________.
| A．see how famous he was there | B．enjoy the delicious food there |
| C．enjoy the beautiful views there | D．see what would happen if no one knew him |
In fact, the famous man thought that being famous ________.
| A．was a thing worth taking pride in | B．could bring him all he needed |
| C．was not all great with everything | D．would enable him to travel abroad |
The passage is written mainly ________.
| A．to describe famous people’s life |
| B．to explain the importance of being famous |
| C．to show how to deal with problems in a restaurant |
| D．to show that famous people are watched more |
In the United States, 30 percent of the people have a “weight problem”. To many people the cause is obvious (明显的): they eat too much. But scientific evidence (证据) does little to support this idea. Going back to America of 1910, we find that people were thinner than today, yet they ate more food. In those days people worked harder physically, walked more, used machines much less, and didn’t watch television.
Several modern studies, moreover, have shown that fatter people don’t eat more on average than thinner people. A 1979 study of 3,545 London office workers showed that fat people eat less than slim (苗条的) people.
Studies also show that slim people are more active than fat people. A study by a research group at Stanford University found the following interesting facts:
The more the man ran, the greater loss of the body fat.
The more they ran, the greater increase in food intake.
Thus, those who ran the most ate the most, yet lost the greatest amount of body fat.Nowadays many Americans have the problem that ______.
| A．they are too slim | B．they work too hard |
| C．they are too fat | D．they lose too much body fat |
According to the passage, how many people in 900 Americans have a “weight problem”?
| A．150. | B．300. | C．600. | D．270. |
Is there any scientific evidence to support the idea that eating too much is the cause of a “weight problem”?
| A．Yes, there is plenty of evidence. |
| B．Of course, there is some evidence to support this. |
| C．There is hardly any scientific evidence to support this. |
| D．We are not sure. |
The Americans in 1910 ________.
| A．ate more food and had more physical activities |
| B．ate less food but had more physical activities |
| C．ate less food and had less physical activities |
| D．had more problems |
If you do not use your arms or your legs for some time, they become weak. When you start using them again, they slowly become strong again. Everybody knows this. Yet there are many people who do not seem to know that one’s memory works in the same way. When someone says that he has a good memory, he really means that he keeps his memory in practice by exercising it regularly. When someone else says that his memory is poor, he really means that he does not give it enough chance to become strong.
If a friend complains that his arms are weak, we know that it is his own fault. But if he tells us that he has a poor memory, many of us think that his parents are to blame, or that he is just unlucky, and few of us realize that it is really his own fault. Not all of us can become very strong or very clever, but all of us can improve our memory by the same means — practice.
Have you ever noticed that people who cannot read or write usually have a better memory than those who can? Why is this? Of course, because people who can’t read or write have to remember things: they cannot write them down in a little notebook. They have to remember dates, prices, names, songs and stories, so their memory is exercised all the time.
So if you want a good memory, learn from those who cannot read or write: practice remembering.According to the passage, few people know that _____.
| A．arms or legs become weak if they are not used for some time |
| B．when they start using their arms or legs again, they slowly become strong again |
| C．a person’s memory becomes weak if he does not practice remembering things |
| D．it is their own fault if their arms or legs are weak |
The author thinks that if a person has a poor memory, _________.
| A．it is his own fault | B．his parents are to blame |
| C．he is just unlucky | D．his arms must be weak |
From Paragraph 3, we can learn that ___.
| A．people who can’t read are cleverer than those who can |
| B．people who can’t write are cleverer than those who can |
| C．a little notebook helps people who cannot read or write get a better memory |
| D．people who practice remembering regularly have a better memory |
The passage mainly tells us ____________.
| A．how to get our arms and legs stronger | B．how to improve our memory |
| C．how to read and write | D．how to remember dates and prices |
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