Owning a smartphone may not be as smart as you think．They may let you surf the Internet，listen to music and snap photos wherever you are．．．but they also turn you into a workaholic，it seems．A study suggests that，by giving you access to emails at all times．the all-singing．all-dancing mobile phone adds as much as two hours to your working day．
Researchers found that Britons work an additional 460 hours a year on average as they are able to respond to emails on their mobiles．The study by technology retailer Pixmania，reveals the average UK working day is between nine and ten hours，but a further two hours is spent responding to or sending work emails，or making work calls．Almost one in ten admits spending up to three hours outside their normal working day checking work emails．Some workers confess they are on call almost 24 hours a day，with nine out of ten saying they take work emails and calls outside their normal working hours．Nearly two-thirds say they often check work emails just before they go to bed and as soon as they wake up，while over a third have replied to one in the middle of the night．
Ghadi Hobeika，marketing director of Pixmania，said：“The ability to access literally millions of apps，keep in contact via social networks and take photos and video as well as text and call has made smartphones valuable for many people．However，there are drawbacks．Many companies expect their employees to be on call 24 hours a day，seven days a week，and smartphones mean that people literally cannot get away from work．The more constantly in contact we become。The more is expected of us in a work capacity．”The text is probably taken from___________．
| A．a scientific report |
| B．a financial report |
| C．a newspaper |
| D．a literary journal |
The underlined word “drawbacks” in the last paragraph probably means_________．
| A．advantages | B．faults | C．mistakes | D．features |
Ghadi may agree that___________．
| A．employees are supposed to be on call 24 hours a day |
| B．the ability to access many apps made smartphones worthless |
| C．smartphones might turn a person into a workaholic |
| D．people literally cannot get away from work without smartphones |
What is the main idea of this passage？
| A．Smartphones are lengthening working hours |
| B．Smartphones are becoming valuable for many people |
| C．Britons work art additional 460 hours a year on average |
| D．Smartphones are more beneficial to our life than we think |
As we know, Julian Beever is an international well-known sidewalk chalk artist whose drawings have appeared on the streets of London, Buenos Aires, Paris, New York, and countless other cities around the world. Beever creates drawings that look completely three- dimensional when seen from the correct angle.
Now, in his book, Pavement chalk artist: The three-dimensional drawings of Julian Beever, the artist shares some of his most fascinating and humorous pieces, Here are a few examples you’ll find in the book.
●Philadelphia eagle
In Pennsylvania, Beever created “Philadelphia eagle ”a huge drawing with an eagle landing successfully on an American national flag.
●Meeting Mr. Frog
“Meeting Mr. Frog” was created in Salamanca, Spain, and is about a realistic-looking frog sitting on a Lily pad.
●Swimming pool in the high street
My personal favorite is “Swimming pool in the high street” from Brussels, which is about a woman relaxing in a swimming pool-----a swimming pool sunk into the middle of the street, that is!
Along with an introduction about his background, Beever includes a description of the techniques he used and the challenges he overcame with every drawing. He shares information about his time at home in the UK. and abroad; there is a fun story to back up each piece of art.
Beever’s artwork is truly jaw drooping. You’re sure to spend ages turning the leaves back and forth, surprised at how one man can create what looks like a three-dimensional design on a flat surface with just a bit of chalk. From animals to superheroes to famous buildings, the paintings are a wonder to lay eyes on.
＊Payment chalk artist: The three-dimensional drawings of Julian Beever is surely worth a look. And another look. This 112-page hardcover book is available now from Firefly Books at a list price of $ 29.95What do we know about the book mentioned in the text?
| A．It has a paper cover. |
| B．It hasn’t been published. |
| C．It is a biography of Julian Beever. |
| D．It includes some drawing techniques. |
What does the underlined part “ jaw dropping” most probably mean?
| A．Amazing. | B．Romantic. |
| C．Frightening | D．Depressing. |
We can infer that the text is ______.
| A．a book review. |
| B．a description of street art. |
| C．an introduction to an artist. |
| D．an advertisement for a new book |
When I was 11, I threw a glance into Dad’s lunch box and made the unexpected discovery that my mother still showed her love towards my father. The evidence, a napkin resting on top of the sandwiches packed in wax paper, was certain “Love you!” she had written on the napkin. “ Meat loaf for supper!”
Mom penned all kinds of messages to Dad on those paper napkins, and he saved a whole pile of them. What embarrassed me as a kid has become a precious memory of my parents.
It also started my own brand of lunch box notes. When my kids were young, I’d glue little drawings on their lunches. Lots of sketches(素描) of our dog, Max, along with smiling flowers. When they were teenagers, I’d copy words of wisdom from great people, Einstein, for example, or Bruce Springsteen. Then, my kids grew up making their own handwritten notes. And my husband writes me love notes on recycled paper, because he’s all about being green.
Friends who know about my lunch box notes eagerly share stories of their own family traditions. So many focus on food. Maura’s mom always drew hearts on the shells of hard-boiled eggs. Melinda wrote messages on her kids’ bananas.
We’re into the third generation of lunch box notes in our home. Whenever my 3-year-old grandson, Clayton, spends the night, he knows his lunch is going to have a napkin note from Grandma in the morning. Last week, I drew a picture of me, waving widely and shouting his name. He took one look at it and screamed, “ Where’s Grandpa?” I added a man in a clean shirt. “ You forgot his tie,” he said. I quickly drew a line of stripes(条纹) down the front of the shirt. Clayton smiled. “Grandpa,” he whispered, running his fingers across the napkin. “ It’s you!”When the author first saw Dad’s lunch box notes, she felt ______.
| A．moved | B．nervous |
| C．proud | D．awkward |
What did the author put in the lunch boxes when her kids were in their teens?
| A．Words of love. |
| B．Pictures of flowers. |
| C．Famous words of wisdom. |
| D．Drawings of their favorite animals. |
It can be inferred that ________.
| A．the author’s husband is an environmentalist. |
| B．the author’s children dislike making lunch box notes. |
| C．the author’s grandson likes drawing pictures on napkins. |
| D．the author’s friends all had their brand of lunch box notes. |
What’s the best title for the text?
| A．Old generation’s way of expressing love. |
| B．Different brands of lunch box notes. |
| C．Some interesting family traditions. |
| D．Lunches packed with love. |
Downing the last drop of an expensive famous brand H2O as well as remembering to throw the empty bottle in the recycling bin, makes you feel pretty good about yourself, right? It shouldn't. Even when the bottles are recycled，there are all kinds of other consequences of swallowing bottled water，says Melissa Peffers，the air-quality program manager for Environmental Defense.
The containers are often filled in faraway lands，then shipped from abroad，and stored in refrigerators at your local store. Compare that with the influence on environment of turning on your tap，filling a glass，and drinking up！
Anyone who is choosing bottled water for health reasons is misguided，says Peffers，“Most bottled water is just tap water.”And what comes out of your tap is carefully monitored to follow the strict rules. Consider another fact that bottled water is surprisingly expensive, especially when compared with the alternative, which is almost free, and it is astonishing that America's desire for bottled water seems impossible to satisfy, reaching nearly 30 billion bottles a year.
“My parents' generation never had bottled water，”says Isabelle Silverman，an Environmental Defense legal adviser. She has made a commitment to going bottle free.“You don't need to fetch it home from the store，and it's cheaper，” she adds.
Bottled water's role as a status symbol needs to change, Peffers points out. So when a waiter at an expensive restaurant offers“And what's your drink?”that's no reason to forget your conviction(信念).“Don't be afraid to say, ‘I'll have tap.’ Say it loud enough that the other tables nearby can hear you，”Peffers says,“And then spend that money on a dessert.”In the first paragraph, the underlined sentence “It shouldn’t.”suggests that people_____
| A．shouldn’t feel pleased with finishing the water in the bottle |
| B．shouldn’t feel good about drinking an expensive brand H2O |
| C．shouldn’t be content with just recycling empty bottles |
| D．shouldn’t be satisfied with drinking only bottle water |
According to the author，tap water is________
| A．as safe as bottle water |
| B．more likely to be polluted |
| C．healthier than bottle water |
| D．less convenient than bottle water |
The underlined part “going bottle free”(in Para.4)means “________”
| A．making bottled water free |
| B．abandoning bottled water |
| C．recycling used water bottles |
| D．providing free water containers |
Why does Peffers ask people to say “I’ll have tap.”loudly?
| A．To encourage them to set an example for others to follow |
| B．To advise them to save the money for one more dessert |
| C．To remind them to be aware of their social status |
| D．To persuade them to speak confidently in public |
Brian arrived at the San Francisco airport two hours before the flight to Paris. He was wearing three shirts, a jacket, two pairs of socks, a pair of shorts, and two pairs of jeans. He was carrying one small backpack, which was very full, but he didn’t have any other luggage. Brian needed to meet a man named Tony before he checked in for his flight. He found Tony near the Air France counter. Tony gave him a round-trip ticket and a small package.
“Give this package to Jean-Paul at the airport in Paris. He will have a sign with your name on it. I think you can find him easily,” Tony said, ”You don’t have any luggage, right?”
“Only this backpack,” Brian answered. ”You said I could bring one carry-on bag.”
“That’s right. One carry-on bag is fine. Have a good trip.”
“Thanks.”
Is Brian a criminal(罪犯)? Not at all. He is an air-courier. And he paid only $110 for the round-trip ticket to Paris. Air couriers get cheap airline tickets because they take important packages and papers to foreign countries. Businesses sometimes need to get packages and papers to people in foreign countries by the next day. Often, the only way they can do this is to use an air-courier company. It is not cheap for a business to send a package with an air courier, but it is quick.
Every year about 80,000 people worldwide travel as air couriers. The number of tickets for courier travel is growing by about 10 percent a year. However, air-courier travel isn’t for everyone. But if you have very little money, can be flexible(灵活的) about your travel plans, and don’t mind wearing the same clothes for a week, it can be a great way to take a vacation!Why was Brian wearing so many clothes for his travel?
| A．Because they were the uniforms for air couriers. |
| B．Because that made him easier to be recognized. |
| C．Because his backpack had no room his clothes. |
| D．Because he did not have any luggage with him |
An air courier is a person who_________
A .manages a business company in foreign countries
B. organizes international flights for tourists
C. travels around the world with cheap tickets
D delivers papers and packages to foreign countries.Businesses choose the air-courier service because_____.
| A．it costs less | B．it is flexible |
| C．it saves time | D．it grows fast |
One of the disadvantages of traveling as an air courier is that he_____.
A. cannot decide when and where to travel
B. cannot take any luggage with him
C. has to wear two pairs of jeans
D saves little money from the travel
“Get your hands off me, I have been stolen,” the laptop, a portable computer, shouted. That is a new solution to laptop computer theft: a program that lets owners give their property a voice when it has been taken.
The program allows users to display alerts on the missing computer’s screen and even to set a spoken message. Tracking software for stolen laptops has been on the market for some time, but this is thought to be the first that allows owners to give the thief a piece of their mind.
Owners must report their laptop missing by logging on to a website, which sends a message to the model: a red and yellow “lost or stolen” banner pops up on its screen when it is started. Under the latest version(版本) of the software, users can also send a spoken message.
The message can be set to reappear every 30 seconds, no matter how many times the thief closes it. “One customer sent a message saying, ‘You are being tracked. I am right at your door’,” said Carrie Hafeman, chief executive of the company which produces the program, Retriever.
In the latest version, people can add a spoken message. The default through the computer’s speakers is: “Help, this laptop is reported lost or stolen. If you are not my owner, please report me now.”
The Retriever software package, which costs $29.95 (￡21) but has a free trial period, has the functions of many security software programs. Owners can remotely switch to an alternative password prompt if they fear that the thief has also got hold of the access details.
If a thief accesses the internet with the stolen laptop, Retriever will collect information on the internet service provider in use, so that the police can be alerted to its location.
Thousands of laptops are stolen every year from homes and offices, but with the use of laptops increasing, the number stolen while their owners are out and about has been rising sharply.
Other security software allows users to erase data remotely or lock down the computer.The expression “to give the thief a piece of their mind” can be understood as “_______”.
| A．to give the thief an alert mind |
| B．to express the owners’ anger to the thief |
| C．to remind the thief of his conscience |
| D．to make the thief give up his mind |
Different from other security software, Retriever can ______.
| A．record the stealing process |
| B．help recognize the lost laptop |
| C．lock down the computer remotely |
| D．send a spoken message |
One function of the program is that it allows the owner to ______ at a distance.
| A．change some access details for switching on the laptop |
| B．turn on the laptop by using the original password |
| C．operate the laptop by means of an alternative password |
| D．erase the information kept in the stolen laptop |
Which of the following can best summarize the main idea of the passage?
| A．With no Retriever, thousands of laptops are stolen every year. |
| B．A new software provides a means to reduce laptop theft. |
| C．Retriever has helped to find thieves and lost computers. |
| D．A new program offers a communication platform with the thief. |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号