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Consumer electronics once again topped the list of the most wanted gifts this holiday season. “Seventy-six percent of consumers who plan to buy holiday gifts say that they will spend money buying at least one technology product; definitely a solid vote of confidence for technology.” Steve Koenig is with the Consumer Electronics Association. He says the group’s latest research also shows that Americans this year are spending more on technology products.
“Here in 2012, $252 on average–the technology spend for consumers this year.” From tablet computers to smartphones, American shoppers have been lining up to get the newest and coolest electronic devices on the market. There are more choices today than ever before. “It’s kind of hard to make a decision.”
Tablet computers are one of the best-selling products this year. Brian Tong is Senior Editor of CNET.com. The website reports on tech news and examines the latest electronic products. He says the Apple iPad Mini is one of the most popular tablets. Its starting price is $329. One of Apple’s biggest competitors is the Google Nexus 7. It starts at $199.
“The hardware inside is more powerful than what’s in the iPad Mini, but also it offers you a lot of things like maps that work better than Apple’s maps.” Brian Tong says there is one reason why people may like the iPad Mini more than the Nexus 7. “If you just want to read books and surf the Internet, you don’t really need to get an iPad Mini, but if you want the largest group of apps that’s where the iPad and Apple’s ecosystem shines the most.”
Elman Chacon is with the electronics store Best Buy. He says another hot product this season is smart cameras. They connect to the Internet through Wi-Fi. This makes it easy for users to email or upload photographs directly from the camera. “You can literally take a picture, upload it into your Facebook in a matter of seconds. These things are pretty cool because they do a lot of things.”
Streaming media boxes also connect to the Internet. People are able to watch web content such as movies and YouTube videos on their televisions. Another popular item is wireless speaker systems. The newest ones work with any device that has Bluetooth technology, including smartphones, laptops and tablets.
With the growing popularity of Internet shopping, many consumers will visit a store first to look at a product, and then go online to find it at a lower price. Stores like Best Buy understand that and they want to stay competitive.
“We have something called the perfect match promise which means if you buy a certain device and you find it cheaper within 30 days we’ll go ahead and price match that for you.” Elman Chacon said.
1.According to Brain Tong, ________.
A. the Apple’s iPad Mini is more suitable for enthusiastic readers
B. the hardware in iPad Mini is more advanced than that in Nexus 7
C. Nexus 7 has fewer apps than iPad Mini
D. iPad mini is more eco-friendly
2.If you’ve discovered that a certain device you bought at Best Buy is more expensive than one at another store, ________.
A. you are sure to get double the amount you paid
B. you can return the device and get your money back
C. the store will return the price differences
D. the store will lower the price within 30 days
3.Which of the following would be the best gift for a cab driver?
A. Smart cameras. B. Streaming media boxes.
C. Wireless speaker systems. D. Tablet computers.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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MONTAGNE: In the summer of 2011, the world first heard of a small island in Norway under the most terrible of circumstances. Utoya Island was a youth camp run by Norway's Labor Party. One day in July, a heavily armed, right-wing extremist stepped onto the island and began shooting at random. Sixty-nine people died, over 100 were wounded; almost all, young people. This month, artist Jonas Dahlberg was appointed to create a memorial. He described to us the experience he imagines for those who come to the island.
DAHLBERG: You start your walk through a forest of evergreens on a wooden pathway. After a while, this pathway starts to go down into the landscape.
MONTAGNE: Down into the landscape, and into a short tunnel. When you come out, you are unable to go any farther. You can't get to the tip of the island because it has been cut off. So all you can do is look across a narrow channel of water at what is now a wall of polished stone, carved with the names of the dead.
DAHLBERG: It becomes almost like a gravestone. You cannot reach it. It's close enough to be able to read, but it's forever lost for your possibility to reach.
MONTAGNE: It's being called a memory wound. Exactly what do you mean by that?
DAHLBERG: During my first site visit, the experience of seeing those gunshots—and you can see it was like being in an open wound. And it took me to a stage of deep sadness where it was hard to breathe. So I didn't want to illustrate loss; I wanted to make actual loss. It's just a cut through the island.
MONTAGNE: On the day of the massacre, just hours before launching his shooting on the island, the killer set off a bomb in downtown Oslo, leaving eight people dead. As those events were unfolding, artist Jonas Dahlberg had been out with his brother, and stopped in at a seaside village.
DAHLBERG: In the harbor, it was silent, and this is the higher end of summer. So, it's normally a very lively place. And it was total silence there; and it was a very, very strange feeling in the whole small village. And it's totally impossible to grasp what is going on. And then it just kept on. It's still almost impossible to understand it. It's also one of the reasons why it's so important with memorials for these kind of things. It's to maybe help a little bit to understand what was happening. So it's not just about remembering. It's also about trying to just understand.
MONTAGNE: Artist Jonas Dahlberg designed the memorial for the 69 who died at a youth camp on Utoya Island. The attack was the deadliest in Norway since World War II. That memorial will open in 2015. And to see a virtual version of what it will look like, go to our website, at npr.org. This is Renee Montagne at NPR news.
1.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Utoya Island was the only bloody shooting spot planned by the killer.
B. Utoya Island used to be a youth camp site and now has been reduced to total silence.
C. Dahlberg and his brother witnessed the shooting on Utoya Island.
D. Visitors to Utoya Island can touch the names of the victims carved on the polished stone.
2.By the underlined phrase “a memory wound”, Dahlberg means all the following EXCEPT that ________.
A. the artist plans to slice through the end of an island to make actual loss
B. memorials are supposed to be not only about remembering but helping people to understand what was happening
C. this memorial shows the gunshots vividly to the visitors for them to understand what was happening
D. the space between is meant to symbolize how those who were killed are gone but are not forgotten
3. Which of the following pictures shows the design of the memorial?
A.
B. 
C.
D. 
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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When Mary Barra took the wheel at General Motors in January she inherited a company in good shape. Five years after bankruptcy(破产), its profits were beyond expectations and its share price was rising. But the new boss's to-do list was long: fixing GM's loss-making European arm, keeping up momentum(势头) in China amid signs of a slowdown and giving new life to the product line. The former CEO, Dan Akerson, warned her that she would also face unexpected challenges. The first has arrived sooner than she might have expected.
What appeared to be a routine recall(召回) of about 800,000 older models, linked to a faulty ignition(点火) switch, has turned out to be anything but. The number of cars recalled has leapt to more than 2.6 million. The company's clumsy handling of a safety problem that first became apparent a decade ago is now linked to the deaths of at least 13 motorists.
Called before Congress to answer for GM's failings Ms Barra said she was “deeply sorry” but insisted that the post-bankruptcy “new GM” was not like the “old GM”, which had failed to deal with the ignition switches for years. Politicians and the public alike want to know how such a problem could have remained unaddressed for so long.
Cars are becoming ever more complex machines, with thousands of mechanical and electronic parts. Last year it happened to 22 million vehicles in America, compared with 18 million in 2012. In fact, GM was one of only three brands that recalled fewer vehicles than it sold. Minor problems, like squeaks(吱吱响) or rattles(卡嗒响), that do not affect safety are more common still. They may be fixed at a routine service; the owner may never know. The growing number of recalls is proof to an improving system for picking up faults.
But it is very complicated. Dealers must record replacements of parts under warranty(保修). The carmaker needs to spot the trend, recognize it as a problem and then determine whether or not it is a design fault that requires an extensive replacement. It relies on accurate recording of every warranty replacement in every region. This system appears to have broken down at “old GM”. Ms Barra needs to find out why.
The core problem is a widely used ignition switch that has a tendency to slip from the “on” position to “off” if a driver uses a heavy key-chain or bounces down a rough road. An improvement was made in 2008 to prevent the problem, which can lead to the engine shutting off, disabling the airbags. But despite a growing list of crashes and deaths, GM failed to order a recall for a component that would have cost a few dollars at most.
This is odd. Most carmakers want to identify and fix problems speedily despite having to bear the cost of buying and fitting a new component. A small part can do great harm, if bad publicity leads to reputational collapse, lost sales and law suits, including heavy penalties. Appearing to put profits before safety is an invitation to battering a firm's shares, as GM has discovered.
So far Ms Barra has handled the situation well. She seems to have acted as soon as she found out something was wrong. GM has appointed a worldwide safety president to cut through the process that may have delayed investigation and action. And in a sweeping housecleaning, GM has recalled another 2 million vehicles in America alone. GM looks set to accept moral, if not legal, responsibility. The terms of its exit from bankruptcy give immunity to lawsuits for injuries arising beforehand. But GM is likely to compensate survivors’ and victims' families anyway.
It is not yet clear how much of a hammering GM will take. But hours before Ms Barra's meeting with Congress, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety issued a greatly desired “Top Safety Pick” for the new Chevrolet Malibu, one of a growing number of well-received cars from GM.
1.When Mary Barra took office, there was plenty more room for GM's improvement in that ________.
a. the development of Chinese market appears to be slowing down
b. former bosses have failed to fix GM's loss-making European arm
c. some car models lack appeal in the market
d. Mr. Akerson has left some challenges for her to handle
e. GM’s management teams are made up mainly of men
A. a, b, and e B. b, c, and d C. a, b, and c D. a, c and d
2.What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?
A. Problems like squeaks or rattles are frequent reasons for recalls.
B. Recalls are not uncommon in the auto industry.
C. Car companies welcome recalls to demonstrate improved products and services.
D. Minor problems may be fixed at a routine service without the owners’ knowledge.
3.Mary Barra has carried out the following strategies to manage the crisis and quiet the critics EXCEPT that ________.
A. as soon as she learned about the problem, she acted without hesitation
B. she faced facts and apologized sincerely
C. she took the legal responsibilities for their previous mistakes
D. she appointed a new president for global safety for GM
4.What does the underlined word “battering” in paragraph7 probably mean?
A. Benefiting. B. Regulating. C. Purchasing. D. Damaging.
5.What can we infer from GM's new Malibu being awarded “Top Safety Pick”?
A. GM's new model Malibu is specially designed to solve ignition problems.
B. GM products are gaining more and more popularity around the world.
C. GM seems to be on the road to saving itself from mistakes.
D. GM has worked out a solution to the broken-down recall system.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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This is my world now; it’s all I have left. You see, I’m old. And, I’m not as healthy as I used to be. I’m not necessarily happy with it, but I accept it. Occasionally, a member of my family will stop in to see me. He or she will bring me some flowers or a little present, maybe a set of slippers—I’ve got eight pairs. And then they will return to the outside world and I’ll be alone again. Oh, there are other people here in the nursing home. Residents, we’re called. The majority are about my age. I’m 84. Many are in wheelchairs. The lucky ones are passing through—a broken hip, a diseased heart, something has brought them here for rehabilitation(康复). When they’re well they’ll be going home.
The help here is basically pretty good, although there’s a large turnover of staff. Just when I get comfortable with someone he or she moves on to another job. I understand that. This is not the best job to have. I don’t much like some of the physical things that happen to us. I don’t care much for a diaper(尿布). I seem to have lost the control acquired so diligently as a child. The difference is that I’m aware and embarrassed, but I can’t do anything about it. I’ve had three children, and I know it isn’t pleasant to clean another’s diaper. My husband used to wear a gas mask when he changed the kids. I wish I had one now.
Why do you think the staff insists on talking baby talk when speaking to me? I understand English. I have a degree in music and am a certified teacher. Now I hear a lot of words that end in “y”. There is little need for anyone to position their face directly in front of mine and raise their voice with those “y” words. Sometimes it takes longer for a meaning to sink in; sometimes my mind wanders when I am bored. But there’s no need to shout.
I’d love to go out for a meal or travel again. I’d love to go to my own church, sing with my own choir. I’d love to visit my friends. Most of them are gone now or else they are in different “homes” of their children’s choosing. I’d love to play a good game of bridge, but no one here seems to concentrate very well. My children put me here for my own good. They said they would be able to visit me frequently. But they have their own lives to lead. That sounds normal. I don’t want to be a burden. They know that. But I would like to see them more. One of them is here in town. He visits as much as he can.
Something else I’ve learned to accept is loss of privacy. Quite often I’ll close my door when my roommate—imagine having a roommate at my age—is in the TV room. I do appreciate some time to myself and believe that I have earned at least that courtesy(礼貌). As I sit thinking or writing, one of the aides invariably opens the door unannounced and walks in as if I’m not there. Sometimes she even opens my drawers and begins searching around. Am I invisible? Have I lost my right to respect and dignity? I am still a human being. I would like to be treated as one.
Back to my semiprivate room for a little semi-privacy or a nap(午睡). I do need my beauty rest; company may come today. What is today, again? The afternoon drags into early evening. This used to be my favorite time of the day. Things would wind down. I would kick off my shoes. Put my feet up on the coffee table. Pop open a bottle of Chablis and enjoy the fruits of my day’s labor with my husband. He’s gone. So is my health. This is my world.
1.Which of the following statements can be inferred from the passage?
A. The staff at the nursing home mistreated the elderly people.
B. Nursing home workers sometimes stole items from her drawers.
C. Her children did not often visit because they felt guilty for having put her in the nursing home.
D. The staff used baby talk with her because they assumed her mind had aged as her body had.
2.The author concluded her essay with a tone of ________.
A. dignity B. sadness C. disappointment D. confusion
3.How will the author’s son most probably feel after he reads this essay?
A. Sympathetic. B. Regretful. C. Angry. D. Relieved.
4.The best title for the passage would be ________.
A. The Disadvantages of Growing Old
B. If Only I could be getting better
C. The Elderly: A Forgotten Generation
D. The Place That Changed My Life
难度: 中等查看答案及解析