An advance in electronic publishing could make the ebook you are reading seem as dated as a silent film. Publishers hope to explore the growing success of ebooks by releasing versions with added soundtracks and musical accompaniments.
The noises in the first multimedia books released in Britain on Friday include rain hitting a window in a Sherlock Holmes tale. When the plot of a book reaches the most exciting part, background scores will create tension. In America, works by Shakespeare and Jane Austen have already been released with music and background noise so that, for example, readers can hear tea cups clinking in Mr. Darcy’s garden as they read Pride and Prejudice.
Supporters argue that sound effects are the next logical development for ebooks and will add excitement for younger readers. Critics, however, will argue that the noise will ruin the simple pleasure of having the imagination stimulated by reading.
Caroline Michel, chief executive of the literary agency, said the new generation of computer-literate readers was used to multiple sensory input. She said, “Young people have split computer screens where they may be watching television and replying to an email at the same time. If that’s what the market wants then we should respond to the market.”
Booktrack’s sound effects work by estimating the user’s reading speed. Each time you “turn” a page, the software reassesses where you have reached in the text and times the sounds to switch on accordingly. If the soundtrack becomes out of synch (同步), a click on any word will reset it.
Some authors fear that a soundtrack could destroy the peace and quiet of libraries and ruin the pleasure of reading. David Nicholls, author of One Day, the bestseller now released as a film, said, “This sounds like the opposite of reading. I have enough trouble reading an ebook because I’m constantly distracted by emails.”
Stuart MacBride, the crime writer whose novel Shatter the Bones was an ebook bestseller, sells 18% of his books as electronic downloads. He said, “If I’m reading, I will do the noise in my head. I don't need someone to tell me what tea cups clinking sounds like. That would irritate me.”
1.What’s the passage mainly about?
A.Opinions about ebooks with soundtracks.
B.Response to the need of the book market.
C.Reasons for traditional ebooks becoming outdated.
D.Suggestions on encouraging readers’ imagination.
2.What do publishers expect an ebook soundtrack to do?
A.Help to release an ebook as a film.
B.Make readers improve reading speed.
C.Add tension at a book’s exciting point.
D.Get readers familiar with the background.
3.What does the underlined sentences mean in Paragraph 6 ?
A.David enjoyed the pleasure of reading an ebook in the library.
B.Soundtrack would affect David’s concentration on reading an ebook.
C.David was constantly fascinated by checking emails when reading an ebook.
D.Soundtrack would destroy the content and characters of the story.
4.What do we know about Stuart MacBride?
A.He was a person who was easy to get irritated.
B.He didn’t like the clinking sounds of tea cups.
C.He was the most famous writer about crime stories.
D.He imagined sounds about the story when reading.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
An advance in electronic publishing could make the ebook you are reading seem as dated as a silent film. Publishers hope to explore the growing success of ebooks by releasing versions with added soundtracks and musical accompaniments.
The noises in the first multimedia books released in Britain on Friday include rain hitting a window in a Sherlock Holmes tale. When the plot of a book reaches the most exciting part, background scores will create tension. In America, works by Shakespeare and Jane Austen have already been released with music and background noise so that, for example, readers can hear tea cups clinking in Mr. Darcy’s garden as they read Pride and Prejudice.
Supporters argue that sound effects are the next logical development for ebooks and will add excitement for younger readers. Critics, however, will argue that the noise will ruin the simple pleasure of having the imagination stimulated by reading.
Caroline Michel, chief executive of the literary agency, said the new generation of computer-literate readers was used to multiple sensory input. She said, “Young people have split computer screens where they may be watching television and replying to an email at the same time. If that’s what the market wants then we should respond to the market.”
Booktrack’s sound effects work by estimating the user’s reading speed. Each time you “turn” a page, the software reassesses where you have reached in the text and times the sounds to switch on accordingly. If the soundtrack becomes out of synch (同步), a click on any word will reset it.
Some authors fear that a soundtrack could destroy the peace and quiet of libraries and ruin the pleasure of reading. David Nicholls, author of One Day, the bestseller now released as a film, said, “This sounds like the opposite of reading. I have enough trouble reading an ebook because I’m constantly distracted by emails.”
Stuart MacBride, the crime writer whose novel Shatter the Bones was an ebook bestseller, sells 18% of his books as electronic downloads. He said, “If I’m reading, I will do the noise in my head. I don't need someone to tell me what tea cups clinking sounds like. That would irritate me.”
1.What’s the passage mainly about?
A.Opinions about ebooks with soundtracks.
B.Response to the need of the book market.
C.Reasons for traditional ebooks becoming outdated.
D.Suggestions on encouraging readers’ imagination.
2.What do publishers expect an ebook soundtrack to do?
A.Help to release an ebook as a film.
B.Make readers improve reading speed.
C.Add tension at a book’s exciting point.
D.Get readers familiar with the background.
3.What does the underlined sentences mean in Paragraph 6 ?
A.David enjoyed the pleasure of reading an ebook in the library.
B.Soundtrack would affect David’s concentration on reading an ebook.
C.David was constantly fascinated by checking emails when reading an ebook.
D.Soundtrack would destroy the content and characters of the story.
4.What do we know about Stuart MacBride?
A.He was a person who was easy to get irritated.
B.He didn’t like the clinking sounds of tea cups.
C.He was the most famous writer about crime stories.
D.He imagined sounds about the story when reading.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
I would appreciate ______ if you could let me know in advance when the meeting will be held.
| A．that | B．this | C．it | D．you |
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
In a paper published in the journey Science Advance, researchers describe how Matabele ants, a species of large ant known for attacking termite colonies (白蚁群落), will, after the battle, pick up injured fellow soldiers and carry them back to the nest where they can recover.
The paper is the latest in a growing body of research that this form of helping behavior, previously observed in some mammals and birds, may not require complex emotion, and may, therefore, be far more widespread in nature than previously thought.
“Here we have an example of an individual saving another individual,” says lead researcher Erik Frank who conducted the research. “We can be quite certain that the ants don’t know why they are doing what they are doing.”
It’s a behavior that pays off for the colony. Our classic conception of worker ants is that they are essentially abandoned, but Mr. Frank and his colleagues calculated that the practice of rescuing nest mates results in a colony size that is a 28.7 percent larger than it would be had the ants left their fellow soldiers for dead.
“These injured ants are able to recover from their injuries, ” says Frank. “They are essential for the safety and the betterment of the colony. ”
When a Matabele ant is injured, as often happens during battles with termites, its body will give off two smelly chemicals that tell other ants to carry it back to the nest. Indeed, the researchers found that using these chemicals to seek help from uninjured ants will effectively activate the rescue behavior, supporting their theory that the ants were acting on pure instinct(本能), not more complex emotions.
“The more we study rescue behavior in ants and other animals, the more we are going to realize that it’s not just limited to the species we’ve observed so far, ” says Karen Hollis, a professor at Mount Holyoke College, mentioning studies that found that dolphins help other injured dolphins to the surface for air, capuchin monkeys defend each other during intergroup battles, and rats free other rats that are trapped.
1.What does Frank say about Matabele ants’ helping behavior?
A. It proves they can feel sympathy. B. It exists only in some individuals.
C. It happens only termite colonies. D. It is something they were born with
2.How will the helping behavior benefit the ants?
A. It will expand the size of the colony.
B. It will help them catch more termites.
C. It will improve their fighting abilities.
D. It will help them escape enemies’ attacks.
3.How can Matabele ants know one needs rescuing?
A. Through its special noise. B. Though the smell of its blood.
C. Through its chemical signals. D. Though the search after a battle
4.What is the main purpose of the text?
A. To promote research on ants. B. To describe termites’ battles.
C. To introduce a new species. D. To report a research result
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The enemy troop could hardly make any advance, and ________ could they fall back.
A. neither B. so C. either D. both
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
In the last few years the popularity of eBooks has exploded. The advantages are clear: You can carry as many books with you as you want. You can simply download even 7 books you like and instantly start reading instead of having to wait for the book to arrive by mail.
However, one thing hadn't changed. If you wanted to rent a book you were still forced to use hardcopy books. Until now that is Amazon. com recently announced the start of a new program where you can rent eBooks.
Where to rent eBooks?
As mentioned before, Amazon. com is the first and currently the only retailer (零售商) that has a program in place for renting eBooks. Luckily, Amazon is the largest online retailer in the world and their eBook assortment (分类) is massive. They are also the producer of the Kindle, the most popular eReader, which means you can be sure that the eBooks you rent will work.
You can currently only rent eTextbooks. But this is likely to change as soon as the word gets out that you can save money by renting eBooks.
Why rent eBooks at Amazon?
● Save money: Save up t0 80% of the normal price of the eBook.
●Decide how long you rent: From 30 days t0 360 days, you decide how long you want it. You can extend the time by as little as a day. Or simply buy the eBook if you want to keep it after all.
●Use any device: If you rent an eBook from Amazon, you can read it on your PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android device, Windows Phone 7. Blackberry. or Kindle. .
●Keep your notes: Do you like to keep annotations (注释) and highlights in your eBooks? Don't worry. You can always revisit your notes and highlights through Amazon. com.
How to rent eBooks?
Simply search for the eBook you want to rent on Amazon. com and select the "Rent eBooks" option. After that, a new page will open where you can select how long you’d like to rent the eBook. You can read eBooks for a period of 30 to 360 days.
You decide how long you need the eBook. If you later find out you need it for longer. you can simply extend the time. Or buy it for the normal price whenever you want.
Once you've chosen the time you want to rent the eBook, you simply go to checkout. Or you can use the "Rent now" button.
1.According to the passage, _________
A. eBooks will be changed into other types by Amazon. com
B. eBooks will replace hardcover hooks in the next few years
C. readers get a discount of at least 20% of the normal price
D. readers are able to rent eBooks only at Amazon. com now
2.To rent an eBook online, which of the following goes last?
A. open a new page
B. select the "Rent eBooks" option
C. choose a rental date
D. press "Rent now" button
3.The main purpose of the passage is to __________.
A. inform and explain B. discuss and assess
C. compare and evaluate D describe and argue
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
I’d appreciate ________ if you could let me know in advance whether or not you will come.
A. it B. you
C. one D. this
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
—Could you tell me the____ of making such tasty cakes?
— Well, I just follow the directons in the cookbook.
A. feature B. plan C. cost D. trick
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
Electronic book publishing has many of the same risks and opportunities as electronic music publishing. By delivering text directly to the reader's computer screen, the e-book could cut down costs, and allow creators to deal directly with their audience, bypassing traditional publishers and traders. But it also raises the possibility of mass piracy(盗版). Phil Rance, founder and managing director of Online Originals, a London-based e-book publisher, sums it up，“No one wants Napster to happen to books.”
Indeed, the most popular MP3 may have put the frighteners on an industry that generally operates some way behind the “bleeding edge”. The Meta Group, a leading US-based market researcher, says publishers are far too concerned about protecting their rights,“ We believe all the recent legal control over Napster is like putting a finger in a river that is already overflowing. Publishers need to deal with reality and come up with new ways to develop wide electronic distribution, asking the question, ‘How can we change the certainty of wide distribution to our advantage?’ ”
At the moment, most publishers would like to limit the use of e-books to the person who bought them, or to the computer used to download them. If that can be done, e-books become just an extra income stream in a publishing industry that would continue to operate the way it does today, according to Terry Robinson, business manager for the digital rights aspect, “you've cracked the market,” he says.
Robert Nichols, Books Director at BOL agrees, “Rights management is absolutely important. Publishers just say that, ‘until copyright is secure, we're not going to talk’．”
1.According to the text, what is the similarity of e-books to electronic music？
A.They both result in piracy.
B.They both lead to price reduction.
C.They both bring in much money to creators.
D.They both avoid industry management.
2.From the text, we can infer that_____.
A.wide use of e-books may increase the income.
B.the publishing markets should be brought back to normal.
C.publishers haven’t agreed on rights management up to now.
D.most publishers prefer e-books for the extra income.
3.What are most publishers concerned about according to the text?
A.copyrights management B.price control
C.market share D.original works
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.A Magic Book
B.The Fight Against Mass Piracy
C.Risks and Challenges Go Hand in Hand
D.The E-book----a New and Big Challenge
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Only by imagining and creating ______ a difference in the future.
A. can make B. you could make
C. could make D. can you make
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Only by imagining and creating ______ a difference in the future.
A. can make B. you could make
C. could make D. can you make
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析