The iPhone, the iPad: each of Apple’s products sounds cool and has become a fad(一时的风尚). Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter “i” –-- and many other brands are following suit. The BBC’s iPlayer --- which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet ---used the title in 2008. A lovely bear --- popular in the US and UK --- that plays music and video is called “iTeddy”. A slimmed-down version(简装本) of London’s Independent newspaper was started last week under the name “i”.
In general, single-letter prefixes(前缀) have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce(电子商务) first came into use.
Most “i” products are targeted at (针对)young people and considering the major readers of Independent’s“ i”, it’s no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name.
But it’s hard to see what’s so special about the letter “i”. Why not use “a”, “b”, or “c” instead? According to Tony Thorne, head of the Language Center at King’s College, London, “i” works because its meaning has become ambiguous. When Apple uses “i”, no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBC Magazines. “Even when Apple created the iPod, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition(定义),” he says.
“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now connected with portability (轻便) .”adds Thorne.
Clearly the letter “i” also agrees with the idea that the Western World is centered on the individual. Each person believes they have their own needs, and we love personalized products for this reason.
Along with “Google” and “blog”, readers of BBC Magazines voted “i” as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade(十年).
But as history shows, people grow tired of fads. From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was connected with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the fashion disappeared.
1.People use iPlayer to __________.
A. listen to music B. make a call
C. watch TV programs online D. read newspapers
2.We can infer that the Independent’s “i” is designed for _________.
A. young readers B. old readers C. fashionable women D. engineers
3.The underlined word “ambiguous” means “__________”.
A. popular B. uncertain C. clear D. unique
4. Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products which are __________.
A. portable B. environmentally friendly C. advanced D. recyclable
5.The writer suggests that __________.
A. “i” products are often of high quality
B. iTeddy is alive bear
C. the letter “b” replaces letter “i” to name the products
D. the popularity of “i” products may not last long
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
The iPhone, the iPad: each of Apple’s products sounds cool and has become a fad(一时的风尚). Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter “i” –-- and many other brands are following suit. The BBC’s iPlayer --- which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet ---used the title in 2008. A lovely bear --- popular in the US and UK --- that plays music and video is called “iTeddy”. A slimmed-down version(简装本) of London’s Independent newspaper was started last week under the name “i”.
In general, single-letter prefixes(前缀) have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce(电子商务) first came into use.
Most “i” products are targeted at (针对)young people and considering the major readers of Independent’s“ i”, it’s no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name.
But it’s hard to see what’s so special about the letter “i”. Why not use “a”, “b”, or “c” instead? According to Tony Thorne, head of the Language Center at King’s College, London, “i” works because its meaning has become ambiguous. When Apple uses “i”, no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBC Magazines. “Even when Apple created the iPod, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition(定义),” he says.
“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now connected with portability (轻便) .”adds Thorne.
Clearly the letter “i” also agrees with the idea that the Western World is centered on the individual. Each person believes they have their own needs, and we love personalized products for this reason.
Along with “Google” and “blog”, readers of BBC Magazines voted “i” as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade(十年).
But as history shows, people grow tired of fads. From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was connected with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the fashion disappeared.
1.People use iPlayer to __________.
A. listen to music B. make a call
C. watch TV programs online D. read newspapers
2.We can infer that the Independent’s “i” is designed for _________.
A. young readers B. old readers C. fashionable women D. engineers
3.The underlined word “ambiguous” means “__________”.
A. popular B. uncertain C. clear D. unique
4. Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products which are __________.
A. portable B. environmentally friendly C. advanced D. recyclable
5.The writer suggests that __________.
A. “i” products are often of high quality
B. iTeddy is alive bear
C. the letter “b” replaces letter “i” to name the products
D. the popularity of “i” products may not last long
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The iPhone, the iPad, the iPod, each of apple's products sounds cool and has become a pad (一时的风尚). Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter “i”,-- and many other brands are following suit. The BBC’s iPlayer —which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the internet—adopted the title in 2008. A lovely bear—popular in the US and UK—that plays music and video is called “iTeddy”.A slimmed-down version of London’s Independent newspaper,was launched last week under the name “i”.
In general,single-letter prefix have been popular since the 1990s,when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce first came into use.
Most “i”products are targeted at young people and considering the major readers of the Independent’s “i”,it’s no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name.
But it’s hard to see what’s so special about the letter “i”.Why not use “a”,“b”or “c”instead?According to Tony Thorne,head of Language Center at King’s College,London,“i”works because its meaning has become ambiguous .When Apple uses “i”,no one knows whether it means internet,information,individual or interactive,Thorne told BBC magazines “even when Apple created the iPod,it seems it didn’t have one clear definition,”he says.
“However,thanks to Apple,the term is now associated with portability (轻便), ”adds Thorne.
Clearly the letter “i”also agrees with the idea that the Western World is centered on the individual. Each person believes they have their own needs,and we love personalized products for this reason.
Along with “Google”and “blog”,readers of BBC magazines voted “i”as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade.
But as history shows,people grow tired of fads. From the 1900s to the 1990s,products with “2000”in their names became fashionable as the year was associated with all things advanced and modern. However,as we entered the new century,the trend inevitably disappeared.
1.
We can infer that the Independent’s “i”is aimed at _______.
A. young readers B. old readers C. fashionable women D. engineers
2.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Apple and Microsoft each launched new products. One company astonished everyone. The other made people sleepy. Can you guess which was which? You probably guessed wrong. Because Apple, famous for its creative products, was the tech giant whose new product caused a collective shrug(耸肩). While Microsoft, which stole a move out of the Apple Playbook, won cheers from high-end, creative-class consumers like business analysts, media designers and music producers.
As Hayley Tsukayama remarked at The Washington Post, the Surface Studio, one of Microsoft's new products, is really just a super-sized version of the Surface Books product that Microsoft has been selling for years. But if you've ever watched science fiction movies like Minority report--where Tom Cruise seems to operate pictures and data hanging on mid-air by touching them, spreading his fingers to increase on details, and sending files and information sliding from one folder to another with a click of the fingers, you can see how Microsoft is trying to show the same experience.
Meanwhile, apple's new products were almost like some fine promotions for its Apple TV. They boast(炫耀)that the new Macbook Pros has a smaller size and more functions, and a new touch screen bar on laptop keyboards where function keys used to be.
So what's going on? In many ways, Apple is focusing on attracting the average consumers who have been attracted by Microsoft. And Microsoft is focusing on targeting the high-end professionals Apple has historically been associated with. You can even see this is the companies' ad campaigns: Microsoft's ads stress imagination and creativity, while Apple,s commercial chief performance and convenience of its Macbooks.
So Apple is trying to control the world of devices and laptops from the top down, starting with the high-end market and moving on to appeal to a broader base of consumers. Microsoft, having already strengthened itself within the bigger low-end market, is now attempting the opposite with a bottom-up strategy. Will these succeed? Time will tell...
1.What can we learn from the first paragraph?
A. Microsoft's new products made a big hit.
B. Apple's products aim at high-end consumers.
C. Apple and Microsoft developed the same products.
D. The design of Microsoft's products is original and unique.
2.Why does the author mention the science fiction movie in Paragraph 2?
A. To show how trendy Microsoft’s new products are.
B. To tell us Microsoft's new products can be used in movies.
C. To encourage more people to see the science fiction movie.
D. To show Microsoft’s new products are inspired by the movie.
3.What can we infer from the last two parts of the text?
A. Apple is changing its focus on consumer groups from average to high-end ones.
B. Microsoft is changing its focus on consumer groups from high-end to average ones.
C. The two companies are adopting different business strategies from their own before.
D. The two companies are facing fierce competition with each other.
4.In which section of a newspaper can we most probably read this passage?
A. Leisure and Entertainment.
B. Economics and Business.
C. Culture and Education.
D. Life and Fashion.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Why Doesn’t Anybody Copy Apple?
Apple’s products are the envy of the world. They have been spectacularly successful and are widely imitated, if not copied. The minute Apple crystallizes a product, everyone knows how to compete.This idea that the basis of competition is set by Apple and then the race is on to climb the path of improvement is unquestionable.When Apple releases a product that defines a category or dramatically changes the structure of an industry, it becomes obvious what needs to be built. But what I wonder is why everyone wants to copy Apple’s products but nobody wants to copy being Apple?
I can think of two reasons. Firstly, Apple is not worth copying because it's not successful; secondly, Apple’s success cannot be copied because it is a magical process.
There is a great deal of evidence for the first hypothesis. The idea of Apple being successful is not something reflected in its stock price.Being valued lower than the average company in the S&P(标准普尔)500 indicates that to whatever degree Apple was successful in the past, it's not seen by the vast majority of observers as successful in the future.Why should one bother copying Apple if it results in being punished with a low valuation? If one works really hard at innovation and then that innovation becomes commoditized(商品化)very quickly, why should one bother?
When innovation practitioners are asked what makes Apple successful, the answers regarding the cause of this success border on the mythical. The climax of this hypothesis is the “chief-sorcerer” theory of success which places one magician, like Steve Jobs, in charge of casting all the right spells(符咒).
What about Apple’s own opinion of what makes it tick? Tim Cook refers to a great team and integration of hardware, software and services as unique Apple advantages. It’s a better explanation.Integration is something that can take a long time, but it is possible with great effort.A few companies are starting to make moves in that direction, but efforts are half-hearted.There is no “move the Earth” panic to become an integrated company from Samsung, Google or Microsoft.
My own suspicion is that Apple is more aware of what makes it special than it lets out. However, as Tim points out, it’s not a formula.It’s complex, it’s subtle, but it’s not magic.It’s a process that requires a degree of faith and courage.
1.When a new product of Apple comes out, often it ______.
A.ruins an industry dramatically
B.starts a revolution of an industry
C.puts itself in an unbeatable position
D.is soon overtaken by imitated products
2.According to the passage, other companies don’t “copy being Apple” because ______.
A. Apple is not a successful company
B. they have no access to relevant resources
C. It’s hard to find a magician like Steve Jobs
D.being Apple takes more than time and efforts
3.We can infer from Para. 5 that ______.
A.other companies are dedicated to integration
B.Apple itself is fully aware of its unique advantages
C.Apple will hold the leading position in this industry
D.other companies don't have a great team as Apple does
4.What does the author think of Tim Cook's statement?
A.Acceptable. B.Disappointing. C.Unquestionable. D.Convincing.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The iPhone 4S is Apple's first major hardware on the market ______ the Oct.5 death of co-founder Steve Jobs.
A.for B.to C. from D.since
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
The main reason why Apple’s products always manage to capture the imagination of people worldwide is their attention to _____. Each and every part of an Apple product is perfect in its body.
A.details B.functions C.features D.trends
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
When Lina was awoken by the sound of thunder, she was alone on the island. The air was cool and bullfrogs croaked. It was that brief moment when the summer sun had set but the stars hadn't yet appeared. Lina rubbed her eyes and looked around. "Hello?" she called. "Celia? Marie?" There was no response.
The moon was rising now, shedding light on the island. They had always called it "Forgotten Island" because no one but they seemed to remember its existence. It wasn't on any of the maps they could find, and even the forest rangers didn't know about it. Lina loved that the island, hidden in a heavily-wooded side stream of the l river, was a secret between the three friends—her, Celia, and Marie. But now Lina was here alone, and it was night. Worse still, it was her own fault.
"Come on, Lina, let Marie row the born." Celia had said. Marie was two years older than Lina, but she was a hopeless rower. That's why Linn refused and rowed the boat to the island.
The argument that followed the refusal took the usual form. Celia took Marie's side, as she always did. Lina exploded and yelled at them to just leave. So they got back in the boat and left.
A bolt of lightning crossed the darkened sky, accompanied by a deafening thunder clap. The storm was here. As the first cold raindrop slid down her neck, Lina's mind returned to her current problem. She was stuck here by herself. She just hoped she didn't become as forgotten as the island. The thought of it sent a chill down her back.
Suddenly, Lina spotted something in the water. It was a boat, and inside it were Marie, Celia, and Marie's dad, who was steering through the fast flowing waters. As the boat approached, they saw Lina waving and the worried expressions on their faces turned to relief
In her excitement Lina jumped into the river. Only once she was in the icy water did she remember how fast the water was moving. Luckily a strong arm reached into the water and pulled her out. She smiled weakly at Marie's dad and, without a word, hugged Celia and Marie. They didn't seem to mind becoming wet.
1.What do we know about the island?
A.It is very near the ocean.
B.It is a popular place for boating.
C.It is surrounded by thick forest.
D.It has never been reached by others.
2.Why did Lina get angry?
A.Lina was left alone on the island.
B.Marie would not help row the boat.
C.Marie didn't know how to row the boat.
D.Celia supported Marie in the disagreement.
3.What caused Lina to feel scared?
A.Her shame about the unnecessary argument,
B.The first raindrop of the approaching storm.
C.The idea that no one would come to save her.
D.The drop in temperature as the sun went down.
4.Which is true statement according to the passage?
A.Lina didn't want to forget the island.
B.When Lina saw the boat, she fell relieved.
C.Marie rescued Lina when she fell into the water.
D.Marie was poor in rowing.
5.What can we infer about the three girls?
A.All of them could swim well.
B.They had an adventurous spirit.
C.They lived far away from the island.
D.They quarreled with one another badly.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When Lina was awoken by the sound of thunder, she was alone on the island. The air was cool and bullfrogs croaked. It was that brief moment when the summer sun had set but the stars hadn't yet appeared. Lina rubbed her eyes and looked around.
“Hello?” she called. “Celia? Marie”
There was no response.
The moon was rising now, shedding light on the island. They had always called it “Forgotten Island” because no one but they seemed to remember its existence. It wasn’t on any of the maps they could find, and even the forest rangers didn’t know about it. Lina loved that the island, hidden in a heavily-wooded side stream of the river, was a secret between the three friends — her, Celia, and Marie.
But now Lina was here alone, and it was night. Worse still, it was her own fault.
“Come on, Lina, let Marie row the boat.” Celia had said. Marie was two years older than Lina, but she was a hopeless rower. That’s why Lina refused and rowed the boat to the island. The argument that followed the refusal took the usual form. Celia took Marie’s side, as she always did. Lina had exploded and yelled at them to just leave. So they got back in the boat and left.
A bolt of lightning crossed the darkened sky, accompanied by a deafening thunder clap. The storm was here. As the first cold raindrop slid down her neck, Lina’s mind returned to her current problem. She was stuck here by herself. She just hoped she didn’t become as forgotten as the island. The thought of it sent a chill (寒意) down her back.
Suddenly, Lina spotted something in the water. It was a boat, and inside it were Marie, Celia, and Marie's dad, who was steering through the fast flowing waters. As the boat approached, they saw Lina waving and the worried expressions on their faces turned to relief.
In her excitement Lina jumped into the river. Only once she was in the icy water did she remember how fast the water was moving. Luckily a strong arm reached into the water and pulled her out. She smiled weakly at Marie’s dad and, without a word, hugged Celia and Marie. They didn’t seem to mind becoming wet.
1.What can be inferred about the island?
A.It is very near the ocean.
B.It is a popular place for boating.
C.It is surrounded by thick forest.
D.It has never been reached by others.
2.Why did Lina get angry?
A.Marie would not help row the boat.
B.Lina was left alone on the island.
C.Marie didn't know how to row the boat.
D.Celia supported Marie in the disagreement.
3.What caused Lina to feel a chill?
A.Her shame about the unnecessary argument.
B.The first raindrops of the approaching storm.
C.The idea that no one would come to save her.
D.The drop in temperature as the sun went down.
4.Who pulled Lina out of the water?
A.Marie’s father.
B.Lina herself.
C.Marie.
D.CeliA.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When Lina was awoken by the sound of thunder, she was alone on the island. The air was cool and bullfrogs croaked. It was that brief moment when the summer sun had set but the stars hadn’t yet appeared. Lina rubbed her eyes and looked around. “Hello?” she called. “Celia? Marie?” There was no response.
The moon was rising now, shedding light on the island. They had always called it “Forgotten Island” because no one but they seemed to remember its existence. It wasn’t on any of the maps they could find, and even the forest rangers didn’t know about it. Lina loved that the island, hidden in a heavily-wooded side stream of the river, was a secret between the three friends---her, Celia, and Marie. But now Lina was here alone, and it was night. Worse still, it was her own fault.
“Come on, Lina, let Marie row the boat.” Celia had said. Marie was two years older than Lina, but she was a hopeless rower. That’s why Lina refused and rowed the boat to the island. The argument that followed the refusal took the usual form. Celia took Marie’s side, as she always did. Lina exploded and yelled at them to just leave. So they got back in the boat and left.
A bolt of lightning crossed the darkened sky, accompanied by a deafening thunder clap. The storm was here. As the first cold raindrop slid down her neck, Lina’s mind returned to her current problem. She was stuck here by herself. She just hoped she didn’t become as forgotten as the island. The thought of it sent a chill down her back.
Suddenly, Lina spotted something in the water. It was a boat, and inside it were Marie, Celia, and Marie’s dad, who was steering through the fast flowing waters. As the boat approached, they saw Lina waving and the worried expressions on their faces turned to relief.
In her excitement Lina jumped into the river. Only once she was in the icy water did she remember how fast the water was moving. Luckily a strong arm reached into the water and pulled her out. She smiled weakly at Marie’s dad and, without a word, hugged Celia and Marie. They didn’t seem to mind becoming wet.
1.What is special about the island?
A.It is very near the ocean. B.It is a popular place for boating.
C.It is surrounded by thick forest. D.It has never been reached by others.
2.Why did Lina get angry?
A.Lina was left alone on the island. B.Marie would not help row the boat.
C.Marie didn’t know how to row the boat. D.Celia supported Marie in the disagreement.
3.What caused Lina to feel scared?
A.Her shame about the unnecessary argument.
B.The first raindrop of the approaching storm.
C.The idea that no one would come to save her.
D.The drop in temperature as the sun went down.
4.What can we infer about the three girls?
A.All of them could swim well. B.They had an adventurous spirit.
C.They lived far away from the island. D.They didn’t make up in the end.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
When Lina was awoken by the sound of thunder, she was alone on the island. The air was cool and bullfrogs croaked. It was that brief moment when the summer sun had set but the stars hadn’t yet appeared. Lina rubbed her eyes and looked around. “Hello?” she called. “Celia? Marie?” There was no response.
The moon was rising now, shedding light on the island. They had always called it “Forgotten Island “because no one but they seemed to remember its existence. It wasn't on any of the maps they could find, and even the forest rangers didn’t know about it. Lina loved that the island, hidden in a heavily-wooded side stream of the river, was a secret between the three friends-her, Celia, and Marie. But now Lina was here alone, and it was night. Worse still, it was her own fault.
“Come on, Lina,let Marie row the boat.” Celia had said. Marie was two years older than Lina, but she was a hopeless rower. That’s why Lina refused and rowed the boat to the island. The argument that followed the refusal took the usual form. Celia took Marie’s side, as she always did. Lina exploded and yelled at them to just leave. So they got back in the boat and left.
A bolt of lightning crossed the darkened sky, accompanied by a deafening thunder clap. The storm was here. As the first cold raindrop slid down her neck, Lina’s mind returned to her current problem. She was stuck here by herself. She just hoped she didn’t become as forgotten as the island. The thought of it sent a chill down her back.
Suddenly, Lina spotted something in the water. It was a boat, and inside it were Marie, Celia, and Marie’s dad, who was steering through the fast flowing waters. As the boat approached, they saw Lina waving and the worried expressions on their faces turned to relief.
In her excitement Lina jumped into the river. Only once she was in the icy water did she remember how fast the water was moving. Luckily a strong arm reached into the water and pulled her out. She smiled weakly at Marie’s dad and, without a word, hugged Celia and Marie. They didn’t seem to mind becoming wet.
1.What is special about the island?
A.It is very near the ocean.
B.It is a popular place for boating.
C.It is surrounded by thick forest.
D.It has never been reached by others.
2.Why did Lina get angry?
A.Lina was left alone on the island.
B.Marie would not help row the boat.
C.Marie didn't know how to row the boat.
D.Celia supported Marie in the disagreement.
3.What caused Lina to feel scared?
A.Her shame about the unnecessary argument.
B.The first raindrop of the approaching storm.
C.The idea that no one would come to save her.
D.The drop in temperature as the sun went down.
4.What can we infer about the three girls?
A.All of them could swim well.
B.They had an adventurous spirit.
C.They lived far away from the island.
D.They quarreled with one another badly.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析