Supermarkets are trying out new computers that make shopping carts more intelligent. They will help shoppers find paper cups or toilet soap, and keep a record of the bill.
The touch-screen devices are on show at the Food Marketing Institute’s exhibition here this week, “These devices are able to create value and get you around the store quicker,” said Michael Alexander, manager of Springboard Retail Netwo
rks Inc., which makes a smart cart computer called the Concierge.
Canadian stores will test the Concierge in July. A similar device, IBM’s “Shopping Buddy”, has recently been test-marketed at Stop & Shop stores in Massachusetts.
Neither device tells you how many fat grams or calories are in your cart, but they will flash you with items on sale. The idea is to make it easier for people to buy, not to have second thoughts that maybe you should put something back on the shelf.
“The whole model is driven by advertisers’ need to get in front of shoppers,” said Alexander. “They’re not watching 30-second TV ads anymore.”
People can use a home computer to make their shopping lists. Once at the store, a shopper can use a preferred customer card to start a system（系统）that will organize the trip around the store. If you’re looking for toothpicks, you type in the word or pick it from a list, and a map will appear on the screen showing where you are and where you can find them.
The device also keeps a record of what you buy. When you’re finished, the device figures out your bill. Then you go to the checker or place your card into a self-checkout stand and pay.
The new computerized shopping assistants don’t come cheap. The Buddy devices will cost the average store about $ 160, 000, and the Concierge will cost stores about $ 500 for each device.The underlined word “they”（paragraph 1）refers to ____________.
| A．supermarkets | B．shop assistants |
| C．shopping carts | D．shop managers |
We can learn from the last paragraph that ___________.
A．intelligent shopping ca rts cost a large sum of money |
| B．the Concierge is cheaper than the Buddy devices |
| C．shop assistants with computer knowledge are well paid |
| D．average stores prefer the Concierge to the Buddy devices |
What might be the most suitable title for the text?
| A．New age for supermarkets |
| B．Concierge and Shopping Buddy |
| C．New computers make shopping carts smarter |
| D．Touch-screen devices make shopping enjoyable |
D
Holding a cell phone against your ear or storing it in your pocket may be dangerous to your health. This explains a warning that cell phone manufacturers include in the small print that is often ignored when a new phone is purchased. Apple, for example, doesn’t want iPhones to come closer to you than 1.5 centimeters; Research In Motion, BlackBerry’s manufacturer, recommends 2.5 centimeters.
If health issues arise from cell phone use, the possible effects are huge. Voice calls - Americans chat on cell phones 2.26 trillion(万亿)minutes annually - earn $109 billion for the wireless carriers.
Devra Davis, an expert who has worked for the University of Pittsburgh, has published a book about cell phone radiation, “Disconnect.” The book surveys scientific research and concludes the question is not settled.
Brain cancer is a concern that Ms. Davis examines. Over all, there has not been an increase in its incidence since cell phones arrived. But the average masks an increase in brain cancer in the 20-to-29 age group and a drop for the older population.
“Most cancers have multiple causes,” she says, but she points to laboratory research that suggests low-energy radiation could damage cells that could possibly lead to cancer.
Children are more vulnerable to radiation than adults, Ms. Davis and other scientists point out. Radiation that penetrates only five centimeters into the brain of an adult will reach much deeper into the brains of children because their skulls are thinner and their brains contain more absorptive fluid（易吸收的液体）. No studies have yet been completed on cell phone radiation and children, she says.
Henry Lai, a research professor in the bioengineering department at the University of Washington, began laboratory radiation studies in 1980 and found that rats exposed to radiation had damaged DNA in their brains.
Ms. Davis recommends using wired headsets or the phone’s speaker. Children should text rather than call, she said, and pregnant women should keep phones away from the abdomen（腹部）.Why is the warning in the small print?
| A．They think people will not care about it. |
| B．There is not enough space for the warning. |
| C．They don’t want the users to pay attention to it. |
| D．The warning is not important at all. |
What does the underlined word in sixth paragraph probably mean?
| A．acceptable | B．valuable | C．accessible | D．easily affected |
What can we conclude from the last paragraph?
| A．Pregnant women should keep cell phones away. |
| B．People should use cell phones in the correct way. |
| C．If you are a child, you’d better text than make phone calls. |
| D．When you use a cell phone, use a wired headset or the phone’s speaker. |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Be careful when using cell phones. |
| B．Don’t hold your cell phone against your ear. |
| C．Rats exposed to radiation have damaged DNA in their brains. |
| D．Low-energy radiation could damage cells that could lead to cancer. |
C
One Sunday, my family had gathered at my parents’ house to feast upon Mom’s wonderful cooking. During the normal dinner chatter (闲聊), I noticed that my father was slurring (说话含混) his words. No one mentioned this during dinner, but I felt compelled to discuss it with my mother afterward.
We decided that there was something seriously wrong and that Dad needed to see the doctor.
Mom phoned me two days later. “The doctor found a brain tumor (肿瘤). It’s too large at this point to operate. Maybe they can do something then, but the odds are long.”
Even with the treatment, my father’s condition worsened, and the doctor finally informed us that this condition was terminal (晚期的). During one of his stays in the hospital, we brought our baby daughter Chelsey with us when we visited him. By this time he had great difficulty speaking. I finally figured out that he wanted Chelsey to sit on his stomach so he could make faces at her.
Watching the two of them together, I realized I was living an experience that would stay with me forever. Though grateful for the times they could share, I couldn’t shake the feeling of a clock ticking in the background.
On the visit to my parents’ home during what we all know was my father’s last days, my mother took Chelsey from my arms and announced, “Your father would like to see you alone for a minute.”
I entered the bedroom where my father lay on a rented hospital bed. He appeared even weaker than the day before.
“How are you feeling, Dad?” I asked. “Can I do anything for you?”
He tried to speak, but he couldn’t make out a word.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t understand you,” I said.
With great difficulty he said, “I love you.”
We don’t learn courage from heroes on the evening news. We learn true courage from watching ordinary people rise above hopeless situations. In many ways my father was a strict, uncommunicative man. He found it difficult to show emotion. The bravest thing I ever saw him do was overcome that barrier to open his heart to his son and family at the end of his life.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The writer accompanied his father to a medical examination. |
| B．The writer’s father got worse after the removal of the brain tumor. |
| C．The writer was quick to notice the strange condition of his father. |
| D．The writer’s father had known about his illness before the writer discovered it. |
What does the underlined sentence “the odds are long” mean?
| A．There’s little possibility for Father to recover. |
| B．It takes a long time for Father to recover. |
| C．Father needs love and care from his family. |
| D．They need a proper time to operate on Father. |
The father had never said “I love you” to the writer before because ________.
| A．he believed in strictness and punishment |
| B．he was not so attached to the writer |
| C．he thought there was no need to tell the writer |
| D．he was not used to openly showing his emotions |
What does the writer attempt to tell us?
| A．We don’t often value health until we lose it. |
| B．Don’t wait to see a doctor till it is too late. |
| C．Life is short, so live your life to the fullest. |
| D．Bravely express your love for your family. |
B
Built in 1794 for the 5th Duke of Bedford, this hotel in the heart of Bedford overlooks the River Ouse, which winds through the beautiful Bedfordshire countryside.
We offer a flexible approach to conferencing. With purpose-built meeting rooms offering a flexible and functional space, our hotel is designed for comfort and convenience. Day Delegate（代表/代表团）, 24 Hour Delegate or room hire only can be arranged to meet your needs and we offer a range of food and drinks for all requirements.
The Bedford Swan Hotel provides an impressive range of conference, training and function rooms which are suitable for up to 250 delegates.
Our hotel is located 30 minutes drive from Luton Airport and a 20-minute walk from Bedford Train Station with regular trains to and from Central London.
What to expect:
•A professional service from the beginning
•Your own event consultant
•A great location with car parking
• Well equipped rooms perfect for your meeting or event
• Various Day Delegate packages
•Personalized dining and refreshment breaks
•Accurate billing
Discounted Day Delegate Rates from £35 per person
* Hold your meeting before 30th November 2013 and benefit from our special day delegate rates
* Day Delegate Rate from £35.00 per person
* Minimum numbers of 8 apply
Call us on 01234 346565 or e-mail us on info@bedfordswanhotel.co.ukBedford Swan Hotel is more suitable for _______.
| A．busy sightseers | B．conference travelers |
| C．fresh trainees | D．event consultants |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．It takes you 20 minutes to walk here from Central London. |
| B．The Bedford Swan Hotel was built in the late 18th century. |
| C．The hotel is located sixty kilometres from Luton Airport. |
| D．Guests can get professional service by offering extra tips. |
From the advertisement above we can learn that Bedford Swan Hotel _______.
| A．can serve up to 250 delegates | B．winds through Bedfordshire |
| C．can provide personalized billing | D．offers no car parking service |
The special discount will be given if _______.
| A．a delegate of 8 apply for 24-hour-meeting rooms |
| B．guests pay £35.00 per person for the rooms they live in |
| C．you book a purpose-built meeting room on a special day |
| D．8 delegates hold a day meeting on November 2, 2013 |
A
Chinese writer Mo Yan has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature, announced the Swedish Academy in Stockholm on Thursday．The win makes Mo Yan the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel in its Ⅲ-year history．Informed of his win today, the author, who was having dinner at home, was “overjoyed and scared"．
Born in 1955 to parents who were farmers, Mo Yan－a pen name for Guan Moye，grew up in Gaomi in Shandong province in eastern China. At the age of 12, he left school to work, first in agriculture, later in a factory. In 1976 he joined the army and during this time began to study literature and writing．
He published his first book in 1981, but found literary success in 1987 with Hong Gaoliang Jiazu, which was successfully filmed in the same year, directed by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou. In his writing, Mo Yan draws on his youthful experiences and on settings in the province of his birth and his works show the life of Chinese people as well as the country's unique culture and folk customs. Mo Yan is known as a prolific（多产的）writer. In addition to his novels, he has published many short stories and essays on various topics. Despite his social criticism, he is seen in his homeland as one of the most famous contemporary authors. Dozens of his works have been translated into English, French, Japanese and many other languages．
The awarding ceremony will be held on December 10．The winner will win a medal, a personal diploma and a cash award of about $l million．How did Mo Yan feel when he was told about the news?
| A．Excited and proud． | B． Happy and surprised． |
| C．Worried and cautious | D． Uncertain and shocked． |
Mo Yan developed his ability for writing when he was．
| A．on a farm | B．in a factory | C．in a school | D．in the army |
One of Mo Yan's characteristics of writing is that he
| A．writes about topics he is familiar with | B．focuses on social problems in the country |
| C．describes his characters in a unique way | D．explains difficult matters in simple words |
What's the best title for this passage?
| A．How Mo Yan Gets Nobel Prize | B．An Introduction to Nobel Prize |
| C．Mo Yan Wins Nobel Prize in Literature | D．A World Famous Writer, Mo Yan |
(D)
You can not see any object unless light from that object gets into your eyes. Some of the things you see give off light of their own. The sun, the stars, a lighted lamp are examples that can be seen by their own light. Such things are luminous. Most of the things you see are not giving off light of their own. They are simply reflecting light that falls on them from the sun or some other luminous bodies. The moon, for example, does not give off any light of its own. It is non-luminous. You see it because sunlight falls on it and some of it reflects in our direction. So moon light is only second hand sunlight.
When you look at a book, it sends to your eyes some of the light which falls on it, and you see the book. If light could be kept out from where you are so that there would be no light for the book to reflect, then you could not see the book even with your eyes wide open.
Light travels so fast that the time in which it travels from the book you are reading to your eyes is so short as if there were no time at all. Light reaches us from the moon, which is about 380 000 kilometers away, in only a little more than a second.You can see the book because_______.
| A．your eyes are close to it | B．it reflects some of the sunlight |
| C．it has light of its own | D．your eyesight can get to it |
The underlined word “luminous” means_______.
| A．visible | B．all colors | C．giving off light | D．sunlight |
________ have light of their own.
| A．The sun and the moon | B．The stars and the earth |
| C．The sun and the stars | D．The moon and the earth |
Which of the following is true?
| A．All the things you can see give off light. |
| B．Light from the book is much shorter than that from the moon. |
| C．The moment you open your eyes the light from the book travels to your eyes. |
| D．Light travels so fast that there is no time for you to read. |
This article is probably from _________ .
| A．a science magazine | B．a medical magazine |
| C．a biography | D．a story book. |