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 or buy 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 smart phones, 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.
“Its hardware 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.
But 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 robust group of apps (应用软件) 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 WiFi. This makes it easy for users to email or upload photographs directly from the camera.
“You can literally take a picture and 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 smart phones, laptops and tablets.What does the underlined sentence mean in Paragraph 3?
| A．Every technology product costs an average of $252. |
| B．Consumers are spending $252 more on technology products than last year. |
| C．Consumers should spend $252 on their technology products. |
| D．It is estimated that $252 on average might be spent on electronics by consumers in 2012. |
According to Brian Tong, why may people prefer the iPad Mini to the Google Nexus 7?
| A．Because it is cheaper. |
| B．Because it has more functions. |
| C．Because you can read books and surf the Internet with it. |
| D．Because it offers you a lot of things like maps that work better than Apple’s maps. |
What does “Its hardware” in Paragraph 6 refer to?
| A．The hardware of tablet computers. |
| B．The hardware of the Apple iPad. |
| C．The hardware of the Google Nexus 7. |
| D．The hardware of the iPad Mini. |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．People will spend most of their money on electronics. |
| B．Photos can be uploaded from the camera when connected to a computer. |
| C．A streaming media box is a box which can contain CDs. |
| D．Most people would like to buy electronics as gifts. |
Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?
| A．Electronics: People’s Most Favorite Gifts this year |
| B．Which is More Popular, the Apple iPad Mini or the Google Nexus 7? |
| C．Latest Technology Products |
| D．More Electronics to Choose from |
The Parthenon is an ancient Greek temple built in Athens about 438 B. C. Many people think that the Parthenon is one of the world' s most beautiful buildings. It has a grace and balance that have pleased the eyes of man for centuries.
Architects who have studied the Parthenon know that the Parthenon is a giant optical illusion. An optical illusion is a trick our eyes play on us. All the seemingly straight lines of the Parthenon are actually curves(rounded bends). These curves did not happen by accident. The ancient Greeks,who were fine engineers as well as excellent artists, knew that straight lines can sometimes appear to be curved ! So they designed their columns (stone poles) to look straight.
Try drawing two long parallel(平行)lines on paper. Do they seem to look closer together in the middle than at the ends? A tall column is likely to look narrow halfway up, too. The columns of the Parthenon look as if they stand perfectly straight. Actually, they are slightly bigger in size in the middle and go inward a little at the top. If lines were drawn up along opposite sides of the columns, these lines would meet about one mile above the building.
A platform of three steps forms the base on which the Parthenon rests.These steps have strong horizontal(水平)lines that balance the vertical(竖直)lines of the columns.But the steps are not really level and flat!They curve up in the middle because if they were absolutely straight,,they would appear to curve down.The line of the top step,if continued at both ends,would form a circle with a radius of 3. 5 miles.
When is a curved line not a curved line? When our eyes tell us it is straight!
73.The passage mainly tells us_______.
A. what two parallel lines look like on paper
B. why a curved line can appear to be straight
C. where the secret of the Parthenon Temple lies
D. when the columns of the Parthenon look curved
74.Which of the following is close in shape with the steps of the platform?
A. 
B.
C. 
D. 
75.What can we infer from the passage?
A. The Parthenon is a famous historic building.
B. The Greeks knew a lot about optical illusions.
C. The ancient Greeks were people of intelligence.
D. Curved lines can meet somewhere above a building.
Two elderly women in my community died "full of years,"which means both died from the normal wearing out of the body after a long and full life. Their homes happened to be near each other, so I paid visits to the two families.
The son of one of the deceased(已故的) women said to me,"If only I had sent my mother to Florida and got her out of this cold ,she would be alive today. "The son of the other deceased woman said, "If only I hadn't insisted on my mother's going to Florida, she would be alive today. That long airplane ride, the sudden change of climate, was more than she could take. "
When things don't turn out as we would like them to, it is very likely for us to think that if we had done things differently, the story would have had a happier ending. Any time there is a death, the survivors will feel guilty.
There seem to be two elements in our readiness to feel guilty. The first is our pressing need to believe that the world makes sense and that there is a cause for every effect and a reason for everything that happens. That leads us to try to find the patterns and connections.
The second element is the notion(观念)that we are the cause of what happens, especially the bad things that happen. Psychologists trace this feeling back to our childhood. A baby comes to think that the world exists to meet his needs, and that he makes everything happen in it. The world works for him. When he cries, someone comes to attend to him. When he is hungry, people feed him, and when he is wet, people change him. Very often, we do not completely outgrow the notion that our wishes cause things to happen.
69.What is said about the two deceased elderly women?
A. They lived long and died after a natural life.
B. They died due to lack of care by family members.
C. They died of the tiredness after the long plane ride.
D. They weren't quite used to the change in weather.
70.People feel guilty for the deaths of their beloved ones because_______.
A. they believe that they were responsible
B. they do not know the natural course of events
C. they couldn't find a better way to express their grief
D. they didn't know things often turn out in the opposite direction
71.The underlined sentence "the world makes sense" probably means that_______.
A. we have to be sensible so as to understand the world
B. everything in the world is pre-determined
C. there's an explanation for everything in the world
D. the world can be interpreted in different ways
72.People have been made to believe since babyhood that_______.
A. every story should have a happy ending
B. their wishes are the cause of everything that happens
C. life and death is an unsolved mystery
D. everybody should obey their wills without question
On August 26, 1999, New York City experienced a torrential downpour. The merciless rain caused the streets to flood. New York City' s subway system came to a screeching stop as the subway stations were drowned in water. Unfortunately, this happened during the morning rush hour.
Many people who were going to work were trapped and forced to go home. Some battled with fellow New Yorkers to hail a cab or to get on a bus. Still others braved the storm, walking miles to get to work.
I happened to be one of the people on their way to work that morning. I went from subway line to subway line only to find that most service had stopped. After running around like crazy and making my way through crowds of people, I finally found a subway line that was operating. Unfortunately, there were so many people waiting to board the subway that I could not even get down the stairs to the platform. Determined to get to work, I decided to take the train uptown several stops and then switch back to the downtown train. It was annoyance, but it paid off. However, the train got more packed at each stop. People pushed and shoved. I was constantly hit with elbows and bags. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity (no end),the train reached my stop.
But the journey was not over yet. I would still have to walk several blocks to get to my office. When I finally got to work, I was completely soaked and left a puddle of water everywhere I sat. I was also exhausted (tired out)and discouraged from my commute.
My co-workers and I spent most of the day drying off. When 5:00 rolled around,I was ready to go home. I was about to log off my computer when I received an email from Garth, my Deputy Director:
I would like to thank all those who made the effort and eventually reported to work. It is always reassuring, at times like these, when employees so clearly show their devotion to their jobs. Thank you.
His email was short,but I learned more from that brief message than I ever did from a textbook. The email taught me that a few words of appreciation can make a big difference.The rainstorm and the transit troubles had made me miserable.But Garth's words immediately invigorated me and put a smile back on my face.As a matter of fact,his email made the whole subway painful experience all worthwhile.
August 26,1999 may have been one of the darkest days in New York City history,but it was one of the brightest days in my life thanks to Garth.
65.The subway system in NY came to a sudden stop because_______.
A. most of its service had stopped B. it was flooded by busy travelers
C. it was during a morning rush hourD. its stations were covered with water
66.How did the writer get to her office?
A. By pushing in the stairs to the platform. B. By switching trains in a roundabout way
C. By battling with people to hail a taxi. D. By walking miles to get to the office.
67.The underlined word "invigorated" probably means_______.
A. inspired B. expected C. liberated D. convinced
68.Which is the best title for the passage?
A. A downpour in mid-summer B. A lesson from a rainy day
C. An appreciation of a misery D. A dark day in New York history
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分,满分40分）
阅读下列短文,从每篇短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
No one knows where the phrase "Indian summer" got started, we are sure that the phrase was wellknown by the year 1778,because Crevecoeur, an American writer, described it like this:"a hard frost(霜冻)follows the autumn rains. This prepares the ground to receive the snows of winter. But before the snows come, the earth turns warm once again and there are a few days of smoke and mildness called Indian summer."
There is a story about Indian summer that goes back to the very first settlers of the New World. The first frost meant winter was coming. Snow would soon follow.
The Indians, seeing the settlers preparing for winter, told them not to hurry. The weather would turn warm again, mild breezes would blow and the sky would turn soft and smoky. And so it did. The sun became hotter,and a bright warm smoke flowed over the fields and woods. The settlers, remembering the words of the Indians, called this wonderful period Indian summer.
But the Indians have their own stories about this late period of warm weather. One of their stories is about a god called Shawondasee.
Shawondasee was a sad god because he had lost the love of a tall and beautiful Indian maiden. The sad and beautiful story caught the imagination of the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In 1855 he included the story of Shawondasee in his poem "The song of Hiawatha".
The story goes like this: God Shawondasee, fat and lazy, lived under the dreamy and never-ending southern sun. He sent birds and wild geese to the north, as well as melons and grapes. He smoked a big pipe, and as the smoke rises, it filled the sky with dreamy softness, gave a bright shine to the water and brought the tender Indian summer to the melancholy northland.
There is something about this period of warm weather that gives people a lift and makes them feel warm and happy before the long snows of winter come.
61.Which season does "Indian summer" refer to?
A. Early spring. B. Late summer. C. Mid-autumn. D. Early winter.
62.Which of the following best describes the weather of this period of time?
A. Hot and humid. B. Warm and mild. C. Cool and bright. D. Cold and smoky.
63.The Indians' explanation to this natural phenomenon is that God Shawondasee_______.
A. lived under the dreamy southern sun B. took pity on the homeless settlers
C. smoked a lot because of his bad mood D. lent his smoking pipe to the Indians
64.What is the meaning of the underlined word "melancholy"?
A. Sad and lonely. B. Dreamy and exciting.
C. Soft and musical. D. Warm and happy.
“ONLY A COKE WILL DO”
“We don’t necessarily believe that new advertising, which might make consumers feel better about the Coke brand or better about the ads themselves, will actually result in consumers consuming more of the product,” Morgan Stanley’s Bill Pecoriello wrote in a research note the day after the investor meeting. But Coke is optimistic it can regain its old magic, and is banking on a new slogan: “Welcome to the Coke side of life.”
BREAKTHROUGH HIT?
With PepsiCo about to surpass Coke as the beverage king on Wall Street – Pepsi’s market capitalization has soared in recent years to $97.9 billion, putting it less than a billion dollars behind its rival(对手) – the heat is on Coke. It’s set to launch a new marketing campaign in March, 2006. And having taken a quick look at Coke’s investor presentation on Dec. 7 in New York, my sense is that Coke may be moving in the right direction.
Given the continued shift by consumers away from soda – Coke’s stronghold – and into alternative beverages like juice, tea and water, Coke badly needs a breakthrough hit. And given that shift away from soda, some analysts wonder whether even the catchiest new ads will be enough to put the fizz back into Coke.
SAME OLD, UPDATED.
The new flavors of PowerAde sports drink will probably enable Coke to continue stealing market share from PepsiCo’s Gatorade brand. And Coke is getting a little more creative with packaging, including new, aluminum bottles of Coke that will be sold in nightclubs, and an 8.4-ounce “100 calorie” version of its flagship Coke that will appeal to women who want fewer calories and will like the fact that the small can will fit in their purse. I doubt whether other new products will be successful, including a new coffee-flavored soda called Coke-Cola Blak that I tried. Think carbonated coffee. But I’m not sure if the product, which Coke is pitching as an afternoon pick-me-up for the 35-and-over set, is going to pull people away from their afternoon Frappucino fix. And my opinion is that Vault, an orange-flavored energy drink, will have just as much trouble unseating Mountain Dew among teens as did Coke’s last attempt, a product called Surge.
If there is one concern I have about the fresh offerings Coke plans to launch this year, it appears that many of them are simply new brands, not new products.
68.According to the passage, we can know that ____.
A. Coke mainly depends on new products recently
B. nowadays Coke is comparatively less popular
C. PepsiCo has taken the place of Coke
D. Coke has few new brands
69.The underlined word “soared” means ____.
A. achieved B. dropped C. increased D. failed
70.When the middle-aged people feel tired, what would they prefer to drink in order to continue their work?
A. Vault. B. Surge. C. Coke-Cola Blak D. Frappucino.
71.What is the best title of the passage?
A. Troubles in Coke Company
B. Varieties of New Products
C. The Importance of New Advertisements
D. The Relationship Between Coke and Pepsi