Removing the sleeve(封套), you will find a book that is entirely white, except for the names of its author and subject in elegant black type on the cover. It is the perfect design for the biography of a man who insisted that even the insides of his products be perfectly constructed, and that his factory wails flash in the whitest white.
The cover was the only part of the book Steve Jobs wanted to control, writes Isaacson in his introduction. Though Mr. Jobs pushed the biographer of Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin to write in his own way, generously allowing the writer more than 40 interviews, this book offers quite a different view of Mr. Jobs, who won much praise from his fans after his death on October 5th at the age of 56.
As a biographer of Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin, Mr. Isaacson knows how to celebrate long-dead genius, but he claimed that "Steve Jobs" would not be entirely praiseful words. The picture he paints, particularly in the first half of this book, is not nice. Mr. Jobs emerges as a controlling and often cold-blooded character. A child of the 1960s counter-culture (反主流文化), he hated, materialism and lived in simply furnished houses ( in part because he was too particular about furniture). But when Apple went public in 1980, he refused to give any share to Daniel Kottke, a Iongtime supporter and soul mate from college. "He has to abandon the people he is close to," observes Andy Hertzfeld, an early Apple engineer.
Mr. Jobs was undoubtedly possessing an extraordinary ability to attract others and inspire a kind of faith that could not be questioned. But also he could be cold and cruel. If he disapproved of an employee's work, he often shamed him. "This is who I am," he once said after being challenged,"and you can't expect me to be someone I'm not. " This disgusting personality wasn't always helpful,but it served a purpose, writes Mr. Isaacson, many would "end their chain of horror stories by saying that he got them to do things they never dreamed possible. "
Mr. Isaacson treats "Steve Jobs" as the biography of record, which means that it is a strange book to read so soon after its subject's death. The biography for Jobs is believed to have the perfect design because __
| A．it follows Jobs' style |
| B．its cover is entirely white |
| C．black and white are his favorite . |
| D．it is designed by a famous biographer |
The picture of Jobs that Isaacson paints in his book is __
①cruel ②humorous ③particular ④generous
| A．①③ | B．②③ | C．①④ | D．③④ |
It can be safely concluded that
| A．Jobs is highly spoken of in the book |
| B．Isaacson doesn't think Jobs a good man |
| C．Jobs didn't care about the design of the book |
| D．all descriptions of Jobs are not nice in the book |
This passage can be classified as
| A．a personal diary | B．a book review | C．a news report | D．a TV interview |
The Occupy protests(抗议) in Hong Kong are approaching an end. Traffic on Mong Kok’s Argyle Street resumed in the late afternoon after the clearance of the barriers and tents by protesters, who remained largely calm, only resisting the clearance at several points.
Some 3,000 police officers were deployed(部署) in the operation, a much higher number than were used to assist in the clearance of a protest site in Admiralty District on November 18.
The operation in Mong Kok comes a week after the partial clearance of another protest site next to the local government headquarters in Admiralty, bringing an end to the months-long protest movement.
Some 3,000 police officers also stood guard at the former protest site in Admiralty on Tuesday.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying expressed on Tuesday his hope that business could resume for shops in the area. He also restated that the protest was an unlawful gathering, and called for the protesters to respect and obey the law.
“The common call of Hong Kong people has finally been answered. Now the protest is coming to an end which is necessary and unavoidable. The public has suffered enough,” Leticia Lee See-yin told the Global Times.
“Many people are living in Mong Kok or operating their businesses in the area. They are all angry at the protest for affecting their business. Two shop owners even shut down their stores because they can no longer afford losses caused by the protest,” said Lee.
It is believed that the successful clearance of the Mong Kok site has proven that the protests are decreasing as they approach an end.
“The authorities met with much less resistance compared to a month ago when protesters reacted violently when police tried to remove barriers in the same area in Mong Kok. Now the public has expressed a stronger desire than ever for the protest to end,” Tang Ka-piu, a lawmaker, told the Global Times.The underlined word “resumed” in the first paragraph most probably means “_______”.
| A．came to a stop | B．moved faster |
| C．returned to normal | D．piled up |
It can be learned from the passage that the occupy protests _______.
| A．have made the public suffer a lot |
| B．have lasted for two months |
| C．are supported by common people |
| D．have caused no loss for the citizens |
Which of the following is True according to the passage?
| A．Police officers didn’t meet with any resistance in the late afternoon clearance. |
| B．Many more than 3000 police officers took part in the clearance in Admiralty District. |
| C．The authorities are not capable of dealing with the resistance from the protesters. |
| D．The occupy protests are announced illegal and harmful for the business. |
How do the Hong Kong public feel about the occupy protests?
| A．Approval. | B．Annoyed. | C．Scared. | D．Desirable. |
Here is some information for you if you want to make a visit to Xi’an.
| Admission Fee: |
CNY150 (March 1 - end of November) CNY120 (December 1 - end of February) The fare is for the Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum Site Park Through Ticket including the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses, Lishan Garden and shuttle buses inside the scenic area. |
| Guide Services: |
The exhibits are so well explained in both Chinese and English. However, visitors can also enjoy the guide services. It costs around CNY 100 to hire a guide. |
| Ticket Selling Hours: |
Sell tickets from 08:30 to 17:00 (March 16-Nov.15), stop check-in at 18:35; Sell tickets from 08:30 to 16:30 (Nov.16-March 15), stop check-in at 18:05 |
| Transportation: |
From Xi’an Xianyang International Airport: Visitors can take Airport Shuttle Line 2 to Xi’an Railway Station. The bus departs every hour from 10:15 to 19:15 at 1F of T2 and the ticket costs CNY 25. Visitors can also hire a taxi from the airport and the fare is about CNY 200. From downtown Xi’an: Take tourism bus No.306 from the east square of Xi’an Railway Station or 307 from the south gate of Tang Paradise. The whole journey takes about one hour. The bus fare is CNY7 per person. |
| Getting Around: |
Battery-powered motor vehicles and ancient-style carriages are available for visitors to tour around the mausoleum. 30 free shuttle buses are traveling between the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum and the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses for tourists’ convenience. One can take them by showing the entrance ticket. |
| Recommended Time for a Visit: |
The museum is crowded in the morning because there are too many group visitors. Therefore, independent visitors may visit the museum in the early afternoon to avoid the crowds. However, they should not miss the last bus that returns from the museum to Xi’an at 19:00. |
A couple who want to visit the Museum in January should pay at least _______.
| A．CNY 120 | B．CNY 150 | C．CNY 240 | D．CNY 300 |
It can be learned from the passage that _______.
| A．guide services are free of charge |
| B．there are more visitors in the morning |
| C．most guides speak in more than two languages |
| D．visitors can get around by free motor cars |
Which of the following is True according to the passage?
| A．Visitors with through tickets can take free shuttle buses. |
| B．The last bus returns from the Museum at 18:30. |
| C．Visitors can enter the Museum with a ticket at any time. |
| D．Bus No. 307 starts from the east of Xi’an Railway Station. |
The passage is written to_______.
| A．introduce the history of Xi’an |
| B．give some detailed information to visitors to Xi’an |
| C．recommend transportation to tour around Xi’an |
| D．offer the guide services in Xi’an |
My 16-year-old son, Anton, had gone to the local swimming hole. Most of the kids who swim there are fit and strong teens, and there are plenty of rocks for them to use as safe harbors, so I had no fears for his well-being. Still, the firefighter’s first words, “You need to come up here to the Stillwater River,” made me catch my breath.
When I got to the river, I saw Anton sitting quietly on a low platform of the fire engine, with a towel wrapped about his shoulders.
I hurried over to him. “You OK?” I asked.
“Yeah,” was all he said. But my eyes begged for an explanation. I didn’t get it from my son.
The story was this: A couple in their 20s, unfamiliar with the Stillwater, had gotten caught in the current and began screaming for help. Without hesitation Anton and his friend dived into the water, swam out to the drowning(溺水的) woman, and brought her safely to shore.
In an age in which the world “hero” is broadcast with abandon(随意）and seemingly applied to anyone, I realized the real thing in my son and his friend—the disregarding of personal safety for the sake of another human being. I know that teens are headstrong and self-centered, but this didn’t lower the gravity of the event and the desire to do good.
Along the way home I tried to get some more information from him, but the only words were, “What’s for supper?”
I thought twice about the tragedy(悲剧) that might have been. Questions flew across my mind like a flight of swallows: Would I have risked my life to save a drowning person? Or would I have chosen to dial 911? Would I have told the story over and over to anyone who’d listen?
The next morning, when Anton got up, I half expected him to tell me the story from his point of view, now that he had some distance from the event. But all he did was to toast a pie, pull himself together, and head for the door to begin the new day.The writer caught her breath when she heard the fire fighters’ first words because______.
| A．her son saved a woman |
| B．she was scolded by fire fighters |
| C．she was anxious about her son’s safety |
| D．her son was to blame for a fire |
We can infer from the passage that _______.
| A．firefighters always turn up in case of emergency |
| B．parents are always worried about their children |
| C．it’s dangerous to swim in an unfamiliar river |
| D．teens are more responsible than expected |
Which would be the best title for the passage?
| A．My Mother, My Love | B．My Son, My Hero |
| C．A Narrow Escape | D．A Silent Boy |
Anton kept silent about his deed because_______.
| A．he was still in fear |
| B．he was annoyed with mother |
| C．he regarded it as a normal thing |
| D．he was afraid of being scolded |
As a young boy, I sometimes traveled the country roads with my dad. He was a rural mail carrier, and on Saturdays he would ask me to go with him. Driving through the countryside was always an adventure: There were animals to see, people to visit, and chocolate cookies if you knew where to stop, and Dad did.
In the spring, Dad delivered boxes full of baby chickens, and when I was a boy it was such fun to stick your fingers through one of the holes of the boxes and let the baby birds peck on your fingers.
On Dad's final day of work, it took him well into the evening to complete his rounds because at least one member from each family was waiting at their mailbox to thank him for his friendship and his years of service. "Two hundred and nineteen mailboxes on my route," he used to say, “and a story at every one." One lady had no mailbox, so Dad took the mail in to her every day because she was nearly blind. Once inside, he read her mail and helped her pay her bills.
Mailboxes were sometimes used for things other than mail. One note left in a mailbox read, "Nat, take these eggs to Marian; she's baking a cake and doesn't have any eggs." Mailboxes might be buried in the snow, or broken, or lying on the ground, but the mail was always delivered. On cold days Dad might find one of his customers(顾客) waiting for him with a cup of hot chocolate. A young girl wrote letters but had no stamps, so she left a few buttons（纽扣）on the envelope in the mailbox; Dad paid for the stamps. One businessman used to leave large amounts of cash（现金）in his mailbox for Dad to take to the bank. Once, the amount came to $ 32,000.
Ten years ago, when I traveled back to my hometown on the sad occasion of Dad's death, the mailboxes along the way reminded（回想） me of some of his stories. I thought I knew them all, but that wasn't the ease.
As I drove home, I noticed two lamp poles(杆), one on each side of the street. When my dad was around, those poles supported wooden boxes about four feet off the ground. One box was painted green, and the other was red, and each had a long narrow hole at the top with white lettering: SANTA CLAUS, NORTH POLE. For years children had dropped letters to Santa through those holes.
I made a turn at the comer and drove past the post office and across the railroad tracks to our house. Mom and I were sitting at the kitchen table when I heard footsteps. There, at the door, stood Frank Townsend, Dad's postmaster and great friend for many years. So we all sat down at the table and began to tell stories.
At one point Frank looked at me with tears in his eyes. "What are we going to do about the letters this Christmas?" he asked.
"The letters?"
"I guess you never knew."
"Knew what?"
"Remember, when you were a kid and you used to put your letters to Santa in those green and red boxes on Main Street? It was your dad who answered all those letters every year. "
I just sat there with tears in my eyes. It wasn't hard for me to imagine Dad sitting at the old oak table in our basement reading those letters and answering each one. I have since spoken with several of the people who received Christmas letters during their childhood, and they told me how amazed they were that Santa had known so much about their homes and families.
For me, just knowing that story about my father was the gift of a lifetime.It can be inferred from the passage that the writer considered his travels with Dad as .
| A．great chances to help other people |
| B．happy occasions to play with baby chickens |
| C．exciting experiences with a lot of fun |
| D．good opportunities to enjoy chocolate cookies |
The writer provides the detail about the businessman to show that .
| A．Dad had a strong sense of duty |
| B．Dad was an honest and reliable man |
| C．Dad had a strong sense of honor |
| D．Dad was a kind and generous man |
According to the passage, which of the following impressed the writer most?
| A．Dad read letters for a blind lady for years. |
| B．Dad paid for the stamps for a young girl. |
| C．Dad delivered some eggs to Marian. |
| D．Dad answered children's Christmas letters every year. |
What surprised the children most when they received letters in reply( 回复) from Santa Claus every year?
| A．Santa Claus lived alone in the cold North Pole. |
| B．Santa Claus answered all their letters every year. |
| C．Santa Claus had unique mailboxes for the children. |
| D．Santa Claus had so much information about their families. |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．The Mail | B．Christmas Letters |
| C．Special Mailboxes | D．Memorable Travels |
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 ten years.
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.People use iPlayer to __________.
| A．listen to music | B．make a call |
| C．watch TV programs online | D．read newspapers |
We can infer that the Independent’s “i” is designed for _________.
| A．young readers | B．old readers |
| C．fashionable women | D．engineers |
The underlined word “ambiguous” means “__________”.
| A．popular | B．uncertain |
| C．clear | D．unique |
Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products which are __________.
| A．portable | B．environmentally friendly |
| C．advanced | D．recyclable |
The writer wants to express 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 |