With the popularity of 3D movies over the past several years , there was no doubt that the technology would make its way into our homes, The question is: Is it really a technology that is going to stay with us , thus deserving an upgrade(升级) at this time?
Many families have recently bought a new TV set, and the idea of changing it just to take advantage of a technology in its infancy(初期)will put many people off the idea. Then there are the additional costs that come along with a 3Dset from needing to get a Blu-ray player that can process the signal to purchasing enough glasses for the entire family to be able to watch a program at the same time.
Another issue is that the glasses are expensive as well as complicated, and have also been known to cause headaches, none of which makes for a pleasant experience.
While manufacturers are working towards glasses-free technology, it just isn’t here yet, and it could be several years before it is commercially successful. That is one of main things that will keep 3D completely in the “fashion” zone for the time being . If the television manufacturers are willing to hold onto the idea until glasses-free choices are available—and they can reach a higher installed(安装)user base—this might very well catch on. Everyone needs to remember, however, that these are businesses, and they are in it to make money. If 3D isn’t selling at the rate they are comfortable with, then they will dump it and move on to the next thing.
Many homes are filled with products that didn’t catch on rapidly and companies ended up leaving them with no support. Do you have an HD DVD player? Remember how the MiniDisc was supposed to replace the CD? For now, it’s easy to see how 3D televisions could join this list of technologies.
There is one upside to the 3D television problem: They have beautiful 2D images. Even if 3D goes away, you still have a great –looking screen and beautiful images. If you are in the market for a new TV and you can afford to drop the couple extra hundred dollars to buy one, you can view it as guaranteeing your purchase in case the technology proves to be effective.We know from the text that 3D TV .
A.is easy to operate |
B.has been fully developed |
C.has many products attached to it |
D.has already replaced normal TV sets |
What’s the main idea of paragraph 4?
A.3D is fashionable and expensive. |
B.It’s hard for 3D to be commercially successful. |
C.Television manufacturers’ only purpose is to make money. |
D.It’s impossible to create glasses-free technology at the moment. |
The examples of the HD DVD player and CD are to show .
A.they are not necessary |
B.they are bound to be replaced |
C.3D TV might not be here to stay |
D.3D technology needs improving |
The underlined word “upside” in the last paragraph probably means .
A.solution | B.exception | C.character | D.benefit |
What’s the author’s opinion on 3D TV?
A.He is critical of it.
B. He thinks highly of it.
C.It is more effective than expected.
D. It has more beautiful images than 2D.
Domestic (驯养的) horses now pull ploughs, race in the Kentucky Derby, and carry police. But early horses weren’t tame (驯服的) enough to perform these kinds of tasks. Scientists think the first interactions humans had with horses were far different from those today.
Thousands of years ago, people killed the wild horses that lived around them for food. Over time, people began to catch the animals and raise them. This was the first step in domestication.
As people began to tame and ride horses, they chose to keep those animals that had more desirable characteristics. For example, people may have chosen to keep horses that had a gentle personality so they could be ridden more easily. People who used horses to pull heavy loads would have chosen to keep stronger animals. Characteristics like strength are partly controlled by the animals’ genes. So as the domesticated horses reproduced, they passed the characteristics on to their young. Each new generation of houses would show more of these chosen characteristics.
Modern day horse breeds come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. This variety didn’t exist in the horse population before domestication. The Shetland horse is one of the smallest breeds—typically reaching only one meter tall. With short, strong legs, the animals were bred to pull coal out of mine shafts (矿井) with low ceilings. Huge horses like the Clydesdale came on the scene around 1700. People bred these heavy, tall horses to pull large vehicles used for carrying heavy loads.
The domestication of horses has had great effects on societies. For example, horse were important tools in the advancement of modern agriculture. Using them to pull ploughs and carry heavy loads allowed people to farm more efficiently. Before they were able to ride horses, humans had to cross land on foot. Riding horses allowed people to travel far greater distance in much less time. That encouraged populations living in different areas to interact with one another. The new from of rapid transportation helped cultures spread around the world.
Before domestication horses were ______.
A.caught for sports |
B.hunted for food |
C.made to pull ploughs |
D.used to carry people |
The author uses the Shetland horse as an example to show ______.
A.it is smaller than the Clydesdale horse |
B.horse used to have gentle personalities |
C.some horses have better shaped than others |
D.horses were of less variety before domestication |
Horses contributed to the spread of culture by ______.
A.carrying heavy loads |
B.changing farming methods |
C.serving as a means of transport |
D.advancing agriculture in different areas |
The passage is mainly about _______.
A.why humans domesticated horses |
B.how humans and horses needed each other |
C.why horses came in different shapes and sizes |
D.how human societies and horses influenced each other |
There was a story many years ago of a school teacher--- Mrs. Thompson. She told the children on the first day that she loved them all the same. But that was a lie. There in the front row was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. He didn’t play well with the other children and he always needed a bath. She did not like him.
Then Mrs. Thompson got to know that Teddy was actually a very good boy before the death of his mother. Mrs. Thompson was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when, like all her other students, Teddy brought her a Christmas present too. It was his mother’s perfume(香水).
Teddy said, “Mrs. Thompson, today you smell just like my Mom used to.” After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she stopped teaching reading, writing and math. Instead, she began to teach children.
Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. The boy’s mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he improved. By the end of the sixth grade, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class.
Six years went by before she got a note from Teddy. He wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. He went to college. Mrs. Thompson got two more letters from him with the last one signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M. D. (医学博士).
The story doesn’t end there. On his wedding day, Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson’s ear, “Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. You made me feel important and showed me that I could make a difference.”
Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back, “Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.”What did Mrs. Thompson do on the first day of school?
A.She made Teddy feel ashamed. |
B.She asked the children to play with Teddy. |
C.She changed Teddy’s seat to the front row. |
D.She told the class something untrue about herself. |
What did Mrs. Thompson find out about Teddy?
A.He often told lies. |
B.He was good at math. |
C.He needed motherly care. |
D.He enjoyed playing with others. |
In what way did Mrs. Thompson change?
A.She taught fewer school subjects. |
B.She became stricter with her students. |
C.She no longer liked her job as a teacher. |
D.She cared more about educating students. |
Why did Teddy thank Mrs. Thompson at his wedding?
A.She had kept in touch with him. |
B.She had given him encouragement. |
C.She had sent him Christmas presents. |
D.She had taught him how to judge people. |
“In real life, the daily struggles between parents and children are around these narrow problems of an extra hour, extra TV show, and so on” said Avi Sadeh, psychology professor at Tel Aviv University. “Too little sleep and more accidents,” he said.Sadeh and his colleagues found an extra hour of sleep can make a big difference. The children who slept longer, although they woke up more frequently during the night, scored higher on tests, Sadeh reported in the March/April issue of journal Child Development. “When the children slept longer, their sleep quality was somewhat weak, but in spite of this their performance for study improved because the extra sleep was more important than the reduction in sleep quality. ”Sadeh said. “Some studies suggested that lack of sleep as a child affects development into adulthood and it’s more likely to develop their attention disorder when they grow older. ”
In earlier studies, Sadeh’s team found that fourth graders slept an average of 8.2 hours and sixth graders slept an average of 7. 7 hours. “Previous research has shown children in elementary school need at least nine hours of sleep a night on a regular basis, said Carl Hunt, director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research in Bethesda, and high-school-age children need somewhat less, he said, adding that the results of lack of sleep could be serious.
“A tired child is an accident waiting to happen,” Hunt said. “And as kids get older, toy get bigger and the risks higher. ” Hunt also said too little sleep could result in learning and memory problems and long-term effects on school performance. “This is an important extension of what we already know, ” Hunt said of Sadeh’s research, adding sleep is as important as nutrition(营养) and exercise to good health. “To put it into reality,” Hunt said, “parents should make sure they know when their children actually are going to sleep and their rooms are helpful to sleep instead of playing. ” What is Child Development?
A.A new story | B.An organization |
C.A periodical magazine | D.A TV programme |
How many persons are exactly mentioned in the text?
A OneB TwoC ThreeD FourWhich of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A.There are some daily struggles between parents and children because of having nothing in common with extra rest time. |
B.The children who sleep longer are weak in their study. |
C.Lack of sleep as a child has great effect on their development into adulthood. |
D.In general, children in elementary school need at least nine hours of sleep a night. |
Everyone would like to be a millionaire but can you imagine having over $30 million and only being 20 years old? Britney Spears from Kentwood, a small town in Louisiana, is only 20 years old; she is an international pop superstar with not only $30 million but also a $2 million house in LA. At her young age, she can look after her family financially all her life.
This year is a big year for Britney. She is currently on a 31 day tour of the US and every concert is a sell-out. That means she plays in front of a crowd of around 18,000 every time. It’s tiring schedule but brings great rewards. When touring, she goes to bed around l a.m. and then has a lie-in until l p.m. or 2 p.m. the next day. Her philosophy(人生观)is to take care of the body and relax but always make sure you work hard and have fun.
Spears is not satisfied with only touring and selling nearly 40 million records, so she decided to branch out into the movie business and try a bit of acting. She made an appearance in “ Austin Powers 3” this year and she is filming a teenage comedy that will be released in March 2003. In this movie, she has a starring role. The movie was her own concept and she picked the writer.
For Britney, acting is another way to express herself and she is enthusiastic about it all. If her movies are successful, her bank account is sure to grow by another few million dollars but she has been quoted as saying she does it for the love, not the money.We can infer from the text that most millionaires are .
A.in their 30s | B.around 20 | C.older than 20 | D.in their 40s |
The underlined word “you” in the second paragraph refers to .
A.a person in general | B.a particular person |
C.Britney Spears herself only | D.the reader |
Which of the following is not true according to the text ?
A.Though young, Britney can support her family now. |
B.While touring, Britney sleeps about 12 hours a day. |
C.Britney will be even richer with her movies successful. |
D.The teenage comedy movie was based on Britney’s own story. |
According to Britney Spears, she works .
A.to be a great actress | B.for the enjoyment |
C.for money | D.to be more famous |
When you are talking to somebody at a party, do you focus entirely on the person you are speaking with or does your attention keep jumping around the room to all the other people there? General1y, if the person is someone you really want to talk to, you will focus on him. Most other people will only get about half of your attention.
You may think that this is OK, because if you don’t really want to talk to him, then what does it matter if you don’t give him your full attention? Consider two things. First, you may just not realize the importance of that conversation. If you are at a networking meeting and you hope to meet the CEO of Company X, but you end up talking to someone who has a low-level job at a different company, then you may let your attention wander (走神) as you speak to him. But maybe you don’t realize that this person has already met the CEO and could introduce you. Do you think he will do that if he feels you don’t really care about speaking to him? This doesn’t mean you need to spend the whole time talking to him. Five or ten minutes of real attentive (专心的) conversation can be worth 30 minutes to an hour of partial attention.
Second, whether you want to speak to someone is based on the situation. You can love your wife, but if she tries to talk to you while you are watching something you like on TV, where is your attention going? Make your own decision, but if you want her to feel valued, give her your 100% attention. The nice thing is that in many cases you can give her your attention for a few minutes and then return to what you were doing. You miss very little, she feels valued, and all is good.The author’s opinion is made believable mainly by ________.
A.giving examples | B.using figures | C.asking questions | D.description |
The second paragraph mainly tells you that ________.
A.you should focus on whoever you are talking to |
B.you should be interested in everyone at a party |
C.you can refuse to talk to someone you don’t like at a party |
D.you should be patient with everyone at a party |
A person who has a low-level job probably ________.
A.would like to talk to you | B.is the one you’re looking for |
C.wants to make friends with you | D.is well worth focusing on |
What is the main idea of this passage?
A.Always be friendly to others at a party. |
B.Improve your communication skills by focusing on others. |
C.It is important for you to be active at a party. |
D.You should respect your wife at any time. |