People in several American states may be surprised to see cars on city streets without a driver. Experimental driverless vehicles now are legal in Florida, Nevada and California. They are pointing the way to a future that is not far down the road. The high-tech company Google has a number of self-driving cars, which had covered 480,000 kilometers by August. Volvo is among the companies doing road tests and says it plans to sell driverless cars by 2020.
In September, California Governor Jerry Brown signed an act to allow autonomous vehicles on the roads of his state. " Today we're looking at science fiction becoming tomorrow's reality-the driverless car. " The technology for these cars includes cameras, radar and motion sensors. The systems have been improved through competitions sponsored by the U. S. government agency DARPA. Engineer Richard Mason of the Rand Corporation helped design driverless vehicles for DARPA challenge races.
Cars have become much more fuel-efficient, and new electronic features are' making Hondas safer, said Angie Nucci of Honda America. " A camera on the passenger-side mirror actually engaged on your guiding screen so you can safely change lanes. " Other safety features include warning systems on the front and the sides of the cars. These systems help drivers , but don't replace them. Curator Leslie Kendall of the Petersen Automotive Museum said autonomous cars will make the high ways safer．
"By taking out drivers, you also remove most risks of an accident," Kendall said. He said consumers, however, may be unwilling to lose control. "It may take them time to come to realize that the technology is indeed reliable, but it will have to prove itself first. "
Mason said the technology already works and the biggest challenge now is getting down the cost for driverless vehicles from hundreds of thousands of dollars to something more affordable. He said this will happen as the technology is improved.What can we learn from Paragraph l?
A. Driverless vehicles are now legal in the whole USA.
B. Volvo will be the first to sell driverless cars.
C. Driverless cars are pointing us' a faraway future.
D. Google's self-driving cars have covered a long distance.We learn that Governor of California Jerry Brown_________.
| A．helped design self-driving cars. |
| B．supports self-driving cars on roads. |
| C．considers self-driving cars science fiction. |
| D．improved the self-driving car systems. |
What is the role of the systems mentioned in Paragraph 3?
| A．They can help people drive more safely. |
| B．They can take the place of drivers now. |
| C．They can make cars run without fuel. |
| D．They can help cars run much faster. |
According to Richard Mason, what is the biggest challenge for driverless cars?
| A．They are not allowed to run on the road. |
| B．Their technical problems remain to be solved. |
| C．They are now too expensive for consumers. |
| D．They are more dangerous for people on the street. |
What's the best title of the passage?
| A．The benefits of the self-driving cars. |
| B．The biggest challenge of the self-driving cars. |
| C．Safer or more dangerous-self-driving cars. |
| D．Self-driving cars-science fiction future is near. |
BEIJING—Apple Inc. is one step closer to beginning sales of iPad2 tablet computers with cellular network compatibility （兼容） for the first time in the Chinese mainland, where the consumer-electronics giant is in the midst of an aggressive expansion．
According to China’s Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center, a device by Apple with third-generation high-speed wireless data capabilities was issued the network access license needed for the company to begin official sales in China．The device, listed under model number “A1396”, is compatible with the 3G standard WCDMA, and would work with the cellular network operated by Apple’s local iPhone partner, China Unicom （Hong Kong） Ltd．
China Unicom declined to comment．
Apple already offers the 3G iPad2 in Hong Kong through its partners, but currently only offers Wi-Fi versions of the device in the Chinese mainland．Still, consumers in China, which according to research firm IDC surpassed the US as the world’s largest PC market in the second quarter, have been purchasing 3G tablets through unofficial channels．
Separately, Apple spokeswoman Carolyn Wu said Sept 6 that the company’s first Hong Kong store, set to open this quarter, will be located in the city’s central shopping and business district in the International Finance Center’s upscale （高档的） IFC mall, a commercial center and sightseeing spot along the city’s waterfront．Wu also said that Apple is planning a new store in Shanghai later this quarter, which will be its biggest store in China．She declined to give more details or to comment on the 3G iPad2．
Apple currently has four full-service Apple stores in the mainland, which receive the most traffic of any Apple stores in the world．The company otherwise relies on resellers to get its products into the market．
The new stores reflect Apple’s confidence in rising demand for its products such as smart phones and tablet computers．Sales in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan helped boost （增长） the company’s third-quarter results, newly appointed Chief Executive Tim Cook said in July．China revenue （收益） surged （激增） six-fold to about $3．8 billion during the three months ended June 25．
“This has been a substantial （重大） opportunity for Apple and I firmly believe that we’re just scratching the surface right now,” Cook said at the time, referring to strong sales in China．“I see an incredible opportunity for Apple there．”
From China Daily 2011-09-08According to the news, which of the following statements is true?
| A．WCDMA is not the only 3G standard in the world． |
| B．Apple Inc. sells its products in the market of the Chinese mainland all by its own stores． |
| C．The consumers in China can only get iPad2 of Wi-Fi versions． |
| D．Chinese mainland is the second largest PC market in this year’s second quarter． |
Which one of the following phrases can replace the underlined word in paragraph 1?
| A．in the interests of | B．in the front of |
| C．in the process of | D．in the case of |
How many full-service Apple stores in China?
| A．4 | B．6 | C．8 | D．Unknown |
What’s the probable meaning of “six-fold” in the last but one paragraph?
| A．six times | B．one-six | C．60 percent | D．2 times |
By saying “we’re just scratching the surface right now”, Cook means ________．
| A．they don’t know much about China’s market |
| B．they will sell more products and gain more profit in China |
| C．they need to obtain more permission from China’s government |
| D．they ignored the rural market in China |
Which are you more likely to have with you at any given moment-your cell phone or your wallet? Soon you may be able to throw your wallet away and pay for things with a quick wave of your smart phone over an electronic scanner.
In January, Starbucks announced that customers could start using their phones to buy coffee in 6,800 of its stores. This is the first pay-by-phone practice in the U.S., but we’re likely to see more wireless payment alternatives as something called near field communication (NFC) gets into America’s consumer electronics. Last December, some new smart phones which contain an NFC chip were introduced to the public.
Already in use in parts of Asia and Europe, NFC allows shoppers to wave their phones a few inches above a payment terminal – a contact- free system built for speed and convenience. But before NFC becomes widely adopted in the U.S., a few problems need to be worked out, like who will get to collect the profitable transaction（交易）fees. Although some credit card providers have been experimenting with wave-and- pay systems that use NFC-enabled credit cards, cell phone service providers may try to muscle their way into the point-of-sale（POS）market. Three big cell phone service providers have formed a joint venture（合资企业）that will go into operation over the next 15 months. Its goal is “to lead the U.S. payments industry from cards to mobile phone.”
The other big NFC issue, apart from how payments will be processed, is security. For instance, what’s to stop a thief from digitally pick-pocketing you? “We’re still not at the point where an attacker can just brush against you in a crowd and steal all the money out of your phone,” says Jimmy Shah. A mobile- security researcher, “Users may also be able to set transaction limits, perhaps requiring a password to be entered for larger purchases.”
Still uneasy about this digital-wallet business? Keep in mind that if you lose your smart phone, it can be located on a map and remotely disabled. Plus, your phone can be password protected. Your wallet isn’t.What is predicted to happen in the U.S.?
| A．The expansion of cell phone companies. |
| B．The boom of pay-by-phone business. |
| C．The disappearance of credit cards. |
| D．The increase of Starbucks sales. |
The NFC technology can be used to __________.
| A．ensure the safety of shoppers |
| B．collect transaction fees easily |
| C．make purchase faster and simpler |
| D．improve the quality of cell phones |
Three cell phone service providers form a joint venture to __________.
| A．strengthen their relationship |
| B．test the NFC technology |
| C．sell more cell phones |
| D．get a share in the payments industry |
According to the passage, what can users do if they lose their smart phones?
| A．Stop the functioning of their phones. |
| B．Set up a password. |
| C．Get all the money out of their phones. |
| D．Report it to the bank. |
In Greek mythology（神话）, the gods punished Sisyphus by forcing him to roll a rock up a steep hill for eternity（来世）. But he was probably better off than if they’d forced him to sit and stare into space until the end of time, conclude the authors of a new study on keeping busy. They found that people who have something to do, even something pointless, are happier than people who sit around.
“The general phenomenon I’m interested in is why people are too busy doing what they are doing in modern society,” says Christopher K. Hsee, of the University of Chicago. “People are running around, working hard, the way beyond the basic level.” Sure, there are reasons, like making a living, earning money, and so on. But, Hsee says, “I think there’s something deeper: We have extra energy and we want to avoid idleness.”
In a study 98 students were asked to complete two surveys. After they had completed the first they were made to wait 15 minutes to receive the next one. They were given a choice of either handing in the first survey nearby or at a more distant location they had to walk to. Whichever option they chose, they received a chocolate bar. Not everyone chose to go to the faraway location. Two-thirds chose the lazy option. Yet those who chose to stay busy by going to the faraway location were found to be happier than those who had stayed put.
But if the chocolate bars offered at the two locations were different, they were more likely to choose the far location—because they could make up a good and acceptable reason for the trip, Hsee and his colleagues say.
Hsee thinks it may be possible to use this principle—people like being busy, and they like being able to show being busy right or reasonable—to benefit society. “If we can find a way for idle people to engage in activity that is at least not harmful, I think it is better than destructive business,” he says. Hsee himself has been known to give a research assistant a useless task when he doesn’t have anything to do, so he isn’t sitting around the office getting bored and depressed.The author starts the passage with the Greek mythology story to ________.
| A．make it easier to understand the passage |
| B．draw readers’ attention to Greek culture |
| C．show Greek people enjoyed being busy |
| D．bring about the subject of the passage |
According to Hsee, people are busy in modern society because they want to _________.
| A．make others think they are not lazy |
| B．keep their energy at the basic level |
| C．earn more money to support their family |
| D．avoid the state of having nothing to do |
The underlined phrase “stayed put” in Paragraph 3 probably means __________.
| A．remained there | B．kept occupied | C．got around | D．stayed awake |
How does Hsee’s assistant probably feel while performing a task?
| A．Blue. | B．Empty. | C．Contented. | D．Trapped. |
Steve Jobs made technology fun．The co-founder of Apple died last Wednesday at the age of fifty-six He had fought for years against cancer．Mourners gathered outside his house in Palo Alto, California, and Apple stores around the world．
Tim Bajarin, president of a high-tech research and consulting company, said "If you actually look at a tech leader, they're really happy if they have one hit in their life．Steve Jobs has the Apple II, the Mac, the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad and Pixar．"
Steve Jobs was a college dropout．He was adopted by a machinist and his wife, an accountant．They supported his early interest in electronics．
He and his friend Steve Wozniak started Apple Computer—now just called Apple—in nineteen seventy-six．They stayed at the company until nineteen eighty-five．That year, Steve Wozniak returned to college and Steve Jobs left in a dispute（分歧）with the chief executive．
Mr．Jobs then formed his own company, called NeXT Computer．He rejoined Apple in nineteen ninety-seven after it bought NeXT．He helped remake Apple from a business that was in bad shape then to one of the most valuable companies in the world today．
Steve Wozniak, speaking on CNN, remembered his longtime friend as a "great visionary and leader'' and a "marketing genius（天才）"．
President Obama said in a statement: "By building one of the planet's most successful companies from his garage, he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity．By making computers personal and putting the Internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun．"
David Carroll is a professor at Parsons School of Design in New York City．He says Steve Jobs not only revolutionized technology, he also revolutionized American business．
"The fact that he was able to redesign American commerce top to bottom and across is really stunning （令人惊奇的）．He probably will be considered an industrial giant on the scale of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, so one of the great[s] of all time．" David Carroll said．
Steve Jobs stepped down as Apple's chief executive in August because of his health．He died a day after the company released a new iPhone version that met with limited excitement．Apple's new chief, Tim Cook, will also have to deal with the new Kindle Fire tablet computer from Amazon．com．It costs less than half as much as an iPad but also does less．Why did people all over the world mourn Steve Jobs?
| A．He was very courageous in the face of cancer． |
| B．He became very rich though dropping out college． |
| C．He released a new iPhone version before death． |
| D．He revolutionized technology and made it enjoyable． |
Which of the following can easily prove that Jobs is a "marketing genius"?
| A．After Apple, he founded NeXT Computer． |
| B．He made Apple very valuable once again in the world． |
| C．He developed a series of Apple products． |
| D．He was considered the greatest industrial figure of all time． |
What does the underlined part in Paragraph 7 mean?
| A．Jobs was a typical example of American spirit of creation． |
| B．Jobs enriched the American spirit of science and freedom． |
| C．Jobs eventually realized his American dream． |
| D．American people are good at inventing things． |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．Jobs's parents discouraged him from working on electronics |
| B．Jobs stayed in Apple as chief executive for about 24 years． |
| C．Jobs started his career in his family garage． |
| D．Run unsuccessfully, Apple was sold to NeXT Computer． |
“Write All About It”
Centerville High School Essay（论文）Contest
Rules
1. Students are asked to hand in essays of 500 to 700 words of their own work. Any essay containing material copied from another source will be disqualified.
2. Manuscripts should be typed double-spaced, with the student’s name, address, and grade level on a separate sheet of paper.
3. Essays must be turned in by 4:00 P.M. on November 30. They can be brought to Mrs. Elton in Room 104 or to Mr. Markham in the school library.
Essay-Writing Tips
1. Catch your reader’s interest—Your opening should immediately pull your reader into your essay. Asking a question or starting with a story, or surprising statement is some good ways to do this.
2. Create a picture—Use active words that show your reader what is happening. Instead of telling your reader that “the room was disordered,” paint a picture using active verbs and lively adjectives.
3. Have a purpose—Well-written essays do more than just describe an event or express a viewpoint; they also communicate a message.
4. Check for mistakes—Read your paper over to check for mistakes. Ask another student to read your paper. Another pair of eyes will often spot a mistake you have missed.
5. Format your essay—Neatly type your essay on white paper Choose an attractive cover for handing in. The computer lab will be open after school from 3:15 to 4:45P.M. each day this month so that students can use the computers.
Prizes
Winning essays will be published in the Centervile Times. Everyone who takes part in it will also receive a free pass to enter one school activity this year.
First Prize: $50 savings bond
Second Prize: Dictionary and reference book
Third Prize: Pen set and journalWhich of the following rules is set for the essay contest?
| A．Students can write something exactly as it is written in other books. |
| B．Students’ personal information should be listed on another piece of paper. |
| C．Essays must be brought to Mr. Markham in the computer lab on November 30. |
| D．The students winning the second prize will be awarded a dictionary and a book. |
Which of the following writing tips is given in the passage?
| A．Drawing a picture to go with the essay. |
| B．Trying to communicate an important idea to readers. |
| C．Asking a teacher to find the mistakes you haven’t found. |
| D．Making the essay short enough to hold the readers’ interest. |
The article is written to .
| A．convince the students of the prizes available |
| B．explain how to write a good essay |
| C．inform the students of the essay contest |
| D．show how to organize an essay contest |