BERLIN (Reuters)—Germany’s postal service has announced plans to explore improved service and help protect the environment by getting “fetch friends”—ordinary people traveling across cities—to deliver parcels on their way.
It is hoped that the move, which will be tested in the coming months, might lessen traffic in inner cities and reduce CO2 emissions(排放). This should help DHL, a division of the German postal service, reach its target of improving the company’s carbon efficiency by 30 percent before 2020.
“As the world’s biggest logistics(物流) provider, we recognize a special responsibility to reduce the impact on the environment as much as possible,” said Frank Appel, Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Post DHL, in a statement referring to a variety of measures being considered.
The “fetch friends” find out online about parcels that need delivering to people who live or work along the way that they are planning to travel through the city. They then select the ones that they want to take.
Codes(编码) sent to their mobile phones tell the volunteers where to pick the packages up. Parcels can be taken part of the way or passed on to another volunteer but all volunteers need to have the right code on their mobile phone so the track and trace system can be updated.
Logistics companies will be responsible for looking after the operation to make sure that the privacy of post is respected.
It’s hoped that this could be done using mobile phones but DHL says it recognizes that some security issues remain to be worked out.According to the passage, the “fetch friend” program ________.
| A．has been tested for months |
| B．aims to reduce the cost of the service |
| C．employs environmentalists to help with deliveries |
| D．encourages ordinary people to help cut the carbon footprint |
Which of the following statements is TRUE of DHL?
| A．It belongs to the Germany’s postal service. |
| B．It has the most up-to-date tracking system in Germany. |
| C．It has succeeded in improving its carbon efficiency by 30%. |
| D．It has designed many measures to improve its service speed. |
What may be a problem with the new service according to the article?
| A．Volunteers’ not allowing to select parcels. |
| B．The wrong codes in the mobile phones. |
| C．The possibility that parcels could be opened on the way. |
| D．Parcels’ being taken to the destination by a single volunteer. |
What might be the best Title for the best passage?
| A．New Challenges for the Postal Service |
| B．A Greener Way to Deliver Parcels |
| C．Solutions for Global Warming |
| D．Statements from DHL |
One Sunday morning, when I was driving along a road, I saw something I couldn’t believe. A little girl, who was less than two years old, was pushing her stroller (婴儿车) across the road. The traffic was not heavy that morning.
I stopped my car at once and ran toward her. This little girl knew enough to run from a stranger. I tried to catch her in order that I could get her out of the road.
Suddenly her father came running down a hill across the road from where I had parked my car. He ran right to her and caught her up, saying “bad girl” to her. I picked up the stroller and gave it to him. The father grabbed the stroller and walked toward where he came from without a word.
I went back and sat in my car for a few minutes with my son. My hands were shaking and tears were about to run out of my eyes. “Do you feel cold, Mom?” asked my son. I just shook my head.
After this happened, I thought about how thankful I am. Even though the father didn’t say “Thank you”, I feel that I did something good. Doing something for someone else is pleasing, even when it’s only a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
I didn’t really “save” her, but I feel like it was important that I happened to be there. It is sad that I was the only one who stopped. It really made me a little disappointed that no one else stopped to help. The little girl ran away from the author because _____.
| A．she wanted to look for her father |
| B．she wanted to stay on the road |
| C．she needed to catch her stroller |
| D．she didn’t know the author at all |
When the author saw the little girl, _____.
| A．there weren’t many cars on the road |
| B．the girl feared to go across the road |
| C．the girl had lost her way |
| D．she was driving to work in a hurry |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The author shared her experience with her son. |
| B．The author felt sad that no one else helped the girl. |
| C．The girl’s father didn’t like the girl at all. |
| D．The girl’s father had wanted to thank the author. |
Why were the author’s hands shaking?
| A．Because the weather was very cold at that time. |
| B．Because she failed to be understood by the girl’s father. |
| C．Because she was not feeling well. |
| D．Because she was too excited to keep calm. |
The smartphone has become the centerpiece of many students' digital lives.
Yes, it can be a distraction(困扰，分心), but it is also an incredible tool that can transform classroom learning and late-night studying.
Professors and students are starting to explore what the smartphone can contribute to learning-and there is a whole host of apps（设备） to help that process along. There are also plenty of apps to help students with the less academic parts of college life.
To download any of these apps, search the iTunes App Store or Android Market. iOS apps are built for Apple's mobile platform and can run on the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad.
Skype
Cost: Free
Platform: Android, BlackBerry, iOS
More and more smartphones now ship with front-facing cameras that make them great video chat tools.
There are several competitors here ---- including Apple's FaceTime ----but Skype is still the best cross-platform tool for keeping in touch with faraway friends and family. Users on either end can be on a computer, smartphone.
Grades 2
Cost: Free
Platform: iOS
This app is a sophisticated tool for calculating grades. Students can use it to figure out what grade they'll need on a test to achieve their target grade and also keeps track of overall GPA, weighted by each class's credit count.
Students can also enter due dates for assignments as reminders.
The app is free and supported by ads, but users can pay $1 inside the app to turn them off.
Snoozerr Recordings
Cost: 99 cents
Platform: iOS
This is a great tool for logging long lecture classes or smaller study sessions(授课时间）． It records audio and pairs that with time-stamped pictures that the student takes of presentations--- say, equations（方程）on a blackboard----or of his or her own notes.
When the student wants to review, he or she can use the pictures as a visual guide to what the instructor was saying and replay that section.
TED
Cost: Free
Platform: iOS
This app is great for the student in everyone. It compiles（编辑）video from hundreds of presentations at technology, entertainment and design----a conference that features short speeches focused on new ways of thinking.
Presenters often speak about technology, social good or education and challenge societal norms.
It's a great way to spend an hour or so hearing from some of the world's leading minds for free. All of the videos are also available at www.ted.com.
AroundMe
Cost: Free
Platform: Android and iOS
This app uses a smartphone's GPS to find nearby locations by category such as banks, gas stations, bars, coffee shops, restaurants and supermarkets---- all the college staples(主要产品).In which section of a newspaper could you find this article?
| A．Science & Tech. | B．Entertainment. | C．Life. | D．Tourism. |
What might be the best title for the text?
| A．How to Improve College Students' Studies |
| B．How to Download Computer Games |
| C．How to Choose the Latest Smartphone |
| D．Five Tech Tools for College Students |
Many college students use Grades 2 mainly for _____.
| A．chatting | B．calculating |
| C．hearing speeches | D．recording lectures |
If you want to use your smartphone to find a nearby supermarket, you should download _____. .
| A．TED | B．AroundMe | C．Skype | D．Grades 2 |
ios means _____.
| A．TED | B．VCS | C．OS | D．ECX |
We lived in a very quiet neighborhood. One evening I heard a loud crash in the street. Earlier that evening my wife had asked me to go to the store to get some soft drinks. It seemed like this would be a good time to let my teenage daughter Holly practice her driving, so I sent her to the store in my truck. At dinner my son talked about how much he liked my truck. I enjoyed having it, but I said, "Guy, my heart is not set on that truck. I like it but it is just metal and won't last forever. Never set your heart on anything that won't last." After hearing the loud noise, the whole family ran outside. My son shouted, "Dad! Dad! Holly crashed your truck."
My heart sank and my mind was flooded with conflicting thoughts. Was anyone hurt? Who else was involved? As I ran to the door, I heard a voice in my heart say, "Here is a chance to show Holly what you really love. She'll never forget it."
The accident had occurred in my own driveway. Holly had crashed my truck into our other vehicle, the family van. In her inexperience, she had confused the brakes and the gas pedal (油门). Holly was unhurt physically but when reached her, she was crying and saying, “Oh, Dad, I'm sorry. I know how much you love this truck." I held her in my arms as she cried.
Later that week a friend dropped by and asked what had happened to my truck. I told her the whole story. Her eyes moistened（润湿） and she said, "That happened to me when I was a girl. I borrowed my dad's car and ran into a log that had fallen across the road. I ruined the car. When I got home, my dad knocked me to the ground and began to kick me."
Over 40 years later, she still felt the pain of the night. It was a deep wound on her soul. I remember how sad Holly was on the night she crashed our truck, and how I comforted her. One day, when Holly thinks back on her life, I want her to know that I love her a thousand times more than any piece of property. I repaired the van, but the dent (凹陷） in my truck is still there today. Every day it reminds me of what really matters in my life.What caused the crash?
| A．The brakes weren't working. |
| B．Holly stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brakes. |
| C．Holly was drinking a soft drink while driving. |
| D．The car got a fiat tire and Holly lost control. |
What happened to the author's friend after she ruined her dad's car?
| A．She suffered physical pain for a long time. |
| B．She lost the courage to drive. |
| C．Her father kicked her out of the house. |
| D．Her father was violent towards her. |
Which of the following descriptions is true according to the passage?
| A．When the author first learned about the crash, he regretted sending his daughter to the store. |
| B．The author allowed his daughter to use his truck because his son was too young to drive. |
| C．When the author saw the crash, he was sorry for the damage to his beloved car. |
| D．By comforting his daughter, the author showed how much more he loved her than his truck. |
What does the underlined sentence imply?
| A．The wound recovered after 40 years. |
| B．Her soul was deeply hurt. |
| C．The hurt caused by her father affected her all the time. |
| D．Parents shouldn't beat their children. |
The main idea of the story is that ______.
| A．love is more important than possessions |
| B．parents should never let a teenager drive |
| C．there is no point blaming someone after an accident |
| D．we should always forgive others' mistakes |
Near the village, there is an old famous temple. Some people want to build new houses where the temple now stands, because they can find no other area to build them, while others disagree with them. They meet to decide how to solve the problem. Here are their opinions about it.
The expert wants to protect the temple and believes that there are some interesting things buried in the ground. If it is destroyed or moved, people may never learn about how people lived in the past.
The businessman thinks that the houses should be built. History is important, but we must think about the future. The village needs development and building new houses will offer jobs to hundreds of people.
Villager A says, “We should build the new houses because we need houses to live in.”
Villager B says, “We should protect the temple because it can attract many tourists to come for a visit. If the temple is destroyed or moved, we will lose a lot of business.”
The village leader thinks that he has a duty to make life better for the villagers. They need jobs and new houses. He also thinks the cultural site (遗迹) is important and they should be careful with it as well.The expert doesn’t want to _______ the old famous temple.
| A．rebuild | B．protect | C．pull down | D．fall down |
The businessman thinks building houses there can _______.
| A．help the village develop |
| B．attract many tourists to come for a visit |
| C．help people learn about how people lived in the past |
| D．help people learn about the interesting things buried in the ground |
_______ agree that they should build new houses there.
| A．The expert and the village leader |
| B．The businessman and Villager |
| C．Villager A and Villager |
| D．Villager B and the businessman |
The village leader thinks _______.
| A．they should destroy the temple |
| B．they needn’t build new houses |
| C．They should build the temple to make life better |
| D．they should not only build new houses but also be careful with the temple |
According to the passage, which of the following is RIGHT?
| A．It’s difficult to satisfy everyone. |
| B．The cultural site is not so important. |
| C．It’s easy to make a decision on the problem. |
| D．The villagers will lose their jobs with the development of their hometown |
For the British, the home is a private place in which he or she goes to hide away from the troubles of life. It is very seldom that one would be invited to a British person’s home. It is rude to knock on a person’s door if you are not invited. If you are invited, don’t ask to see more than the downstairs that your British host invites you into. Never ask how much the house or any of the items in it cost.
To the American, most of them want their home to be a place where they can entertain (款待) and share their lives with their friends. They may be delighted to give you a full tour of their houses. They may also be pleased when you show your interest and pleasure in their houses.
Both British and American people will engage in quite a bit of chat and a drink or two before the meal is served. After the first mouthful, you should say how delicious the food is and ask something about it. Remember, never eat with your mouth open and make very little noise while eating. It would be nice of you to help your host in any way. Maybe offer to pour some drinks or clear up after the meal.British people _______ invite friends to their home.
| A．often | B．always | C．seldom | D．never |
If your British friend invites you to his home, you can ____.
| A．see anything you like |
| B．ask how much his house is |
| C．ask the cost of any of the items in it |
| D．only see the downstairs that you are invited into |
When you show your interest and pleasure in American people’s house, they may be _____.
| A．angry | B．happy | C．sad | D．worried |
What does the underlined “engage in” mean in Chinese?
| A．陷入 | B．参与 | C．回避 | D．限制 |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Some manners on visiting British and American people’s home. |
| B．Different table manners between British and American people. |
| C．Different ideas about the home between British and American people |
| D．Different ideas about how to get along well with neighbors between British and American people. |