第三部分 阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
High-tech gadget shows draw throngs of excited consumers each year in the United States, Japan, Europe and the Arabian peninsula. Though many people are already surrounded with all kinds of smart electronic devices, some always need one more -- better and smarter than the previous one.
At electronic shows, visitors flock around the newest tablet computers, cameras, 3D television screens, even small robots, dreaming of taking one home.
Consumers spend hours waiting in lines and spend hundreds of dollars to be among the first to get the latest smart phone.
The modern world seems to be infatuated with shiny expensive objects that keep us connected, help us navigate, record our thoughts and memorable events, and even talk to us. So infatuated, we no longer merely "own" our gadgets -- we have relationships with them, according to clinical psychologist and life transition therapist Francine Lederer.
“It’s a lot easier to have, right, a one-sided relationship with your computer, your phone, than it is with a live person. So that at the end of the day, you don’t need to worry about somebody being angry with you, you don’t need to worry about getting blamed for anything,” she said.
Magical devices
Although having a thousand Facebook friends may be perceived as equivalent to having a thousand real, authentic friendships, Lederer said in reality it is not so.
“It comes down to a lot of the internal stuff. How we feel about ourselves, our own sense of self-esteem, our self-worth, a lot of those things,” she said.
But gadgets are magical. They fascinate us the same way we are intrigued by a magician’s trick, said psychology professor at the University of the South Pacific, Robert Epstein.
“If you don’t know how they’re doing it, that’s very fascinating and intriguing. But if they do it 10 times or 20 times or 100 times, it gets boring and you want something else. That’s why magicians do not repeat the same trick over and over again,” he said.
Plugged in, isolated
Epstein, former editor-in-chief of Psychology Today magazine, said he is concerned that gadgets will take on a life of their own.
“All we’re seeing so far is a little bit of the so-called wearable technology that you might wear on your wrist or in your glasses, but we’re moving very rapidly, whether the public knows it or not, toward real biological interfaces so that the gadgets will be built into us to some extent,” he said.
Lederer said the danger is that our dependence on electronic gadgets is increasingly being perceived as normal.
“I think our society in a way, and the media, often times normalizes the extent to which we use these gadgets and phones, but the reality is, it’s really not healthy for us,” she said.
Scientists predict that gadgets with biological interfaces may be available within the next 20 years and, coupled with strong artificial intelligence, will be much smarter than today.What does the underlined phrases “be infatuated with” mean?
A.be worried about | B.be used to |
C.be attached to | D.be popular with |
Why do people like to have relationships with gadgets?
A.Because they are cleverer. |
B.Because they will not have burden with the gadgets. |
C.Because they have no feelings. |
D.Because they are easier to operate. |
What’s the similarity between gadgets and magicians according to the passage?
A.They both make people happy. |
B.We will be bored with them. |
C.They both cheat people. |
D.They both don’t use the same trick repeatedly. |
What is Lederer’s opinion?
A.It’s abnormal for us to rely on electronic gadgets too much. |
B.Gadgets will take on a life of their own. |
C.It’s healthy for us to use model electronic gadgets. |
D.The gadgets will be built into us to some extent. |
D
As thousands of communities in the USA — especially in the South — became booming gateways for immigrant families from Central and South America during the 1990s and the early years of the new century, public schools struggled with the unfamiliar task of serving the large numbers of English learners arriving in their classrooms.
Education programs needed to be built from scratch. “We had no teaching resources suitable for English learners here before. We had to develop them all ourselves,” a Texas principal said. Throughout the country, districts had to train their own teachers to teach English to non-native speakers or recruit (招聘)teachers from elsewhere. School staff members had to figure out how to communicate with parents who spoke no English.
But even as immigration has slowed or stopped in many places, and instructional programs for English-learners have matured, serving immigrant families and their children remains a work in progress in many public schools, especially those in communities that are skeptical, or sometimes unwelcoming, to the newcomers. One of the biggest challenges educators face, is communicating effectively with parents who don’t speak English — an issue that, in part, has contributed to recent complaints of discrimination by Latino students in some cities.
“The parents’ role is very important for the success of these students, but it's also one of the most difficult things we’ve had to tackle(处理),” said Jim D. Rollins, the president of the Springdale school district, where the 19,000-student school system has gone from having no English-learners 15 years ago to more than 7,500 now. “You have to make it a priority and work on it, work on it, and work on it.”
Aside from the practical challenges, such as finding bilingual (会说两种语言的) staff members, guiding districts through such dramatic changes requires school leaders to bridge difficult political and cultural divides. For school leaders in the South, especially in the last few years, this difficult job has been made harder still by the negative attitudes of some locals towards immigrants.According to the passage, what is the problem that public schools are facing?
A.Handling more cases from the immigrant Mexican communities. |
B.Offering services to immigrant families in the southern states. |
C.Offering enough communicative lessons to immigrant parents. |
D.Providing education for non-native English learners. |
The underlined part “built from scratch” (in Paragraph 2) probably means “________”.
A.completely new |
B.painful to make |
C.based on past experience |
D.constructed gradually |
What do we know about the immigrant parents?
A.Many of them cannot speak English. |
B.Most of them think education is not important. |
C.Some of them feel skeptical about the local community. |
D.Few of them have attended American schools. |
C
Imagine having an idea, drawing it on paper, bringing it to a store and seeing it turned into a physical object.This is now possible with the help of 3D printers.Such machines were once used just by universities and big companies.But now, stores with 3D printing services are appearing around the United States.
Bryan Jaycox and his wife opened The Build Shop LLC in Los Angeles two years ago.The store is filled with tools like a laser cutter, an industrial sewing machine and 3D printers.Bryan Jaycox requires $ 15 an hour to print an object.He also charges a fee depending on the size of the object and up to $ 50 an hour for design and labor services.
The Jaycoxs also offer 3D printing classes for anyone who is interested.One of the students in a recent class was Ki Chong Tran.He plans to open a 3D printing business in Cambodia."The demand has been amazing.It's been much more than I would have imagined," said Ki Chong Tran.
"I think 3D printing is going to be huge. It's going to make a huge impact on society as a whole," he added.
Mr Jaycox predicts that within five years, 3D printing technology could become
more consumer friendly.
But Ki Chong Tran says even current technology can make a difference in a developing country like Cambodia."With 3D printing you can give them tools, and you put it in their hands so they are responsible more for their own development.
They learn skills beyond just learning English and becoming a tour guide or something like that or working at a bank.You can actually create things that give value to the world," said Ki Chong Tran.
He says it's not just Cambodia but anywhere where there is a 3D printer, it can turn a good idea into reality.We learn from Paragraph l that 3D printing_________.
A.is now available to ordinary people |
B.first appeared in the United States |
C.can turn your every dream into reality |
D.is now only used by universities |
Bryan Jaycox opened The Build Shop LLC to__________.
A.sell 3D printers and different kinds of tools |
B.produce all types of printing machines |
C.offer 3D printing classes and services |
D.design different types of 3D printers |
In Mr Jaycox's opinion, within five years 3D printing will_________.
A.make it easier to do business |
B.be accessible to all consumers |
C.change the way of social contact |
D.bring about more profits to the sellers |
How will 3D printing technology benefit developing countries according to the text?
A.It helps the people work efficiently at a bank. |
B.It will promote the learning of English |
C.It will accelerate the development of tourism. |
D.It offers them a new way of development. |
B
Well, parents, surprise! Lots of us are using Twitter and Facebook to thumb rides, and not just to school. It’s awkward to be refused when you call a friend and ask for a ride. But with Twitter, you just look for other people heading the same way.
It may sound risky, so many teens stay within their own social circles to find rides, and don’t branch out beyond friends when asking on Twitter just like me, but to some young people, especially those taking longer trips, stranger danger is less of a concern.
“I think the digital connection of young people is really key, because younger generations grew up sharing things on line, sharing files, photos, music, etc, so they’ve been very used to sharing,” said Juliet Schor, a sociology professor at Boston College.
The sharing economy got big during the recession (经济衰退), allowing people to access more goods, services using technology and even to share costs. And that technology, for me, is what the car was for my mom, a gateway to more freedom, like what my friend Earl says, “The symbol of freedom isn’t the car any more because there’s technology out there connecting you to a car.”
According to the researchers at the University of Michigan, 30 years ago, eight in ten American 18-year-olds had a driver’s license compared to six in ten today. So it’s not that surprising that on my 16th birthday I wasn’t rushing to get a license but an iPhone.
“Driving, for young people, does mean they have to disconnect from their technology, and that’s a negative. So if they could sit in the passage side and still be connected, that’s going to be a plus.” Schor continued. www..com
To me, another plus is that ridesharing represents something, something much bigger than trying to save money. I see it as evidence that people still depend on each other. My generation shares their cars and apartments the way neighbors used to share cups of sugar. For the system to work, some of us still need our own cars. But until I get my own version of the silver Super Beetle, you can find me on Twitter.The American teens like the author, prefer to possess an iPhone as a birthday gift because _______.
A.it is most fashionable and cool |
B.they are bored with driving cars |
C.they are fond of being connected |
D.it is much cheaper than a car |
We can learn from the text that _______.
A.Twitter is a website for teens to make friends and achieve goals |
B.ridesharing can be seen as a sign that people still count on each other |
C.driving cars for teens means a plus and connecting with technology |
D.having a car and cost-sharing symbolize more freedom for the author’s mother |
Professor Juliet would agree that _______.
A.young people will sit waiting to be contacted by reading a passage |
B.sharing economy is bound to be responsible for the recession |
C.young people tend to share a car with strangers by means of Twitter |
D.being connected via technology comes first for young people |
The best title for the passage is probably _______.
A.Twitter, an Awesome Website |
B.Cars or iPhone |
C.Teens Use Twitter to Thumb Rides |
D.Cool Teens on the Go |
Room for Rent by East Jefferson Hospital in Metairie
Room for rent for $ 500.00 per month and $500.00 damage deposit, You will have use of the refrigerator (I have two:) and the washer and dryer and the kitchen and the in-ground swimming pool.There is a one-year rental agreement but can be changed to a month-to-month after six months with a 30-day notice.There is parking in front of the house which is on a slot dead end street,.You can contact by phone at 5044551499 0r you can email me at marrt/n286@aol com.My name is Jerry.
LOW'PRICE : 2 bedrooms for rent $499 with furniture9 swimming pool
Any student attending university during the spring 2014 who wants to live on campus in a safe, gated community at a discounted rate: please respond.2 bedrooms/ 2 bathrooms / 1 living room.If a student is ir.retested in renting both rooms, the rate will be $479 per room, instead of- $499 (water all included).The original amount for the rent is $599, and with our discounted rate (less $100.00 a month) it is an affordable way to engage in on-campus life.Located near the swimming pool, public barbecue pit and laundry room.Ruminates are great, very friendly and trustworthy,
Phone: 5049948139 Email: jguol@uno.edu Located:2000 Lakeshore Drive, UNO campus
Roommate Wanted
I live in an apartment with 2 bedrooms and l bathroom: on Lake Pontcbartrain surrounded by breath-taking scenery.The rent is $17000 per month and electric runs around $12.0.I am 27 years old and my husband is currently sending in Afghanistan.I am looking for a roommate to share rent and electric: woodlot $.550 per month.If interested, contact me at 9856074708.Text or call.My name is Ashley.
Roommate Wanted in Slidell
Roommate wanted for a 5-bedroom house in great location. Backroom is famished or unfurnished.All utilities (公用设施)indeed WiFi cable w/d(无线区域网)and full use of house.Must like I'm Julie.pets, Outside smokers are OK.9857189738.If someone wants to live in the room by EAST Jefferson Hospital, he .
A.must pay $1,000,00 first |
B.can't cook or wash in the room |
C.has to park his car far away |
D.must contact the owner by telephone only |
A young girl desiring a good view around her rented house should call .
A.5044551499 | B.5049948130 |
C.985607470t9 | D.9857189738 |
We can know that .
A.the house in UNO campus has a swimming pool |
B.the rent is $ 998 if a student rents two rooms in UNO campus |
C.the person will enjoy free electric if she lives with Ashley |
D.one who likes surfing the Internet should rent the room in Slidell |
While every dog owner knows their dogs can read their moods perfectly, scientists have always been a piffle doubtful.Now thanks to some researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria; we finally have some convincing evidence.
For their study, biologist Corson Miller and his team exposés eleven selected dogs to digital images of women that were either angry or happy.Half the dogs were rewired for touching the screen when shove a happy face, while the other half gilt their treat for selecting those that appeared angry.
Interestingly, the dogs were not provided with the entire face.Some dogs were show Ti only upper halves while the others observed lower halves.That's because the scientists believe humans show their eruptions on their equities face.
After some training ill.e how to recognize small differences like the wrinkles between the eyes or the changes in their shape that accompany the happy or angry expressions, the dogs were mostly able to identify the correct expression not only on a familiar face but on a strange face, the researchers concluded the dogs were smart-enough to read human emotions.
They also found those being trained to read angry expressions took a longer time to learn.They guess it may be because dogs find angry faces disgusting, causing them to withdraw quickly.However, once the smart dogs realized they were getting rewired, the trepidation seem end to disappear.In fact, the dogs had such a good time playing the computer "game" That scientists had a hard time keeping them away from the touch screens after the study was completed.
The researchers also noticed only dogs with a male owner had a harder time understanding the expressions correctly.Since the touches careen models were all females, this confirmed what has been observed in previous studies-dogs are more efficient at reading facial expressions of people that are the serene gender as their owner.How did the scientists conduct the experiment?
A.By leaving dogs to women who are either happy or angry. |
B.By mixing the selected dogs together. |
C.By rewarding only half of the dogs touching the screen. |
D.By showing digital pictures of women's happy or angry faces. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.The dogs were not all provided with the entire face, |
B.According to their size, the dogs were given either upper or lower halves. |
C.The dogs could read even small changes that accountancy facial expressions after some training. |
D.The dogs couldn't read strangers facial emotions. |
The underlined word "trepidation" in Paragraph 5 probably means .
A.horror | B.curiosity |
C.excitement | D.doubt |
How might the results change if the dogs with female owners are shown pictures of male faces?
A.They could only tell commotions on partial faces rather than on entire face's. |
B.They found it hard to tell the moods on the faces of a different gender. |
C.They found it easy to tell the emotions on the entire -face. |
D.They would be scared away at the sight of the pictures. |