Yasuda is 95 years old. He and his colleagues, looking for easier ways to search the Web and send e-mail, represent a potential market for Apple (AAPL)'s iPad. The company has sold 3. 27 million iPads since its launch in April, but doesn't break down sales figures by customer age, making it impossible to know with certainty how many old people are buying them. However, evidence suggests it's popular with the old.
The iPad's intuitive interface (直观界面) makes it attractive to old citizens around the world, says Takahiro Miura, a researcher at the University of Tokyo: "The iPad is a good tool for the elderly because it's very forgiving of mistakes." Miura's team uses computers to help train senior citizens to rejoin the workforce. "Unlike the PC, it doesn't require previous (先前的) knowledge," he says.
James Cordwell, a technology analyst at Atlantic-Equities in London, says the iPad's popularity with the elderly is helping Apple reach beyond its traditional base of younger customer. "The world's population, especially in developed markets, is getting older, and it's probably a market where Apple has least entered," Cordwell says. Elderly users are "a key source of growth for them in the future."
The elderly in Japan, who make up an estimated 22 percent of the population, may prove particularly quick to accept the iPad. They spend more than any other group in the country except for those under 30, according to a report by Japan's Cabinet Office. Mo-too Kitamura, 78, a former gas salesman, bought an iPad to help him communicate with his 2-year-old grandson and prevent against dementia (痴呆). "Trying new things like that is a good mental exercise," he says. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The iPad was only intended for elderly people. |
| B．The use of iPad requires previous knowledge. |
| C．The use of iPad is mentally useful to the old. |
| D．Only the elderly in Japan can use iPad. |
What can we infer from Paragraph 1?
| A．The old get a bit strike from the iPad. |
| B．The iPad causes a heavy burden to the old. |
| C．The iPad is accepted by the old. |
| D．The old are very familiar with the iPad. |
Which of the following is NOT the advantage of the iPad over the PC?
| A．It has intuitive interface. |
| B．It is easier to operate. |
| C．It is more accessible to beginners. |
| D．It is a good mental exercise. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The old are the largest consumers in Japan. |
| B．The iPad is traditionally accepted by the young. |
| C．The old in Japan are fond of latest hi-tech products. |
| D．The old customers will soon replace the younger ones. |
What could be the best title for the passage?
| A．The iPad Leads Apple to the Elderly |
| B．IPad Hits Japan's Store Shelves |
| C．IPad's Arrival in Tokyo Causes Japanese to Excite |
| D．AAPL Tries to Balance the Old and the Yong |
任务型阅读（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）
认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的横线上填入最恰当的单词。
注意：每空只填一个单词。
There are a number of languages spoken throughout the world. Every person knows at least one language, which he learns in his childhood and is routinely used for speaking and writing. However, many people are fond of learning two or more languages, so they try to be bilingual, which means that they try to have the knowledge of two or more languages. And being bilingual can bring a person a number of benefits in various aspects. For example:
A person can get cognitive(认知的) benefits from it. The bilingual people have two or more words for each idea and object. Therefore, a bilingual person can develop a creative thinking. The bilinguals are aware of which language should be spoken with which person in a particular situation. So they are more sensitive(敏感的) to the needs of the listener than the people who only use one language: Being bilingual also improves and enriches a person's mental development.
Being bilingual has a positive effect on a person's character. The bilinguals are able to switch between different languages and talk to different people in various languages. It increases a sense of self-esteem( 自尊). Being bilingual creates a powerful link in different people from different countries.
A bilingual education offers better curriculum(课程) results. The bilinguals tend to show a higher performance in examinations and tests. The bilinguals find it quite easy to learn and speak three, four or more languages.
Being bilingual offers potential employment benefits. It offers a wider choice of jobs in various fields. The bilinguals can get a great many career opportunities in transport, tourism, public relations, marketing and sales, banking, translation, law, teaching and so on.
So it can be concluded from the above that we should try our best to learn and master two or more languages.
Title: 71.__________ of being bilingual
| 72._________ |
Having the knowledge of two or more languages. |
|||
Benefits
|
Cognition |
● Make a person think 73.__________. ● Make a person more sensitive to the listener's 74.__________. ● Improve and enrich a person's mental development. |
||
75._________ |
● Increase a person's sense of 76.__________. ●Create a powerful link in different people from different countries. |
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| Curriculum |
● Enable a person to 77.__________ better in examinations and tests. ● Make a person easily learn and speak more languages. |
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| 78._________ |
● Offer a person more 79.__________ in finding jobs. |
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| 80.________ |
We should try our best to learn and master two or more languages. |
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Although women lead healthier, longer lives, the cruel perception that they reach their sell-by date and become “old” sooner than men is widespread in the workplace, research shows.
A survey of more than 2,600 managers and personnel professionals showed that age discrimination is not only common in the workplace, but is full of inconsistencies(矛盾). Six in ten managers thought that they had suffered from age discrimination——usually because they were turned down for a job for being too old or too young. Yet more than a fifth admitted that they used age as a condition when they employ new workers.
Although the survey found widespread agreement that older workers were better than younger colleagues when it came to reliability, commitment, loyalty and customer service, these qualities were not necessarily considered to be worthy of advancement. More than half of respondents believed that workers between 30 and 39 were the most likely to be advanced in their company, with only 2 per cent citing (引证)50-year-olds or above.
Dianah Worman of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development said that there was anecdotal evidence that people were considered old at different ages in different sectors. “We heard of one man working in IT who said he was considered too old by the age of 28,”she said.“There was no evidence to suggest that older workers were less valuable to companies than younger workers, in fact the opposite was often true because older workers often brought experience.” she added.
The findings also suggested that the Government’s ideas on age in the workforce may also be out of step with reality.
68. The text is mainly about ______.
A. the government’s idea on age in workforce
B. age discrimination in the workforce
C. the people who find work
D. the discussion about who is worth promoting
69. The underlined word “sell-by date” in paragraph 1 probably refers to______.
A. the age when they retire
B. the age when they should be promoted
C. the date on which they’re sold
D. the date when they sell goods
70. The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to ______.
A. tell the government to employ older workers
B. criticize managers who treat workers unfairly
C. report the findings of a survey
D. show he objects to age discrimination
Thousands of jobs come into our Job Centre every week, but they get snapped up (抢购) quickly. So although we shall do all we can to help you, it’s important for you to do all you can to help yourself. This passage tells you how.
Registered for work
Once you have registered for work we will match you with available vacancies. If you want to claim unemployment benefit (失业津贴), you also have to get registered at our Job Centre. But you actually apply for and claim it at the local Unemployment Office.
Getting a job through self-service
Jobs that come in are put on self-service show as soon as possible. Half the people who find jobs through our Job Centre find them through self-service. You can call in at any time to look at the jobs shown.
Come to our Employment Advisers
If you want more help or advice, don’t forget that’s what we’re here for. Our Employment Advisers can help you with things like:
★thinking about the different sorts of jobs you could do and which are best for you.
★jobs available locally or elsewhere.
★whether you are suitable for a TOPS training course.
★funds to help you look for, and move to, work in other parts.
Even though you have a clear idea of the sort of job and pay you want, you may find that something different will suit you quite well. Keep this in mind when you are talking with Employment Advisers.
If you don’t find a job on your first visit
Go into self-service as often as you can to look at the jobs on show there. Good vacancies are coming in all the time just because you’ve been registered for work.
64.The purpose of the passage is to .
A. tell people how to become an Employment Adviser
B. teach the unemployed people how to get registered for work
C. give information about services available for the unemployed
D. introduce the TOPS training course for the unemployed
65.The unemployed people can claim unemployment benefit from .
A. the Job Centre B. all the Unemployment Offices
C. the Employment Advisers D. the local Unemployment Office
66.Employment Advisers can .
A. help you find out what kind of jobs suits you best
B. help you register for work and use self - service
C. help you claim as much unemployment benefit as possible
D. help you find a job suitable for you on your first visit
67.The underlined word “vacancies” in the passage means .
A. jobs B. benefits C .suggestions D. services
Fear and its companion pain are two of the most useful things that man and animals possess if they are used. If fire didn’t hurt when it burned, children would play with it until their hands were burned away. Similarly, if pain existed but fear didn’t, a child could burn itself again and again because fear would not warn it to keep away from the fire that had burnt it before. A really fearless soldier—and some do exist—is not a good soldier because he is soon killed; and a dead soldier is of no use to his army. Fear and pain are therefore two guards without which man and animals might soon die out.
In our first sentence we suggested that fear ought to be properly used. If, for example, you never go out of your house because of the danger of being knocked down and killed in the street by a car, you are letting fear rule you too much. The important thing is not to let fear rule you, but instead, to use fear as your servant and guide. Fear will warn you of dangers; then you have to decide what action to take.
In many cases, you can take quick and successful action to avoid the danger. For example, you see a car coming straight towards you; fear warns you, you jump out of the way, and all is well.
In some cases, however, you decide that there is nothing that you can do to avoid the danger. For example, you cannot prevent an airplane crashing into your house, and you may not want to go and live in a desert where there are no airplanes. In this case, fear has given you its warning, you have examined it and decided on your course of action, so fear of the particular danger is no longer of any use to you, and you have to try to overcome it.
60. Children would play with fire until their hands are burnt away if _________.
A. they were not well educated at school B. they had never played with fire before
C. they had no sense of pain D. they were fearful of pain
61. People sometimes succeed in timely avoiding danger because _________.
A. they have gained experience B. they are warned of the danger and take quick action
C. they jump out of the way in time D. they are calm in face of danger
62. What is implied but not stated in the passage?
A. Too much fear is harmful B. Fear is always something helpful
C .Fear is something that can be avoided
D. Fear ought to be used as our guide in our life
63.The best title for this passage should be __________.
A. No Pains, No Gains B. Pain and Actions
C. The Value of Fear D .The Reason Why People Fear
People with less education suffer fewer stressful days, according to a report in the current issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.
However, the study also found that when less-educated people did suffer stress it was more severe and had a stronger effect on their health.
From this, researchers have concluded that the day-to-day factors that cause stress are regular. Where you are in society determines the kinds of problems that you have each day, and how well you will cope with them.
The research team interviewed a national sample of 1, 031 adults daily for eight days about their stress level and health. People without a high school diploma reported stress on 30 percent of the study days, people with a high school degree reported stress 38 percent of the time, and people with college degrees reported stress 44 percent of the time.
“Less advantaged people are less healthy on a daily basis and are more likely to have downward turns in their health.” leading researcher, Dr. Joseph Grzywacz of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, said in a prepared statement. “The downward turns in health were connected with daily stressors (紧张刺激物), and the effect of daily stressors on their health is much more damaging for the less advantaged. ”
“If something happens every day, maybe it’s not seen as a stressor.” Grzywacz says. “Maybe it is just life.”
56.Stress level is closely related to .
A. family size B. social position C. body weight D. work experience
57.Which group reported the biggest number of stressful days?
A. People without any education. B. People without high school degrees.
C. People with high school degrees. D. People with college degrees.
58.The less advantaged people are, the greater .
A. the effect of stress on their health is B. the effect of education on their health is
C. the level of their education is D. the degree of their health concern is
59.Less-educated people report fewer days of stress possibly because .
A. they don’t want to tell truth B. they don’t want to face the truth
C. stress is too common a factor in their life D. heir stress is much greater