Consumer electronics once again topped the list of the most wanted gifts this holiday season. “Seventy-six percent of consumers who plan to buy holiday gifts say that they will spend money buying at least one technology product; definitely a solid vote of confidence for technology.” Steve Koenig is with the Consumer Electronics Association. He says the group’s latest research also shows that Americans this year are spending more on technology products.
“Here in 2012, $252 on average–the technology spend for consumers this year.” From tablet computers to smart phones, American shoppers have been lining up to get the newest and coolest electronic devices on the market. There are more choices today than ever before. “It’s kind of hard to make a decision.”
Tablet computers are one of the best-selling products this year. Brian Tong is Senior Editor of CNET.com. The website reports on tech news and examines the latest electronic products. He says the Apple iPad Mini is one of the most popular tablets. Its starting price is $329. One of Apple’s biggest competitors is the Google Nexus 7. It starts at $199.
“The hardware inside is more powerful than what’s in the iPad Mini, but also it offers you a lot of things like maps that work better than Apple’s maps.” Brian Tong says there is one reason why people may like the iPad Mini more than the Nexus 7. “If you just want to read books and surf the Internet, you don’t really need to get an iPad Mini, but if you want the largest group of apps that’s where the iPad and Apple’s ecosystem shines the most.”
Elman Chacon is with the electronics store Best Buy. He says another hot product this season is smart cameras. They connect to the Internet through Wi-Fi. This makes it easy for users to email or upload photographs directly from the camera. “You can literally take a picture, upload it into your Facebook in a matter of seconds. These things are pretty cool because they do a lot of things.”
Streaming media boxes also connect to the Internet. People are able to watch web content such as movies and YouTube videos on their televisions. Another popular item is wireless speaker systems. The newest ones work with any device that has Bluetooth technology, including smart phones, laptops and tablets.
With the growing popularity of Internet shopping, many consumers will visit a store first to look at a product, and then go online to find it at a lower price. Stores like Best Buy understand that and they want to stay competitive.
“We have something called the perfect match promise which means if you buy a certain device and you find it cheaper within 30 days we’ll go ahead and price match that for you.” Elman Chacon said.According to Brain Tong, ________.
| A．the Apple’s iPad Mini is more suitable for enthusiastic readers |
| B．the hardware in iPad Mini is more advanced than that in Nexus 7 |
| C．iPad Mini is more eco-friendly |
| D．Nexus 7 has fewer apps than iPad Mini |
If you’ve discovered that a certain device you bought at Best Buy is more expensive than one at another store, ________.
| A．you are sure to get double the amount you paid |
| B．the store will return the price differences |
| C．you can return the device and get your money back |
| D．the store will lower the price within 30 days |
Which of the following would be the best gift for a cab driver?
| A．Smart cameras. | B．Streaming media boxes. |
| C．Tablet computers. | D．Wireless speaker systems. |
What is true about the smart cameras ?
| A．To show the varieties of products |
| B．The smart cameras are more powerful. |
| C．It can make the users upload their photographs easily . |
| D．The smart cameras makes it more convenient to go on Internet . |
From the passage , we can infer _______ .
| A．Electronics have become one of the biggest consumer industries in the US. |
| B．There are many electronics in the United States . |
| C．The US becomes the Number One electronics consumers . |
| D．We can buy much cheaper products in US . |
Ⅳ．阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
A
People in cities all over the world shop in supermarkets. Who decides what you buy in the supermarket? Do you decide? Does the supermarket decide?
When you enter the supermarket, you see shelves full of food. You walk in the aisles between the shelves. 
You push a shopping cart and put your food in it.
You probably hear soft, slow music as you walk along the aisles. This may be an attempt to please you, so you will enjoy shopping. Some supermarkets want to increase their profits by playing soft and slow music, because the slow music makes you walk slowly and you have more time to buy things.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are usually put near the entrance. When you arrive at the supermarket, you concentrate on the kinds of fruit and vegetables you need first. Once you've got that out of the way, you can relax and do the rest of the shopping without any hurry. Besides, if you see fresh goods first, it gives you a "feel good" impression of freshness, so you can not help spending your money.
Maybe you go to the meat department then. There is some meat on sale, and you want to find it. The manager of the supermarket knows where customers enter the meat department. The cheaper meat is at the other end of the meat department, away from where the customers enter. You have to walk past all the expensive meat before you find the cheaper meat. Maybe you will buy some of the expensive meat instead of the meat on sale.
Most of the food in supermarkets is very attractive. It all says "Buy me quickly!" to the customers. The fresh fruit and vegetables say "Buy me quickly!" as you walk by. The expensive meat says "Buy me quickly!" The supermarket tells you what to buy.
56. Some supermarkets play soft, slow music because it ________.
A. can help customers get the things they want
B. makes customers walk slowly and buy more
C. can make customers relaxed and happy
D. can tell customers exactly where to go
57. The manager knows ________.
A. where customers come from B. which customers like slow music
C. where fresh meat should be put D. which customers like cheap meat
58. When walking past the expensive meat, the customers will _______.
A. possibly buy some B. pay no attention to it
C. look for some cheap meatD. feel uncomfortable
59. If you see fresh goods first in the supermarket, ________.
A. you know where to get things B. it brings you good luck
C. it makes you spend less money D. you’ll get a fresh impression
60. Supermarket managers make the food attractive so that ________.
A. the customers will buy more B. it looks very expensive
C. the customers come often D. it seems cheap and fine
E
It is the last day of the school year and I stand empty – handed with no gift to give you.
It isn't that I haven't tried to think of something meaningful and special … quite to the contrary. For months I have combed shops and department stores, and even searched the Internet only to realize that nothing could measure up to the feelings of a mother’s grateful heart an
d a teacher’s loving devotion.
How I wish a colorful bundle of fresh wildflowers could reflect the beauty of your way with children! Jewelry would surely be nice, but what can I afford that would not grow quickly out of style? You deserve respect for your determination and creativity, your devotion and talent.
At the moment the first school bell rang last August, I placed in you my trust, believing you would teach my child and reserve respect for me as a parent. I added to that my constant and devoted wish that you would be reasonable and fair to set limitations and rules while offering my child a chance to learn self-control. I sincerely hope that your classroom would be a safe shelter for my child to grow and learn, which is a perfect mixture of self-discipline and controlled instruction. I prayed for your health and your happiness, and your ability to be supplied with the tools necessary to complete your task as a teacher and educator. I offered you my time as often as I could, and my support for your cause. Occasionally, I even offered you a challenge when I spoke my mind, sometimes standing firm, sometimes giving up with a renewed assurance or a “ wait and see” attitude!
I wish with all my heart I could put a delicate ribbon on a wrapped package and give you a “ something” to express my appreciation and affection, but I have nothing to give you that would be better than the precious gift I have ever had to offer and which you already so pleasantly accepted months ago－the one you have held close to your heart, laughed with and probably cried with, cheered and scolded – my child!
And today, as my child returns to my side for the summer, the gift I humbly give to you is found deep within my heart...
57．On the last day of the school year, the author has no gift to give the teacher, because .
A．she has no time to think of something meaningful and special
B．she cannot find something that can properly express her feelings
C．there is nowhere to buy a colorful bundle of fresh wildflowers
D．she thinks it unnecessary to express her feelings to the teacher
58．According to the author, the best gift for the teacher is_________
A．her child B．her respect C．her present D．her support
59．The underlined sentence in the passage implies that the author hopes that .
A．the teacher can teach her child patiently
B．the teacher will not be too strict with her child
C．the teacher will teach her child enough self - control
D．the teacher can stand firm in the teaching
60．This passage is most probably adapted from__________.
A．a novel B．a letter C．a paper D．a report
D
Sadness is unpleasant, and in a society where personal happiness is prized above all else, there is little tolerance for falling in despair. Especially now we’ve got drugs for getting rid of sad feeling
s — whether it’s after losing a job, the break-up of a relationship or the death of a loved one. So it’s no surprise that more and more people are taking them.
But is this really such a good idea? A growing number of voices from the world of mental health research are saying it isn’t. They fear that the increasing tendency to treat normal sadness as a disease is playing fast and loose. Sadness, they argue, serves a useful purpose—and if we lose it, we lose out. Yet many psychiatrists insist not. Sadness has a nasty habit of turning into depression they warn. Even when people are sad for good reason, they should take drugs to make themselves feel better.
So who is right? Is sadness something we cannot live without
or something horrible never to touch?
There are lots of ideas about why feeling sad should become part of human life. It may be a kind of self-protection, as other primates (灵长类) also show signs of sadness. A losing monkey that doesn’t show sadness after it loses a fight may be seen as continuing to challenge the winning monkey — and that could result in death.
In humans sadness has a further function: we may display sadness as a form of communication. By acting sad, we tell other community members that we need support.
Then there is the idea that creativity is connected to dark moods. There are plenty of great artists, writers and musicians who have suffered from depression or disorder. Scientists found that people with signs of depression performed better at a creative task, and negative moods make people think deeply over the unhappy experience, which allows creative processes to come to the front. There is also evidence that too much happiness can be bad for your career. A doctor found that people who scored 8 out of 10 on a happiness test were more successful in income and education than 9s or 10s. The happiest people lose their willingness to make changes to their lives that may benefit them.
53．The underlined word “this ” refers to ________.
A．taking medicine B．falling in despair C．losing a job D．feeling sad
54．
The author believes sadness is ________.
A．a good thing for people’s health B．something horrible never to touch
C．a necessary function of humans’ D．always to be treated as depression
55．Some animals show their sadness in order to ________.
A．cheat their enemy B．protect themselves
C．comfort the loser D．challenge the winner
56．We can infer from the last paragraph that ________.
A．people with great creativity tend to be happier
B．unhappy experiences contribute to a greater career
C．too much happiness can be bad for your career
D．the happiest people are the most successful ones
C
Have you ever picked a job based on the fact that you were good at 
it but later found it made you feel very uncomfortable over time? When you select your career, there’s whole lot more to it than assessing your skills and matching them with a particular position. If you ignore your personality, it will hurt you long-term regardless of your skills or the job's pay. There are several areas of your personality that you need to consider to help you find a good job. Here are a few of those main areas:
1) Do you prefer working alone or with other people?
There are isolating(使孤立) jobs that will drive an outgoing person crazy and also interactive jobs that will make a shy person uneasy. Most people are not extremes in either direction but do have a tendency that they prefer. There are also positions that are sometimes a combination of the two, which may be best for someone in the middle who adapts easily to either situation.
2) How do you handle change?
Most jobs these days have some elements of change to them, but some are more than others. If you need stability in your life, you may need a job where the changes don't happen so often. Other people would be bored of the same daily routine.
3) Do you enjoy working with computers?
I do see this as a kind of personality characteristic. There are people who are happy to spend more than 40 hours a week on a computer, while there are others who need a lot of human interaction throughout the day. Again, these are extremes and you'll likely find a lot of positions somewhere in the middle as well.
4) What type of work environment do you enjoy?
This can range from being in a large building with a lot of people you won't know immediately to a smaller setting where you'll get to know almost all the people there fairly quickly.
5) How do you like to get paid?
Some people are motivated by the pay they get, while others feel too stressed to be like that. The variety of payment designs in the sales industry is a typical example for this.
Anyway, these are a great starting point for you. I've seen it over and over again with people that they make more money over time when they do something they love. It may take you a little longer, but making a move to do what you have a passion for can change the course of your life for the better.
49．This passage mainly talks about the importance of _______.
A．different jobs B．personalities C．personal skills D．job’s pay
50．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A．Isolating jobs usually drive people mad.
B．Interactive jobs make people shy easily.
C．Extreme people tend to work with others.
D．Almost everyone has a tendency in jobs.
51．What is the missing word about a job search in the following chart?
A．Design B．Skills C．Cooperation D．Hobbies
 |
52．What is the best title for this passage?
A．Lifestyles and Job Pay B．Jobs and Environment
C．Job Skills and Abilities D．Personalities and Jobs
B
Ever since I was a small girl in school, I’ve been aware of what the school textbooks say about Indians. I am an Indian and, naturally, am interested in what the schools teach about natives of this land.
One day, I read that a delicacy(美味) of American Indian people was dried fish, which , according to the textbook, tasted “like an old shoe, or was like chewing on dried leather.” To this day I can remember my surprise, my anger and my sadness at reading these words. We called this wind-dried fish “sleet-shus”, and to us, it was our favorite delicacy and, indeed, did not taste like shoe leather, and didn’t rot our teeth and bring about the various dietary problem that trouble Indian people in modern times. It took many hours of long and hard work to cure the fish in just this particular fashion. Early fur traders and other non-Indians must have agreed, for they often had this food as they traveled around isolated areas.
I brought the textbook home to show it to my father, leader of my tribe at that time. On this particular day, he told me in his wise and modest manner that the outside world did not understand Indian people, and that I should not let it prevent me from learning the good parts of education.
At a later time in my life, I had brought a group of Indian people to the country fairgrounds to sell Indian-made arts and crafts. My group was excited to make some money by selling Indian handicrafts. We thanked the man who showed us to our booth and told him it was nice of him to remember the people of the Indian community. The man expanded a little and remarked that he liked Indian people. “In fact,” he went on to state, “we are bringing some professional Indians to do the show!”
As we stood there in shock, listening to this uninformed outsider, I looked at my dear Indian companion, an eighty-year-old woman who could well remember the great chiefs of the tribe who once owned all the land of this country before the white man came bringing “civilization”, which included diseases and pollution. My friend said not a word, but took the hurt as Indian people have done for many years.
Of course, we all knew that the “professional Indian” were not Indians at all, but dressed in leather and dancing their own dances. And, anyway, how does one become a “professional Indian”?
45．Which of the following statements about “sleet-shus” is true?
A．It tasted like an old shoe.
B．Eating it was like chewing on dried leather.
C．It was delicious but bad for our teeth.
D．It must have brought pleasure to Indians as well as early business men.
46．What does the writer mean by saying “how does one become ‘a professional Indian’”?
A．Only the Indians know how to become professional Indians.
B．The outside civilization can help and Indian become a professional Indian.
C．An Indian is a born professional Indian.
D．The outside civilization can help white people become professional Indians.
47．After reading the passage, you don’t know __________.
A．what the writer’s profession is
B．what upset the writer and her friend at the county fair
C．why the writer went to the county fair
D．the writer’s attitude to the so-called civilization
48．This story is primarily about ___________.
A．customs of native Americans
B．how textbooks describe native Americans.
C．misunderstanding between people from different cultures
D．how an Indian becomes a “professional Indian”