Standing desks have become common across Silicon Valley, offering health benefits to those willing to work on their feet. However, due to their high price, they have failed to catch on until now. Recently, Ikea has brought out Bekant convertible（可改变的）standing desk that can become a normal desk at the touch of a button. The $500 adjustable desk can transform from a standard desk to a standing one, and Ikea hopes it could make the standing desk mainstream.
Experts say that changing from a seated to a standing desk can improve productivity. Similar desks have become a common sight at tech firms such as Google, where some employees have even installed treadmill (跑步机)and bicycle desks.
The desk is not the first “convertible” on the market. As early as 2013, Stir Kinect brought out an adjustable desk. The $3,890 Stir Kinect desk has a motor to raise and lower itself, converting it into a standing desk or a traditional desk. The desk can even be programmed to move up and down slightly, making it appear to take a gentle breath to remind the user to change their position. To move between sitting and standing positions, owners simply double tap on the screen. The desk can learn the user’s preferences over time and suggest the best seating position.
The Stir Kinect desk was created by a team of ex-Apple and Disney engineers. It has a built-in touch screen to control and track movement, and can tell users exactly how many calories they burn by standing during their working day. It also has devices containing power points and USB ports for charging phones, to keep cables hidden.
“Ikea’s height adjustable desk is great for opening up the lower end of the market, ’’ said JP Labrosse, founder and CEO of Stir.What is the text mainly about?
| A．Ikea has brought out an adjustable standing desk. |
| B．Silicon Valley offered health benefits to officials. |
| C．Google formed their tech firms to design bicycle desks. |
| D．The Stir Kinect desk will become mainstream in the market： |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．Before Bekant desk, similar adjustable desks have been widely used. |
| B．The seated desks will take the place of the standing desks in the future. |
| C．Compared to the Stir Kinect desk, the Bekant desk is much cheaper. |
| D．The adjustable desks were designed by the Apple and Disney Company. |
The Stir Kinect desk______.
| A．can breathe in and breathe out by pressing the button once. |
| B．can charge phones by using a device containing power point. |
| C．can tell you how many calories you need for a walk |
| D．can advise you to do more exercise at a proper time |
What can we infer from the last sentence given by JP Labrosse that______.
| A．Ikea’s adjustable desk will be popular with average people. |
| B．Ikea will have to sell furniture at a lower price in the future. |
| C．This height adjustable table can only be found in Ikea. |
| D．It is not necessary for Ikea to open up the market at all. |
A person named Bernard Jackson today is a free man, but he has many bitter memories. He spent five years in prison after a jury wrongly convicted (判处…有罪) him of raping two women. At Jackson’s trial, although two witnesses testified that Jackson was with them in another location at the time of the crime, he was convicted anyway. Why? The jury believed the testimony(证词)of the two victims, who positively identified Jackson as the man who had attacked them. The court eventually freed Jackson after the police found the real criminal.
Many factors influence the accuracy of eyewitness testimony. For instance, witnesses sometimes see photographs of several suspects before they try to identify the person they saw in a group of people. They can become confused by seeing many photographs of similar faces. The number of people in the group, and whether it is a person or a photograph, may also affect a witness’s decision. People sometimes have difficulty identifying people of other races. The questions the police ask witnesses also have an effect on them.
Many people believe that police officers are more reliable than ordinary people. Psychologists decided to test this idea, and they discovered that it is not true. Two psychologists showed a film of crimes to both police officers and civilians. The psychologists found no difference between the police and the civilians in correctly remembering the details of the crimes.
Despite all the possibilities for inaccuracy, courts cannot omit eyewitness testimony from a trial. American courts depend almost completely on eyewitness testimony to resolve(决定)court cases. Sometimes it is the only evidence to a crime, such as rape. Furthermore, eyewitness testimony is often correct. Although people do sometimes make mistakes, and convict innocent people, more importantly, eyewitness testimony has rightly convicted a larger number of guilty people.
American courts depend on the ability of the twelve jurors, and not the judges, to determine the accuracy of the witness’s testimony. It is their responsibility to decide if a certain witness could actually see, hear and remember what happened.Bernard Jackson was found guilty and sentenced 5 years’ prison because________.
| A．the victims insisted that he was the attacker |
| B．he admitted the crime of raping two women |
| C．the police discovered evidence leading to his guilt |
| D．the eyewitness proved the victims’ testimony |
The following statements may be the reasons for why sometimes the eyewitness’ testimony is not accurate EXCEPT ________.
| A．the eyewitness is confused by the police’s questions |
| B．the eyewitness is shown photos of many similar faces |
| C．the eyewitness lacks the professional help from police |
| D．the eyewitness can’t identify people of other races clearly. |
An inaccurate eyewitness testimony may lead to________.
| A．the misunderstanding of the case |
| B．the disbelief in the court |
| C．the disrespect for the eyewitness |
| D．the conviction of an innocent person |
Eyewitness testimony is important because ___________.
| A．it can be relied on to detect criminals in all cases |
| B．it is sometimes the only way to resolve court cases |
| C．it is sometimes the only clue for police investigation |
| D．it is more reliable than physical evidences to a crime |
According to the text, we can infer that ________.
| A．eyewitness testimony is valuable, though sometimes incorrect |
| B．police identification is more reliable than that of the ordinary people |
| C．crime victims often fail to give positive identification of the suspects |
| D．the jury relies on the judge than the eyewitness for a decision |
Are you worried by the rising crime rate? If you are, you probably know that your house and possessions are increasingly in danger of suffering from great rise in the cases of burglary(夜盗;抢劫) and attack.
Figures show an ever-increasing crime rate, but it is only too easy to imagine "It will never happen to me"．Unfortunately, statistics show that it really can happen to you and, if you live in a large city, you run twice the risk of being a victim.
Fortunately, there is something definite which you can do．Protect Alarms can help to protect your house with a burglar alarm system which is effective, simple to operate and easily affordable.
You must remember that owning a burglar alarm is no indication(暗示) that your house is packed with valuable possessions．It quite simply indicates to unwelcome visitors that yours is one house they will not break into easily, so they carry on to an unprotected house where their job is made a lot easier.
Send now for our free leaflet telling you how we can Protect Alarm your house quickly, easily and cheaply．Complete and tear off the slip below and post it to us．Postage is free．Also, telephone us on 327 6721 where we have a round-the-clock answering service．It costs nothing to find out about Protect Alarm.Anyone who takes an interest in the crime rate will, according to the text, be aware that ___________.
| A．more burglars are being caught than ever before |
| B．people have more possessions to worry about nowadays |
| C．burglars are more at risk than they used to be |
| D．homes are more likely to be broken into nowadays |
It seems that people who live in cities are ____________.
| A．more often victims than those living in other areas |
| B．of the opinion that statistics are wrong |
| C．twice as well as people living in other areas |
| D．of the opinion that burglars only rob unprotected homes |
The article claims that possessing an alarm system will _________.
| A．show burglars that you have something worth stealing |
| B．persuade burglars not to break into your house |
| C．make the burglars' job less complicated |
| D．persuade burglars to try again another time |
In order to find out more information about this alarm system one can _______.
| A．buy a leaflet |
| B．write enclosing a stamped, addressed envelope |
| C．sign a contract |
| D．phone at any time of day or night |
The underlined word "Figures" in the second paragraph can be replaced by “__”．
| A．Pictures |
| B．Fingers |
| C．Numbers |
| D．Mathematics |
In 1977, a dead author of detective stories saved the life of a 19-month-old baby in a most unusual way. The author was Agatha Christie, one of the most successful writers of detective stories in the world.
In June 1977, a baby girl became seriously ill in Qatar, near Saudi Arabia. Doctors were unable to find out the cause of her illness with confidence, so she was sent to Hammersmith Hospital in London. She was then only semi-conscious and on the "Dangerously Ill" list. A team of doctors hurried to examine the baby only to discover that they, too, were confused by the very unusual symptoms . While they were discussing the baby's case, a nurse asked to speak to them.
"Excuse me," said Nurse Marsha Maitlan, "but I think the baby is suffering from thallium poisoning. (铊中毒)"
"What makes you think that?" Dr. Brown asked. "Thallium poisoning is extremely rare."
"A few days ago, I was reading a novel called A Pale Horse by Agatha Christie," Nurse Maitlan explained. "In the book, somebody uses thallium poison, and all the symptoms are described. They're exactly the same as the baby's."
"You're very thoughtful and you may be right," another doctor said. "We'll carry out some tests and find out whether it's thallium or not."
Tests showed that the baby had indeed been poisoned by thallium, a rare metallic substance used in making special glass. Once they knew the cause of the illness, the doctors were able to give the baby the correct treatment. She soon recovered and was sent back to Qatar. Later it was reported that the poison might have come from an insecticide (杀虫剂) used in Qatar.1The one who first suggested the correct cause of the baby's illness was _____.
| A．a doctor in Qatar |
| B．Nurse Maitlan |
| C．Dr. Brown |
| D．Agatha Christie |
The baby was sent to London because _____.
| A．she was born there |
| B．the hospitals in Qatar were full at that time |
| C．she was the daughter of a doctor in London |
| D．the Qatar doctors were not sure whether they could cure her |
As far as we can tell from the passage, Agatha Christie _____.
| A．had never met this baby |
| B．had spent a long time studying the baby's case |
| C．visited the baby in the hospital at Hammersmith |
| D．gave Nurse Maitlan some advice on the phone |
It seems likely from the passage that the baby's illness had something to do with _____.
| A．a dangerous pair of glasses |
| B．the water in Qatar |
| C．a harmful substance used to kill insects |
| D．a dead writer |
When the baby was sent to the hospital in London, her case was considered to be _____.
| A．an urgent one |
| B．quite a simple one |
| C．a usual one |
| D．the result of thallium poisoning |
Detective Keeling took his client — a good-looking lady into the back yard of the store together. The lady opened a door in the wall and they entered the small room behind the store. They crossed the room to a locked door.
M r. Keeling took some special keys from his pocket. Moments later, one of the keys unlocked the door. The lady went into the store. She said she would hide under the table to keep watch on her husband. Mr. Keeling did not follow her.
The detective went quickly to the policeman’s house. Then the two men hurried to the jewellery store. They looked through the window. The policeman was surprised. He spoke to Mr. Keeling. “I don’t understand. You told me, ‘Robbins took a young woman to a restaurant.’ Where is she?”
“There she is !” said Mr. Keeling. He pointed through the window.
“Do you know the lady with Robbins?” asked the policeman.
“That’s his secret friend,” said Mr. Keeling.
“No! You’re wrong! That’s Robbins’ wife,” said the policeman. “I’ve known her for fifteen years.”
“What ?” the detective shouted. His face became pale. “Who is under the table in the store?”
He started to kick the door of the jewellery store.
Mr. Robbins came to the door and opened it. The policeman and the detective ran into the store.
“Look under that table!” shouted the detective. “Be quick!”
The policeman lifted the cloth and put his arm under the table. He pulled out a black dress, a black veil and a woman’s wig(假发).
“Is this young lady your wife?” Mr. Keeling asked the jeweler. He pointed at the woman.
“Yes! She is my wife !” said Mr. Robbins angrily. “Why did you kick my door? Why are those clothes under my table?”
“Please check all the jewellery in your store, Mr. Robbins,” the policeman said. “Is anything missing?”
Some diamond rings and some expensive necklaces were missing. The missing jewellery was worth ＄800.
Later that night, Mr. Keeling was sitting in his office. He was looking through a big book of photographs. They were photographs of criminals. The policeman had brought the book to the detective’s office. Suddenly, Mr. Keeling stopped turning the pages. He looked at a picture of a handsome young man with a familiar face.
The next morning, Mr. Keeling paid the jeweler ＄800, and then closed his office.At the beginning, the lady was able to go into the jewellery store because ___________.
| A．she went to the back yard and found the way |
| B．she was the owner of the store and had the key |
| C．two men helped her together to enter the store |
| D．Mr. Keeling unlocked the back door to the store |
The young lady who stayed with Mr. Robbins in the jewellery store was actually _________.
| A．Mr. Robbins’ sister |
| B．Mr. Robbins’ secret friend |
| C．Mr. Robbins’ wife |
| D．a clever thief |
It can be inferred from the passage that Mr. Keeling cooperated with his client _____________.
| A．so that he could get some jewellery from the store |
| B．because he thought he was helping the lady |
| C．because he wanted to play a joke on Mr. Robbins |
| D．so that he could get a job as a policeman |
The missing jewellery worth＄800 was in fact taken away by _____________.
| A．a young woman |
| B．a young man |
| C．a detective |
| D．a policeman |
Sherlock Holmes is considered by many people as the greatest detective in fictional literature. He is, in fact, more famous than his own creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In the popular series of stories, Holmes is described as “tall and lean, pope-smoking, always in his cape and speaks in a splendid manner”. Doyle gave Holmes’ address as 221-B Baker Street, London, and to this day some visitors to London still go to Baker Street to search for 221-B. Of course, there never was really any such address. Holmes’ flat was supposed to be shared by the lovable, but sometimes clumsy Doctor Watson who went around with Holmes trying to solve crimes before Holmes did. Poor Dr Watson lost out to Holmes every time.
Doyle gave Holmes a masterly skill of deduction---the ability to come up with interesting conclusion from the simplest clues found at the scene of a crime. Doyle said that the description of Holmes was modeled on one of his lecturers at Edinburgh University where he studied medicine. That man was Dr Joseph Bell. Sherlock Holmes first appeared in Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet published in 1887. Holmes was so loved by all that when his author killed him off in one of his stories, readers wrote in anger to complain. They refused to allow Holmes to die! Holmes was brought back to “life” and appeared in further stories.
The stories of Sherlock Holmes have been reprinted many times ever since then. Today we can watch Holmes at work on cinema and television screens as well as on stage.Sherlock Holmes was________.
| A．the greatest detective who ever lived |
| B．Dr Joseph Bell |
| C．Arthur Conan Doyle |
| D．only a character made up by Arthur Conan Dolye |
Dr Watson was________.
| A．tall and learn |
| B．always in his cape |
| C．lovable but sometimes clumsy |
| D．lovable but always clumsy |
Holmes was supposed to have lived_______.
| A．with Dr Watson |
| B．with Dr Joseph Bell |
| C．with his readers |
| D．with Doyle |
Doyle made up the description of Holmes_______.
| A．from his own imagination |
| B．based on a famous London doctor |
| C．based on Dr Joseph Bell at Edinburgh University |
| D．based on a model of Holmes |