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． |
阅读下面短文并回答问题（请注意问题后的词数要求）。
【1】“Don’t stare. Chew with your mouth closed.”Manner minding is expected everywhere, at school, work, home, and even the Internet. What is netiquette? It’s network etiquette(利仪), a set of rules for behaving properly online.
【2】 It’s easy to misunderstand.
When you communicate online, all you see is a computer screen. You can’t use facial expression, gestures, or tone of voice; words are the only information. It’s easy to misunderstand others’ meanings and forget that they are real people just like you!
【3】“Look” good online.
Networks let you reach out to people you’d otherwise never meet. And none of them can see you. You won’t be judged by the color of your skin, eyes or hair, your weight, your age, or your clothing. You will, however, be judged by the quality of your writing. So spelling, grammar, and content really matter.
【4】Share expert knowledge.
The reason why asking questions online works is that a lot of knowledgeable people are reading the questions. If you ask a question, it’s polite to share the answers with others. If you’re an expert yourself, ________________. It’s a long-time net tradition, and it makes the network a better place.
【5】 Forgive mistakes.
Everyone was a green hand at network once. So when someone makes a mistake, whether it’s a spelling error or a stupid question, be kind about it. If you decide to inform someone of a mistake, point it out politely. Why is it easy to misunderstand others’ meanings online? (no more that 17 words)
_____________________________________________________________________ List three things to judge the quality of one’s writing online. (no more than 5 words)
①_____________________________________________________________________
②_____________________________________________________________________
③_____________________________________________________________________ Fill in the blank in Paragraph with proper words or phrases to complete the sentence. (no more than 6 words)
_____________________________________________________________________ Why do people like to raise questions online? (no more than 15 words)
_____________________________________________________________________ What should you do if you find some mistakes online? (no more than 3 words)
_____________________________________________________________________
As long as you have broadband(宽带) service in your home, you can turn on your desktop computer and connect to the Internet. If you have a wireless router(路由器), a device that spreads the broadband connection to other devices, you can set up a Wi-Fi network, which enables your cellphones and tablets go online too. And when you are outdoors where is no Wi-Fi, such as in the park or at the beach, having 3G service allows you to stay connected.
It seems that lots of us have Internet coverage everywhere we go. So why have mobile companies around the world lately been so enthusiastic about a new term, “4G”? First, you need to know that the letter :G” stands for “generation”. Even if you have no idea what 4G is, at least you can figure out that it is a step up from 3G since it’s the latest generation of mobile internet service.
Unlike broadband, mobile Internet uses the same signal towers that provide voice service to your cellphone, which means wherever you can make phone calls with your cellphone you also have an Internet connection.
But mobile connections have their defects: they don’t carry as much information as broadband does, making opening websites and downloading music slower than they are on a Wi-Fi connection. This is why mobile connections have been constantly upgraded since the first generation was launched back in the 1980s.
According to BBC, 4G is five to seven times faster than current 3G network speeds, almost as fast as home broadband. Because of this, 4G is widely suited for services like video downloading, mapping, online shopping and even video conferencing.
To achieve the high speeds, network companies have to spend a lot of money on building new signal towers, which will eventually lead to a higher phone bill if you switch to 4G, and you will also have to get a new phone with 4G capacity. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?
| A．The development of Wi-Fi |
| B．The convenience of using cellphones. |
| C．The influences of the Internet on our life. |
| D．Various ways to get access to the Internet. |
The underlined word “defects” in Paragraph4 probably means_______.
| A．disadvantages | B．functions |
| C．qualities | D．benefits |
What is the weakness of 3G compared with 4G?
| A．Its voice is not as clear as 4G |
| B．It can’t satisfy the users’ basic needs. |
| C．Its network speeds are much slower. |
| D．It has much less popularity than 4G. |
Mobile technology has constantly been improved to_______.
| A．replace broadband | B．increase the network speed. |
| C．download videos | D．connect more cellphones |
What does the author think of 4G service?
| A．Its service is worth the price. |
| B．There is no need to develop it. |
| C．It takes time to be widely used. |
| D．It provides good service at a higher price. |
In the Central Valley of California, famers are reducing crop size because they do not have enough water. Last year, California had the least amount of rain since officials began keeping records. And it may be just as bad this year.
Reservoirs are areas where water is stored. In California, some reservoirs are empty. The amount of snow in the Sierra Mountains is 75 percent below normal. This mountain snow melts in the spring and fills rivers. The water is used by farmers. But now, farmers are warning of the possibility of another “Dust Bowl”, like the one of 1930s. Severe droughts and dust storms covered American farmlands and few crops grew.
Dan Errotabere is a third generation California farmer. He grows tomatoes, walnuts, garlic and other crops in Fresno County. He says the federal agency that controls the amount of water released from dams and rivers has stopped giving him water. He and other farmers say officials are not correctly administering the water system. “The last couple of years-dry years, along with severe environmental restrictions—has now presented us with a zero allocation year”, said he.
Farmer may not be able to plant crops on more than 200,000 hectares of farmland in the Central Valley this spring. Mr. Errotabere will plant crops on just 80 percent of this farmland. He has enough work for only 15 of his 25 workers.
Federal and state officials sometimes reduce the amount of water to farmers even in years with normal rainfall levels. The officials must supply water to the Sacramento River Delta which is home to several endangered species.
Long-term solutions include conservation, recycling waste water and, building “desalinization(脱盐) enters”. These center remove salt from seawater so it can be used on farms. Farmers say better administration of the state’s water system could also help solve the crisis.The farmers in California grow fewer crops due to.
| A．water shortage | B．water pollution |
| C．government policy | D．species protection |
There is no water in some reservoirs because .
| A．snow didn’t melt in time | B．dust storms covered them |
| C．water supply was cut off | D．the snowfall dropped sharply |
What do we know about Dan Errotabere?
| A．He isn’t content with the officials of water system. |
| B．He can do nothing but ask for help from the government. |
| C．He has to employ more workers to work for him. |
| D．He plans to cut down the majority of his crops. |
The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to .
| A．salt | B．seawater |
| C．waste water | D．desalinization |
What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．Annual rainfall in California decreases. |
| B．Water use in California is not reasonable. |
| C．Lack of water affects California crops. |
| D．Action is taken to rid drought in California. |
There are quite a few advantages of wearing school uniforms. The idea may seem disagreeable at first, considering all the positive effects coming from wearing uniforms you would be more likely to enjoy them.
Teachers love school uniforms because it helps provide and orderly learning environment. Having students dressed in uniforms may teach them how to resent themselves in a neat and professional manner. It gives students the opportunity to learn how to dress like young ladies and gentleman. And they can focus their attention on academics rather than style.
Purchasing (购买) school uniforms is easy and needs less hesitation and consideration. No matter what the school’s policy is, there are only specific essential (基本的) pieces to the wardrobe (服装) that are necessary, so it won’t break the bank. A few wardrobe items can last a long time. Parents could also enjoy an easy morning, as it will take less time to choose a set of clothes for the school day.
Students wearing uniforms will feel less pressure about what to wear or not to wear when their classmates are dressed similarly. Getting dressed before school becomes less of a chore (琐事) when students are limited in their choices, so there shouldn’t be any trouble about choosing an outfit for the day and getting ready quickly. Some students may not like the lack of individuality (个性) with a uniform, but some school dress code policies may offer them the opportunities to show their unique styles.
Uniforms today are also becoming trendier and can be seen in many areas of pop culture. Celebrities (名人) and fashion designers are using uniforms as inspiration for new looks which also appeal to students.What would be the best title for the text?
| A．How to dress properly |
| B．The history of school uniforms |
| C．The advantages of school uniforms |
| D．How to deal with pressure in school |
Teachers think that wearing school uniforms ________
| A．is just a tradition that students should follow |
| B．makes students feel less pressure in study |
| C．helps students put more effort into their studies |
| D．makes students lose their independence and identity |
The underlined part “it won’t break the bank” in paragraph 3 probably means “_______”
| A．a school uniform doesn’t cost a lot of money |
| B．a school uniform should be worn every day |
| C．parents will have to go to the bank many times |
| D．parents who work in a bank can afford the uniform |
We can infer from the text that school uniforms _______
| A．are not popular with fashion designers |
| B．were not accepted by parents in the past |
| C．will be designed by students themselves |
| D．will be more fashionable in the future |
The author’s attitude towards students’ wearing school uniforms is ________
| A．negative | B．supportive |
| C．doubtful | D．unclear |
Unemployment in the United States is still high at 6.7 percent. But for job seekers, especially those with college educations, researchers say findings a job can be as logging on to a computer. It used to be that looking for a job meant hurrying around, knocking on doors and turning to ads. But that’s changing, thanks to the Internet. A new report says, for college graduates, looking for a job is getting easier. More than 80 percent of the jobs are available online.
At the height of the depression(萧条), when U.S. unemployment peaked at 10 percent, just a little more than two million jobs were being posted each month. But as the recovery takes hold, the job picture looks increasingly bright.
That’s great news for Hamilton. Only once has he ever applied in person for a job at a shopping mall. He said,“I think my generation—the idea of going door to door, out knocking and saying, hey are you hiring?—like that—doesn’t exist anymore…those days are gone, just go online.”
Kim Dancy recently graduated with a master’s degree in Public Policy. She found her dream job as an education policy researcher. But she says finding the perfect job online takes a lot of perseverance. She said, ”It can be really frustrating and it takes a long time, but if you applied for enough positions and really do your homework you will get somewhere.
The report’s findings suggest careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math provide the greatest opportunities, with salaries that range between $30—$45 an hour. But for maximum income and satisfaction, workers must be prepared to move and change jobs at least every five years. The highest unemployment rate in the depression in the U.S. was___
| A．10% | B．6.7% | C．6% | D．7% |
In what way does Hamilton find his job in most cases?
| A．Applying in person | B．Searching papers |
| C．Turning to the Internet | D．Going door to door |
What can we learn from Dancy’s experience?
| A．Job applicants should do much housework |
| B．Online job—hunting calls for perseverance |
| C．Only online can an applicant find a job |
| D．Finding a dream job is really exciting |
How can you get a high salary according to the text?
| A．By hurrying around | B．By sticking to your work |
| C．By surfing the Internet | D．By switching jobs regularly |
The best title of this text probably is____
| A．Searching for jobs online | B．College education online |
| C．Unemployment in the US | D．Economic recovery in the US |