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阅读理解。

      Gadgets (小装置) can be wildly expensive and quickly out-of-date, but Steven Poole is still the
first to buy them. Technological innovations (创新) are often quite stupid. The idea that you might
want to walk down the street holding a mobile phone in front of your face, just to experience the
wonders of video calling, is clearly ridiculous. Luckily for the tech companies, however, there are
some people who jump at the chance to buy into new gadgets before they are fully ready and cheap
enough for the mass-market. They are called early adopters, and their fate is a terrible one. I should
know, since I am one myself.
      Early adopters have a Mecca: it’s Tokyo’s Akihabara district, also known as “Electric City”.
There, in 1999, I bought a digital camera, a gizmo that few people in Britain had heard of. Over the
next few years I watched in great sadness as digital cameras became more popular, cheaper and more
powerful, until better models could be had for a quarter of the price I had paid. Did I feel stupid? What
I actually did was this: I splashed out more money last year for a new one, one that let me feel pleasantly
ahead of the curve once again. But I know that cannot last, and I’ll probably have to buy another in a
few years.
      Thus early adopters are betting on other people eventually feeling the same desires. And it’s worse
if that future never arrives. Early adopters of the Betamax home-video format in the 1970s could only
look on in sadness when their investment was nullified(使无效)by the success of VHS. All sorts of
apparently splendid inventions, such as videogame consoles like the Atari Jaguar have been abandoned
to the dustbin of history right after a few early adopters bought in. Those who invested thousands in a
Segway motorized scooter on the wave of ridiculous advertising campaigns that accompanied its launch
a couple of years ago can join the club.
      You might think we should just stop being so silly, save our money, and wait to see what really
catches on. But the logic of the industry is such that, if everyone did that, no innovation would become
popular. Imagine the third person to buy an ordinary telephone soon after Alexander Graham Bell had
invented it. Who was he going to call? Maybe he simply bought two phones, one for a special friend.
But still, the usefulness and eventual popularity of the device wasn’t clear at the time. Nobody dreamed
of the possibility of being able to speak to any one of millions of people. And yet if he, and the hundreds
and thousands of early adopters after him, had not bought into the idea, the vast communication networks
that we all take for granted today would never have been built.
     The same goes, indeed, for all new technologies. Those guys holding bricks to their ears that we
laughed at in the 1980s made the current mobile phone possible. People who bought DVD players
when they still cost a fortune, instead of today’s cheap one at the local supermarket, made sure that
the new format succeeded. Early adopters’ desire for desires supported the future financially. And
what did they get for their pains? They got a hole in their bank accounts and inferior, unperfected
technology. But still, they got it first. And today they are still at work, buying overpriced digital radios,
DVD recorders and LCD televisions, and even 3G phones, so that you will be eventually be able to
buy better and less expensive ones.
      So next time you see a gadget-festooned geek (满身新潮玩意的土包子) and feel tempted to
sneer (讥笑), think for a minute. Without early adopters, there would be no cheap mobile phones or
DVD players; there would be no telephone or television either. We are the tragic, unsung foot soldiers
of the technology revolution. We’re the desire-addicted pioneers, pure in heart, dreaming of a better
future. We make expensive mistakes so you don’t have to. Really, we are heroes.

1. Steven Poole is mentioned in the first paragraph to ________.A. introduce the topic of the passage
B. present the main idea of the passage
C. prove the content of the passage is true
D. explain why modern technology is stupid2. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.A. the Segway motorized scooter (para. 3) was once quite popular
B. early adopters are probably welcomed by the tech companies
C. Mecca (para. 2) is a place where new digital cameras are designed
D. all the early adopters are very rich and enjoying buying anything new3. According to the passage, what’s probably the worst result for an early adopter?A. He is laughed at by his family and friends.
B. What he buys proves useless and expensive.
C. He finds himself no longer the most fashionable.
D. What he buys doesn’t eventually become popular.4. Why did the writer buy a new digital camera last year?A. Because he didn’t want to miss the cheap but better cameras.
B. Because he had to buy another new camera in several years anyway.
C. Because the old camera made him feel upset and out of fashion.
D. Because early digital cameras were of poor quality and couldn’t last long.5. Which of the following best describe the writer’s attitude towards the early adopters?A. Approving.
B. Doubtful.
C. Critical.
D. Ashamed.6. By saying the last sentence “Really, we are heroes.” the writer wants to express that ________.A. early adopters are likely to get addicted to modern technology
B. early adopters bravely spend much money buying new technology
C. early adopters are as a matter of fact clever investors of technology
D. early adopters help promote the development of technology
答案
1-6: ABDCAD
核心考点
试题【阅读理解。      Gadgets (小装置) can be wildly expensive and quickly out-of-date, but St】;主要考察你对题材分类等知识点的理解。[详细]
举一反三
     Every kid more or less complains about school. But five to ten percent of kids dislike it so much that
they don"t want to attend. lf a child seems upset or anxious about school, pretends to be sick to stay
home, repeatedly winds up in the nurse"s or principal"s office, or refuses to talk about the school day,
you should be concerned.
     One fear that keeps children from enjoying school is separation anxiety. It most frequently occurs
during times of family problems or when a child is about to enter a new school. With younger kids, watch
how you say good-bye those first few days of school. A firm "Have a great day, and I"ll pick you up at
2: 30!" is more confidence-inspiring than" Don"t worry. I can be there in ten minutes if you need me. "
     You can help your child handle fearful situations-from speaking up in class to taking tests-by
rehearsing at home. Help make large projects less discouraging by breaking them into manageable
pieces. Teach your child to replace thoughts such as "I"m going  to  fail" with" I can  handle this".
     Some kids dislike school because they have no friends. This may be the case if your child is always
alone, fakes illness to avoid class outings or gives away treasured possessions in an attempt to be liked.
Often loneliness problems can be solved by improving social skills. A child may need to learn how yo
look others in the eye when he speaks, or how to talk above a whisper -or below a yell. You might
teach a young child a few "friendship openers", such as "Myname"s Tom. What"s yours? Do you want to
play games?"1. When a school boy has separation anxiety, he is___________ .A. worried about his study
B. uncertain if he can deal with his family
C. eager to go to school
D. unwilling to leave his family for school2. Which of the following is NOT a fearful situation for a new school kid?A. Making a public speech.
B. Taking an examination.
C. Finishing a lot of housework.
D. Doing a big amount of homework.3. When a child gives his beloved toy to an unfamiliar classmate, he must be stuck in___________.A. separation anxiety                
B. complaints about school
C. a loneliness problem              
D. a fearful situation4. Which of the following best shows the composition of the passage ?
    ( l)-Paragraph 1
    (2)-Paragraph 2
    (3)-Paragraph 3
    (4)-Paragraph 4A. (1)→(2)→(3)→(4)    
B. (1)(2)→(3)(4)
      ↗ (2)         ↗ (1)
C. (1)→(3)    
D. (2)→(4)
     ↘ (4)         ↘(3)
题型:同步题难度:| 查看答案
阅读理解     Even facts " forgotten" by people during a busy day may beretrieved if this is  followed  by a good
night"s sleep. Researchers from the University of Chicago asked volunteers to remember simple words. 
Many found their memories letting  them down towards the end of the day, but the following morning,
those who had slept well could recall much more. Reserchers , writing in  the journal  Nature .said  the  
brain  coud  " rescue"lost memories during the night.When the brain is first asked to remember something
that memory is laid  down  in  an " unstable " state, meaning that it is possible that it could be lost. At
some point, the brain consolidates  those it deems  important  into a "stable" ,  more permanent state.
     However, the Chicago researchers suggested that it was possible for a " stable" memory to be made "
unstable" agan.This would  mean  that memories could be modified then filed away again in the face of 
new experiences.
The 12 volunteers tested in the experiment were played words created through a speech synthesizer
which were purposely difficult to understand. Initially, the written version of the word was available,but
after wards the volunteers were asked to identify the word from the audio version only. Tests revealed
that the ability to recall the right word tended to tail off as the day ended.    
     However,when the volunteers were retested after a good night"s sleep,they were able to recall some
words that they had"forgotten" the previous evening. Dr Daniel, one of the study authors, said : " Sleep 
consolidates memories , protecting them against subsequent interference or decay. Sleep also appears  
to "recover" or restore  memories. " He said : " If performance is reduced by decay , sleep might actively
recover what has been lost. " 
     Dr Karim Nader, from the Department of Psychology in McGill University in Montreal, said: " Memory
research is undergoing a transformation-no longer  is  memory  thought to be a hard-wiring of" the brain ,
instead it seems to be a process of storage and restorage. "    
     Sleep helps some memories " mature" and also prunes out unimportant memories..1. What does the first paragraph implies?

A. A busy day makes people forget things easily.
B. People need a good night"s sleep after a busy day.
C. A good night"s sleep helps memories.
D. A good night"s sleep helps people forget a busy day.

2. The words the 12 volunteers played in the experiment were not_________.A. created through a speech synthesizer
B. hard to understand
C. available at the beginning
D. designed to test people"s ability of understanding3. According to the passage , memory _________.A. is a hard-wiring of the brain
B. is not a process of storage
C. is not a process of restorage
D. will be mature with the help of sleep4. Which of the following is NOT true?A. When people first remember something, the memory is in an" unstable  state " .
B. The brain will change those important unstable memories into stable.
C. Once the memory become stable, it will never become unstable again.
D. Sleep can protect memories from being harmed
题型:同步题难度:| 查看答案
完形填空     One student took a box of chicken to class.Another carried on a cellphone __1__ and still another
whistled loudly every time the __2__ turned his back.Reform school?No. College.
    More and more, professors say, they are coming across __3__ students in their classrooms.Many of
today"s young scholars arrive late, leave __4__, talk loud or take care of personal __5__ such as paying
bills during class.Why are the students behaving badly?"Because they can, , " said a student of University
of North Texas."A lot of the time, , the professors let them get away with it."
     Some educators say it is time to bring politeness back to their classrooms and even __6__ taking some
of the blame for bad behavior.They say that rude students are by no means the majority but that one of
them can ruin an entire __7__.
     People are __8__ when they learn that impolite behavior is becoming more and more common in
__9__ education, , says Dr. Gerald Amanda, , a counselor at City College of San Francisco.They __10__
some high school students to misbehave but think those who get to __11__ will behave more politely.
     Dr. Amanda believes that society in general has become more tolerant of rude behavior and that people
in power, , including professors, , no longer __12__ standards for __13__.That leads to a growing
imprudence(轻率行为)among some college students."There"s a great deal of bad behavior in the world
around them, , and young people see it and __14__ disrespect, , "said Dr. Amanda, , __15__ that
sometimes students "have no idea that they are being rude."
题型:广东省同步题难度:| 查看答案
题型:山西省期末题难度:| 查看答案
题型:云南省模拟题难度:| 查看答案
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(     )1. A. line      
(     )2. A. professor  
(     )3. A. selfish    
(     )4. A. late      
(     )5. A. feeling    
(     )6. A. enjoy      
(     )7. A. school    
(     )8. A. delighted  
(     )9. A. better    
(     )10. A. expect    
(     )11. A. work      
(     )12. A. change    
(     )13. A. teaching  
(     )14. A. prepare  
(     )15. A. speaking  
B.conversation  
B.student      
B.cheating      
B.early        
B.interest      
B.hate          
B.company      
B.surprised    
B.more          
B.hope          
B.college      
B.break        
B.politeness    
B.grow          
B.adding        
C.message    
C.president  
C.rude      
C.noisily    
C.computer  
C.start      
C.society    
C.interested
C.higher    
C.forbid    
C.learning  
C.set        
C.thinking  
C.develop    
C.warning    
D. picture    
D. classmate  
D. hardworking
D. quietly    
D. business    
D. avoid      
D. class      
D. encouraged  
D. younger    
D. wish        
D. knowledge  
D. reach      
D. progress    
D. improve    
D. wishing                  
阅读理解

     Toucans(巨嘴鸟), a kind of tropical birds known for its colorful beak, are very smart. In Mexico, my
dad became friends with a toucan that was in a "walk in and see the birds" cage. The toucan was so smart that it knew how to get out. It just needed some human to help it. It almost flew out while we were leaving!
I also noticed that all toucans have different beaks! They also have very long unique beaks with an extremely long tongue. It struts(大摇大摆地走) around with its chest sticking out and beak pointed forward. The
toucan is a beautiful bird! The beak has a red tip (different shades on every one), but sometimes there is a
little turquoise on the bottom half. Then, right where the beak separates there is a splotch of yellow. And
the rest of the beak is green. The toucan takes very much pride of itself.
     The toucan eats fruit and seeds. The ramphastidae(the toucan family) is known for its long beak, and
37 species. Toucans also feed on insects, small lizards, bird nestlings and eggs. They nest in hollow trees
where they incubate and care for their young.They are found in the woody areas.
     Of the various toucan facts, here is an odd one. Citizens of Central and South America associate the
toucans with evil spirits. They think the birds can be the personification of evils. Where couvades(父代母育) is practiced, the father of a new child must not eat toucan flesh as it is believed to bewitch the
new-born child. Yet the toucan can also be a tribal totem(图腾). So the medicine men use it as a symbol
to fly to the spirit world.

1.Which of the following words is NOT suitable to describe toucans?
A. Intelligent    
B. Confident    
C. Dangerous    
D. Colorful

2.The second paragraph mainly talks about _______.
A. where toucans strut around  
B. how toucans get food
C. what toucans look like      
D. when toucans lay eggs

3.What does the underlined word"incubate"probably mean in paragraph 3?
A. Hatch eggs    
B. Take cover    
C .Gather strength    
D. Keep warm

4. We can learn from the last paragraph that _______.
A. all citizens of Central and South America are afraid of toucans
B. the toucans can also be used as medicine to cure diseases
C. a new child must not eat toucan flesh because it is poisonous
D. some people believe toucans can bring them misfortune

阅读理解
     Choosing the right university for you is a big decision with many factors to consider. The institution
that you choose will not only be the one that ensures your academic goals, but it will also be where you
will live, learn, play sports, socialize and work for several years. Therefore, before you start filling out
those university application forms, take a step back and consider the many variables that affect the "fit"
of a university to your unique personality and educational goals. Take a look at the following factors,
and decide which ones mean the most to you.
     Consider your educational goals. You will discover that different schools are more recognized or
progressive in your chosen field of study than others. For this reason, talk to advisors, professionals in
your field, or go to clubs organized by the alumni(校友). When you check out school ranking for your
major, you may find that your first choice is not really a match, while another fits perfectly.
     Consider costs. It will be no surprise to you at this point that not all schools cost the same. Some of
the more famous schools are so because they are difficult to get into and difficult to pay for. Don"t let this
necessarily stop you. Just keep this consideration in mind as you narrow your list of potential schools.
     Choosing a university should not be done only on reputation, but also take the academic programs
and overall environment into consideration. Be aware that reputations are sometimes out of date or
overstated, so first-hand experience is often beneficial.
     Once you"ve identified the factors that are most important to you, you"ve taken the first steps towards
making a successful choice. Make sure you pick a university that will serve your needs throughout your
university career.

1. The passage is written for           .
A. college students
B. high school students
C. people out of jobs
D. people looking for jobs

2. In the Paragraph 4, the writer advises you not to stress on           .
A. overall environment
B. the academic programs
C. first-hand experience
D. a university"s reputation

3. It"s better to choose a university which           .
A. costs you a little
B. is well equipped
C. is well known    
D. meets your needs

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. Qualities of a good university.
B. Ways to achieve your goals.
C. Advice on choosing a university.
D. Factors influencing your choice.