You don’t need to get in a time-travelling machine to see how technology will change our lives, such as the way we shop. Several new technologies that are to change your buying habits already appear. Let’s see what’s in store for your future shopping.
Try it on, virtually（虚拟地）. Want to shop online for a new pair of glasses? You don’t need to guess which pair looks best on you—use the eBay Fashion iPhone app to try a pair of glasses you’re checking out on a picture of your face. But what about buying something bigger? Thanks to Microsoft Kinect’s action tracking（跟踪）camera, you can cover clothes on your screen body. You can even choose the background of your virtual fitting room to improve your shopping experience.
Get a perfect, custom fit. Everyone’s body is shaped differently. To get a perfect fit, you sometimes have to get your clothes changed. But by using 3D scanning technology, all the clothes you buy will fit your body perfectly. Some companies scan（扫描）your body using High-tech to get the real sizes, so they can make special clothes just for you.
High-tech shopping carts（推车）and checkout counters（收银台）. High-tech shopping carts could be common in malls and supermarkets in the future. Microsoft Kinect-enabled carts are under test. The cart can follow you along the aisles（通道）, controlled only by your movement and your voice.
In the United States, several supermarkets use a certain set called “Scan It” that gives buyers the freedom to scan products on their own while they shop. If we don’t want to wait in line before the checkout counters, we can use Toshiba’s new object Recognition Scanner. The machine identifies（辨认）a product as soon as it’s placed in front of a camera just by its shape and color, even if it has no bar code.
1.According to Paragraph 2, the eBay Fashion iPhone app can ______.
A. only make pictures of our faces B. help us sell more clothes online
C. create us a virtual dressing room D. choose suitable glasses for us
2.Which of the following can help get the correct shape of our body?
A. Object Recognition Scanner. B. The eBay Fashion iPhone app.
C. 3D scanning technology. D. Microsoft Kinect-enabled carts.
3.What can we infer from this passage?
A. Checkout counters will disappear from supermarkets in future.
B. High-tech shopping carts will be widely used in malls and supermarkets
C. “Scan It” cannot be used by buyers themselves.
D. The new technologies are only dreams that are impossible to come true.
4.This passage mainly talks about ______.
A. a new time-travelling machine B. the influence of new technology
C. some inventions to change habits D. the ways for future shopping
Many years ago, a French naturalist, Comte de Buffon, wrote some books about natural history. The books were a great success even though some critics（批评家）did not like them.
Thomas Jefferson did not like what Comte de Buffon had said about the natural wonders（奇观）of the New World. It seemed to Jefferson that Comte de Buffon had spoken of natural wonders in America as if（好像）they were unimportant.
This troubled Thomas Jefferson. He was also a naturalist, as well as a farmer, an inventor, a historian, a writer and a politician（政治家）. He had seen the natural wonders of Europe. To him, they were no more important than those of the New World.
In 1788, Thomas Jefferson wrote about his home state, Virginia. While writing, he thought of its natural beauty and then of the words of Comte de Buffon. At that moment, Jefferson created a new word—belittle. He said, “Comte de Buffon believes that nature belittles her productions on this side of the Atlantic（大西洋）.”
Noah Webster, the American word expert, liked this word. He put it in the English language dictionary in 1806, “Belittle—to make small, unimportant.”
Americans had already accepted Jefferson’s word and started to use it. In 1797, the Independent Chronicle（独立纪事报）used the word to describe a politician the paper supported. “It is an honorable man,” the paper wrote, “so let the opposition try to belittle him as much as they please.”
In 1872, a famous American word expert decided that the time had come to kill this word. He said, “Belittle shouldn’t become English. And more critical writers of America, like those of Britain, feel no need of it.”
This expert failed to kill the word. Today, belittle is used where the English language is spoken.
1.Thomas Jefferson was NOT a ______.
A. naturalist B. historian C. politician D. musician
2.We can infer（推断）that Jefferson created the word “belittle” out of his ______.
A. anger B. excitement C. kindness D. responsibility
3.What can we know about the word “belittle” from the passage?
A. It has already disappeared from the English language.
B. It had been used before it was put in the English language dictionary.
C. It is used to describe natural wonders now.
D. An American politician decided to kill this word in 1872.
4.What’s the passage mainly about?
A. How the word “belittle” came into being. B. The argument about natural wonders.
C. Every word has a long history behind. D. Noah Webster supported Jefferson’s idea.
The Big Wheel New ride opens 5 May At Adventure Park See all the city from it Tickets on sale at park entrance Adults: $3.50 Under 16s, $2.50 | Future World The amazing new computer game On sale From next week in Computer shops and supermarkets For 2-4 players Only $35! |
Jeep Rides In the desert 2 p.m. till 6 p.m. $17.50 per person Children must be over 12 years old Call: 321703 | Competition Young singer of the Year York Concert Hall May 29 Win a guitar! Singers must be under 16 Want to know more? Call or text 998456 |
Teen Voice The new magazine for teenagers $2 Interesting stories and pages of fashion and music On sale every week Go to www.teenvoice. com | Top Two Books This month Forest Street by Alan Banks And Best Bike Ride by Kim Jams Order before 10th April for Special price for both books -$20 www.booksoalot.com |
50. 1. If you want to know more information about the singing competition, you can _______.
A. go to www. teenvoice.com B. go to ww.booksalot.com
C. call them at 321703 D. call or text 998456
2.Tom wants to play computer games with his friends, what should he buy?
A. Teen Voice. B. Future World. C. Best Bike Ride. D. Forest Street.
3.Which of the following is NOT true?
A. "Best Bike Ride" is written by Kim Jams.
B. The new magazine for teenagers is on sale every week.
C. Eleven-year-old David is allowed to drive a jeep in the desert on Tuesday.
D. Paul and Tina are going to the Big Wheel with their 4-year-old son, they should pay $9.5 for the tickets.
Once a very rich man and his son collected valuable paintings by famous artists like Picasso, Van Gogh and Monet.
Later, the son left to join the army. After a few weeks, the old man received a letter saying his son had died while taking another soldier to a hospital. The old man became very lonely and sad.
One day, a soldier visited the old man and gave him a painting—it was a portrait（肖像）of his son. The painting of his son became the old man’s most valuable item. He told his neighbors it was the greatest gift he had ever received. The following spring, the old man died.
All of the old man’s paintings would be sold at an auction（拍卖会）. The auction began with the painting of the old man’s son.
“Who will open the price at $100?” the auctioneer asked. Moments passed and no one spoke or raised their hands. Someone said, “Who cares about that painting? Let’s get on to the good ones.” More voices followed in agreement. “No, we must sell this one first,” replied the auctioneer. “Now, who will take the portrait of the son?”
Finally, a good friend of the old man spoke, “Ten dollars!” “Will anyone go higher?” called the auctioneer. After more silence he said: “ Going once… going twice…Sold!” The auctioneer then announced that the whole auction was over. “According to the father’s will, whoever takes the son’s portrait gets the whole collection.” The auctioneer said.
Because of the father’s love, whoever took the son got it all.
1.How did the old man’s son die?
A. He died of a serious heart disease.
B. He died while taking another soldier to a hospital.
C.A car hit him when he went home.
D. He was killed by a doctor.
2.What was the first painting to be sold at the auction?
A. The paintings by famous artists.
B. The gift given by the old man’s neighbors.
C. The portrait of the old man’s son.
D. The most expensive collection of the old man.
3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. At the beginning of the auction, everyone realized the importance of the painting of the son.
B. The painting of the old man’s son was as popular as the other paintings.
C. The old man’s will was to give away the whole collection to charity.
D. The old man’s good friend got the whole collection for only ten dollars.
4.What’s the best title of the passage?
A. Love is Sharing. B. An Expensive Painting
C. A Hot Auction D. Caring About the Person You Love
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出能填入短文相应空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A long time ago, there lived a wise man named Zun-Nun in Egypt. A young man came to visit him and asked, “Teacher, why do you dress in 36 a way? Nowadays it’s necessary to dress neatly（整洁地）, isn’t it? Or how will people know you’re really a 37 and wise man?”
Zun-Nun smiled, took a ring from his finger and said, “Young friend, I’ll answer your question, 38 first do one thing for me. Take this ring to the market. Can you sell it for one chip of gold?”
When the young man looked at Zun-Nun’s dirty ring, he thought to 39 , “How will I sell it at that price?”
He 40 the ring to the vegetable, meat and fish traders and others in the market. But 41 was willing to pay a chip of gold.
He returned and told this to Zun-Nun. Zun-Nun said, “Now go to the gold shop and show the ring to the owner. Don’t give a 42 , just see how much he will pay.”
One hour 43 , the young man was back. “Teacher, people in the market really didn’t know the value of this ring. The gold shop owner 44 me 1,000 chips of gold.”
Zun-Nun smiled. “That’s the answer to your question, my friend. Someone can’t be valued only from his 45 . The ring was a gift from the emperor,” he said.
1. A. so B. such C. this D. that
2.A. special B. strange C. common D. stupid
3.A. until B. however C. though D. but
4.A. him B. it C. himself D. itself
5.A. gave B. showed C. sold D. provided
6.A. nobody B. neither C. anyone D. everyone
7.A. ring B. idea C. price D. reason
8.A. after B. before C. ago D. later
9.A. cost B. offered C. spent D. lent
10.A. words B. thoughts C. knowledge D. dress
–Would you mind going to the park with us this Sunday?
--_____. I haven’t been outdoors these days. I can’t wait.
A. Sorry, I can’t B. Sure, I’d love to C. Certainly not D. My pleasure
