Many drivers say the large digital billboards flashing ads every few seconds along Bay Area freeways are just too bright and too distracting. And they may be right.
A Swedish study published in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention concludes that digital billboards hold the gazes of drivers longer than two seconds. Previous studies have shown that anything that takes a driver’s eyes off the road for that length of time increases the risks of a crash. “This study proves what is common sense when it comes to digital billboards,” says Mary Tracy, president of Scenic America, a national nonprofit group that seeks to limit billboards. “Bright, constantly changing signs on the sides of roads are meant to attract and keep the attention of drivers, and this study confirms that this is exactly what they do.”
The Federal Highway Administration allowed digital signs for the first time in 2007 after concluding they did not pose a significant danger. But a follow-up report is pending (待定的) and could be released this year. California has no law banning the billboards, and is one of 39 states that allows them. “We would need to review more research, so it’s too early to call for a ban,” says Jonathan Adkins, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association. “There is a role for digital messaging, such as conveying urgent information and other safety messages.”
There are more than 1,800 digital billboards nationwide, more than double the number five years ago. While no data indicate an increase in accidents due to the Bay Area signs, many drivers are opposed to them.
“Monstrosities” is what Merlin Dorfman of San Jose calls them, while insurance agent David Whitlock says he has found them a major distraction. “They’re much too bright at night,” he says. “When the advertisement switches from a bright color to a darker one, your eyes cannot adjust fast enough, and you end up losing sight of the roadway.”
Officials with sign companies could not be reached for comment, but Bryan Parker, an executive vice president for Clear Channel Outdoor, told USA Today last year that “there’s no doubt in my mind that they are not a driving distraction.”
1.Which of the following is TRUE?
A. The brightness of digital billboards is harmful to people’s eyes.
B. The Federal Highway Administration banned digital signs in 2013.
C. There is evidence indicating an increase in accidents duo to digital billboards.
D. Digital billboards are used to convey messages.
2.What do we learn from the text?
A. Scenic America is an organization that is in favor of digital billboards.
B. Drivers in the Bay Area are against the digital billboards.
C. California has banned digital billboards.
D. There were about 1,800 digital billboards nationwide five years ago.
3.What is Bryan Parker’s attitude towards digital billboards?
A. Supportive. B. Indifferent.
C. Opposed. D. Uncertain.
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A. Studies have shown digital billboards pose a danger to drivers.
B. People’s eyes cannot adjust fast enough to the brightness of digital billboards.
C. A study says flashing digital billboards are too distracting.
D. Experts doubt it is necessary to limit digital billboards.
5.We are most likely to find the text in the ________ section of a magazine.
A. international culture B. traffic and safety
C. fashion and travel D. personal health
Gallows humor（黑色幽默）seem like a mistake, or at least in poor taste. But psychologists say that gallows humor can be an important way to relieve stress. “Humor makes you feel in control and it can give you that feeling that everything is okay even when it's not,” says James M. Jones, a psychology professor at the University of Delaware.
Psychologists say that just because you're laughing doesn't mean you’re wasting time. Occasional teasing among colleagues, particularly if it revolves around things associated with the job, can boost creativity, departmental cohesiveness（凝聚力）and performance.
“There are a lot of stressors out there,” says Ed Dunkelblau, a psychologist with the Institute for Emotionally Intelligent Learning in Chicago. “But gallows humor is a way of making difficult things a little less difficult.”
This is true as long as the humor is used for the right purpose. The main point of it should be inspiring people --- not laughing at them. “Anything that would lift morale（士气）in terms of the company would be good humor,” says Thierry Guedj, a professor of business and psychology at Boston University. “Before you say or do anything, think about, ‘How is this helping my employees’ morale?’”
You want to give your employees and co-workers a sense of belonging, so don’t make observations that are aggressive. Most obviously, Dr Guedj says, don’t make comments about people’s physical appearance, or faith. If you have any doubt, it's appropriate, don't go through with it.
Or you can take aim at the one person you know won't be offended（冒犯）:Yourself. “If there's going to be a joke or story, it should be you,” Mr. Dunkelblau says. For example, if you're a marketing manager reviewing a failed campaign that you led, begin with a line like, “The guy who gave permission to this deal might just be looking for work next week.”
“People with the ability to laugh at themselves can give other people permission to laugh at themselves too,” Mr. Jones says. “And if you can laugh at yourself, you feel better about yourself.”
1.According to the text, gallows humor has the following functions EXCEPT ________.
A. improving performance
B. reducing pressure
C. leading to a big mistake
D. making people more creative
2.What is Ed Dunkelblau’s attitude towards gallows humor?
A. Negative. B. Positive. C. Uncertain. D. Neutral.
3.Which of the following would Dr. Guedj most probably agree with?
A. Gallows humor allows people to laugh at others.
B. Gallows humor is the basic source of morale.
C. Anything that may lift morale can be called gallows humor.
D. Gallows humor may sometimes be used for the wrong purpose.
4.When people use gallows humor, they should ________.
A. show a sense of belonging
B. observe who is aggressive
C. try to avoid irritating others
D. doubt about the result of humors
5.What can we infer from the text?
A. Laughing at ourselves can help relieve the stress of others.
B. People tend to laugh at others rather than themselves.
C. People who laugh at themselves are hard to be friends with.
D. People can’t avoid offending others with gallows humor.
I was reading these interesting stories behind a group of great logos in the world. Personally Nike is my favorite one – it’s so simple. And I liked the stories behind them, which made me forget all other things. McDonald’s, Apple, Mercedes Benz and Adidas own great logos as well, and they are among my favorites.
Nike
In the Greek myth, Nike is the goddess of victory and the source of inspiration for soldiers. This logo represents the wing in the famous statue of the Greek goddess. Nike’s logo was designed by Carolyn Davidson in 1971 for $ 35, and was registered as a trademark in 1995.
McDonald’s
The logo was designed in 1962 by Jim Schindler to resemble the archshaped(拱形的) signs on the side of the company’s then walk-up hamburger stand. Later on, the two golden arches were combined together to form the M. The McDonald’s name was added to the logo in 1968.
Apple
There are different stories behind Apple’s logo. The first logo was a reference to the religious story of Adam and Eve, in which the apple represented the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. One year later, the second logo was designed in 1977 by Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne, and it described Sir Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree. This logo didn’t stay long. One year later it was replaced almost immediately by graphic designer Rob Janoff’s “rainbow apple”, a rainbow-colored silhouette(轮廓)of an apple with a bite taken out of it. And then the rainbow-colored apple was replaced by the one-colored logo in 1998. It has not been changed so far.
Mercedes Benz
The Mercedes Benz logo, which was originally created by Gottlieb Daimler in 1909, consists of a simple description of a three-pointed star that represents its rule of the land, the sea and the air. The company was founded by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach. Mercedes is the name of Maybach’s elder daughter, while Benz came as a result of a combination with Benz, Cie and DMG in 1926.
Adidas
The Adidas logo, which was created by the founder of the company Adi Dassler, represents mountains, pointing towards the challenges that are seen ahead and goals that can be achieved. The logo was used for the first time in 1967.
1.What does the author think of the stories of the great logos?
A. They are attractive. B. They are practical
C. They are boring. D. They are out of date
2.What does Nike’s logo stand for?
A. The statue of the Greek goddess.
B. The wing of the Greek goddess.
C. The goddess of victory.
D. The source of inspiration for soldiers.
3.We can learn that Apple’s present logo is ______.
A.Newton’s sitting under an apple tree
B.the rainbow-colored bitten apple
C.the religious story of Adam and Eve
D.a bitten apple with only one color
4.______ stands for the rule of the land, the sea and the air.
A. The Mercedes logo B. The Adidas logo
C. Nike’s logo D. Apple’s logo
5.Which of the following time orders describes the births of the great logos?
A. McDonald’s – Apple – Nike – Mercedes Benz.
B. Nike– Mercedes Benz – McDonald’s – Apple.
C. Mercedes Benz –McDonald’s – Nike – Apple.
D. Nike– McDonald’s – Apple – Mercedes Benz.
BEIJING, March, 17th --The Japanese automaker Toyota will recall some 4,400 units of FJ Cruiser cars in China over seat belt flaws, China's consumer quality watchdog said Saturday.
The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said on its website that Toyota China will recall these imported cars produced between December 2007 and March 2013.
Toyota is busy working on the solution to the flaw and will release improvement methods before April 15, according to the administration.
This marks Toyota's second recalling this year after the auto giant announced in January that it would recall 22,869 units of Lexus IS cars in China due to wiper arm problem.
China's private auto ownership reached 93.09 million units by the end of 2012, up 18.3 percent compared with the year before. Along with the fast expanding auto market, Chinese drivers grow more concerned about the quality of their cars.
Also on Saturday, the AQSIQ said in a statement on its website that its research has basically confirmed the German automaker Volkswagen's direct shift gearbox (DSG) transmission has defects which may cause engine power failures and urged Volkswagen to recall defective cars after China Central Television (CCTV) exposed Volkswagen's gearbox defect on Friday.
To better protect the interests of Chinese consumers, the AQSIQ announced late last year that it would formulate a guideline to regulate a recall system for faulty cars.
1.What does underlined the word “recall” in the first paragraph probably mean?
A. To bring something into one’s mind.
B. To ask people to return a product.
C. To ask someone to go back
D. To remember something from the past.
2.According to the passage, Lexus IS cars were found to have .
A. wiper arm problem B. seat belt flaws
C. engine power failure D. gearbox defect
3.What is the purpose of regulating a recall system for faulty cars?
A. For a better development of national automobile industry of China.
B. To limit the sales of imported cars in China.
C. For a better protection of rights and interests of Chinese consumers.
D. In order to show the authority and power of AQSIQ.
4.What was China’s private auto ownership by the end of 2011?
A. About 110 million units. B. About 93 million units.
C. About 90 million units. D. About 79 million units.
5.Which of the following statements is probably NOT true according to the news?
A. Chinese put more and more focus on the quality of their cars.
B. Toyota will release its improvements on faulty cars in less than a month.
C. It was AQSIQ that first exposed Volkswagen’s DSG defects.
D. You may get the information about faulty cars on the website of AQSIQ.
On the Iraq-Syria border, a pack of wild dogs circled a group of American soldiers for food. The 1 of the pack was a gray-and-white dog. The soldiers 2 him Nubs. Nubs was shaking and 3 able to stand. Marine major Brian Dennis looked closer and saw that there was a knife wound 4 his chest.
Dennis couldn’t 5 seeing the dog suffer. He and his men immediately treated the wound, and gave Nubs oral medicine. Nubs pulled through but was still 6. The next day, the team had to leave. Ten days later, Dennis’s unit was back and so was Nubs. He was still 7, but the men fed him and played with him.
Before long the unit once again 8 an outpost (前哨) 70 miles away. Nubs, slowly but 9 tracked them far into the trackless wasteland until the men lost 10 of him. Two days later, beyond Dennis’s 11, he saw Nubs just outside the outpost. The dog had 12 him across 70 miles of frozen desert to meet the friend who had saved his life. From then on Nubs and the men slept in the same place, and ran around in the same ruins.
Until a(n) 13 came down from above that they should not be allowed to have pets, Dennis decided to make sure the dog 14 continue to live the good life. So he quickly 15 $4,000 from his family and friends to fly Nubs to 16.
A month later, when Dennis and the dog were 17 in California, at first Nubs didn’t recognize the guy. 18 within seconds , the dog flew into Dennis’s arms, 19 up again and again to lick his friend’s face.
A little care and concern in the middle of war will not save a 20 world. But small stories, like the story of a soldier and a dog, hold a promise of a harmonious world.
1.A. guider B. leader C. major D. helper
2.A. called B. said C. told. D. spoke
3.A. mostly B. certainly C. barely D. clearly
4.A. in B. on C. at D. behind
5.A. help B. stand C. admit D. avoid
6.A. in vain B. in danger C. in surprise D. in pain
7.A. weak B. sad C. alive D. alone
8.A. made up B. returned from C. left for D. took over
9.A. aimlessly B. determinedly C. unhappily D. carefully
10.A. touch B. footprint C. sight D. control
11.A. imagination B. ability C. understanding D. power
12.A. saved B. shown C. found D. followed
13.A. signal B. project C. plan D. order
14.A. need B. would C. might D. should
15.A. rose B. arose C. raised D. aroused
16.A. Britain B. America C. Iraq D. Syria
17.A. reunited B. recalled C. restored D. reminded
18.A. So B. And C. But D. Then
19.A. jumping B. climbing C. cheering D. bringing
20.A. peaceful B. competitive C. fantastic D. violent
It was in time of danger ________ he made the final decision ________ they should send more doctors there.
A. where; that B. when; which
C. where; what D. that; that
