Smartphones, tablets and laptops make it easy for people to work on the go, but traditionally, printers have been cumbersome to move out of the office. However, the new Zuta Pocket Printer will enable people to print anywhere. The Zuta Pocket Printer was invented by Zuta Labs, based in Jerusalem. This small printer is about 10.2 cm wide and long and 7.5 cm high, and weighs about 350 grams. The company plans to ship its printers to customers in the beginning of 2017.
This printer can connect wirelessly to smart phones, tablets, laptops and PCs via Wi-Fi, and is supported by Android, iOS, OS X and Windows. A free application from the company lets you use the printer via a mobile appliance; a laptop or PC can also select the printer for Use just like any other wirelessly connected printer. This printer can print one average A4 page,measurin9 21 by 29.7 cm. Zuta Labs noted that its printer can print on any standard size piece of paper, and that, in principle, it could print on any surface.
The printer's," omni-wheels" help it turn and move in any direction on a surface. Laser sensors（激光传感器）help control the movement, speed and location, according to the company.
Zuta Labs said the printer's rechargeable battery can last about l hour, on average—long enough to print about 60 pages. One ink cartridge（墨盒）can print more than 100 pages, according to the company. Currently, the appliance prints only in black, although Zuta Labs said it plans to have a full-color printer in the future.
1.What's the main idea of the text?
A. The Zuta Porket Printer will let people print anywhere.
B. The Zuta Porket Printer has replaced traditional printers.
C. The Zuta Pocket Printer is the smallest one in the world
D. Zuta Labs makes great achievements in selling printers.
2.What does the underlined word "cumbersome" in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
A. advanced. B. small. C. clean. D. heavy.
3.What do we know about the printer?
A. The application the company provides for it is free of charge.
B. The Windows operating system doesn't support it.
C. Laptops or PCs can't select it for use via Wi-Fi.
D. It can only print on the paper of standard size.
4.According to the text, the Zuta Pocket Printer .
A. has the battery which can't last an hour B. has been popular with customers
C. is slower than common printers D. is not a full-color printer now
World Book Day falls on April 23 every year．It was set up by the United Nations Educational,Scientific, and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) in 1995 to encourage people, especially teenagers, to discover the pleasure of reading．It is also the day to honor great writers，for example，William Shakespeare，born or dead on that day．
Many countries celebrate World Book Day．Take UK as an example．On that day，millions of school children can buy books of special price，a much lower price than usual，in any bookstore．It has been done every year since 1998．World Book Day is also celebrated in China. Our Former Premier Wen Jiabao, a bookworm, who does lots of reading every day, has called on people to do more reading. He suggested that young people should spend more time reading．"Books cannot change the world, but people can change the world by changing themselves through reading,” he said．
Why do people like reading? One big advantage is that reading helps us become more knowledgeable and more intelligent. Also, reading helps us to follow the latest developments of science and technology. Besides, reading gives us information about other cultures and places of the world. When we read, we may find many things that are unfamiliar to us. We would have to use our brain to think about them or do more reading to find out the answers. The more we read, the more we know. What’s more, reading is also one of the most important ways to learn a foreign language like English．
"Reading makes a full man" (Bacon，1597). Books，magazines，newspapers and other kinds of materials can help us to know more about the outside world and perfect us. So it is necessary for us to spend time on reading every day．
1.World Book Day was set up in order to encourage people to .
A. buy more books B. do more reading
C. learn foreign languages D. know more about science
2.In the UK，what will school children do on World Book Day?
A. They will give away some books to those poor families’ children.
B. They will go to the library in order to read as many books as possible.
C. They will buy books of much lower price than usual in any bookstore.
D. They will organize some activities in memory of William Shakespeare.
3.How many advantages of reading are mentioned in the passage?
A. Two. B. Three.
C. Four. D. Five.
4.The underlined words “ a bookworm” in Paragraph 2 probably mean .
A. a person who loves reading B. a person who likes reading
C. a person who loves collecting D. a person who likes buying books
In a time when ivory poaching（偷猎）has gotten so bad that it threatens to wipe out several animal species,a young Dutch designer is creating "egalitarian（平等主义）jewelry" made of our very own ivory—teeth.
Lucie Majerus got the idea for her "human ivory" collection after having her wisdom teeth removed.She kept them and soon realized they would make great material for a jewelry collection."Why wouldn't we value our own material instead of the precious material from other species?And what if we mine our own ivory and turn it into pearls?"she asks.
Her own teeth became a ring,but in order to create a whole collection,she needed more material,and since having more of her teeth removed wasn't a very pleasant choice,she asked her dentist to save his patient's unwanted teeth.Most people choose not to keep their pulled teeth,so they are usually donated to dentistry schools.Majerus also received the lost teeth of two of-her teachers at Design Academy Eindhoven,so she had a nice supply of human ivory to experiment with.
To turn human teeth into attractive pieces of jewelry,Lucie Majerus first bleaches（漂白）them,and then uses a stone polishing machine to shape the teeth into various shapes.
Majerus displayed her human ivory jewelry collection at this year's Dutch Design Week,and claims that people's reaction was mostly positive."Surprisingly,most people aren't frightened at the sight of the jewelry,but really like the idea,"Majerus told Fast Co Design."Some regret that they didn't keep their tooth at the dentist and some,who will have teeth taken out soon,are now looking forward to it."
1.When did Majerus get the idea of collecting human ivory?
A. After she bought a ring.
B. Before her wisdom teeth appeared.
C. Before she was lacking in pearls.
D. After her wisdom teeth were pulled out.
2.Seeing Majerus's human ivory jewelry collection,most people felt .
A. frightened B. interested
C. sad D. curious
3.It can be inferred from the text that .
A. Majerus is the first woman to create jewelry using human teeth
B. other species' teeth are more precious than human teeth
C. most people don't like keeping their pulled teeth at home
D. Majerus's teachers objected to her experiments with teeth
4.What may be the best title for the text?
A. Elephants and Ivory
B. Human Ivory Jewelry
C. A Designer Removed Her Teeth
D. The Weakenesses of Human Teeth
As young students gain independence, they can take on science and engineering projects that require more special knowledge. The followings are the best educational toys for middle school students.
Terraforming Mars
The goal of the Terraforming Mars board game is to make the Red Planet fit of human habitation. Players, representing a person sent to the planet to warm it create oceans and build up the oxygen levels, compete for victory points awarded for building cities or introducing animals. The goals are based on real science—for example, players must found greenhouse gas production to warm the planet.
Recommended ages: 12 and up
Price: $69.99
DIY Cell Phone Equipment
Are you kids begging you for the latest for the latest iPhone? Tell them to build up their own.DIY Cell Phone Equipment will teach young teens about the technology behind their beloved mobile equipment. Kids can turn this Phone equipment into a real working phone.
Recommended ages: 12 and up
Price: $58.99
OWI: 14-in-1 Solar Robot
Kids can experience 14 different robotic models with this solar robot. The robot can move on land and water, and there are two skill levels, which means more experienced builders will still be challenged. The robot is powered by the sun, so you don't have to buy batteries（电池）.
Recommended ages: 12 to 15
Price: $24.99
Compound Microscope
Compound Microscope is great for home or classroom explorations. It helps kids get an eyeful of solid samples, such as insects, coins and plants. The microscope also comes with a microtome, dyes, test tubes, a handbook and cleaning tools.
Recommended ages: 12 and up
Price: $89.95
1.These toys may be the best birthday gifts to be sent to .
A. teenagers B. pupils C. children younger than 12 D. babies
2.Compound Microscope will provide buyers the following things except .
A. test tubes B. a battery C. cleaning tools D. a handbook
3.What can we learn from the text?
A. Mars has been suitable for humans to live on.
B. OWI: 14-in-1 Solar Robot is the most expensive toy.
C. DIY Cell Phone Equipment is the latest iPhone at present.
D. You needn't equip OWI: 14-in-1 Solar Robot with a battery.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.How did the speaker know about the cruise holiday?
A. He heard about it from his friend.
B. He saw it in an advertisement.
C. Ms. Lawrence told him about it.
2.What does the speaker plan to do during the cruise holiday?
A. Go to Spain. B. Visit every port. C. Go shopping.
3.What does the speaker care most about the cruise holiday?
A. The departure time. B. The cost. C. The activity.
4.How many people will go on the cruise holiday according to the speaker?
A. 4. B. 5. C. 3.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Where are the speakers?
A. In the woman’s house. B. In the street. C. In a restaurant.
2.What is the problem of the woman’s neighborhood?
A. Teenagers draw pictures on the buildings.
B. People around aren’t friendly.
C. The police aren’t on duty at night.
3.What does the woman think inconvenient?
A. Parking. B. Eating. C. Shopping.
4.What do we know about the man’s neighborhood?
A. It’s quiet at night. B. It’s near a school. C. It’s dirty.
