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 smartphones, 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 smartphones, 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.
1.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. Nexus 7 has fewer apps than iPad Mini
D. iPad mini is more eco-friendly
2.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. you can return the device and get your money back
C. the store will return the price differences
D. the store will lower the price within 30 days
3.Which of the following would be the best gift for a cab driver?
A. Smart cameras.B. Streaming media boxes.
C. Wireless speaker systems.D. Tablet computers.
Optimism and pessimism are both powerful forces. Each of us must choose which we want to our future and our expectations. We can choose to laugh or cry, bless or . It’s our decision: From which perspective do we want to view life? Will we look up in or down in desperation? I believe in the upward look. I choose to the positive and skip right over the negative.
An optimistic attitude is not a luxury; it’s a(n) . The way you look at life will determine how you feel, how you perform, and how well you will get along with other people. , negative thoughts, attitudes, and expectations themselves; they become a self-fulfilling prophecy (预言). Pessimism creates a dark place where no one wants to live.
Years ago, I drove into a service station to get some gas. It was a beautiful day, and I was feeling great. As I walked into the station to pay for the gas, the attendant said to me, “How do you feel?” That seemed like a(n) question, but I felt fine and told him so. “You don’t look well,” he replied. This me completely by surprise. A little confidently, I told him that I had felt better. Without hesitation, he continued to tell me how bad I looked and that my skin appeared yellow.
By the time I left the service station, I was feeling a little . About a block away, I over to the side of the road to look at my face in the mirror. How did I feel? Was I affected with jaundice(黄疸)? Was everything all right? By the time I got home, I was beginning to feel a little nauseous(恶心). Did I have a bad liver? Had I some rare disease?
On another beautiful day, when I went into that gas station, feeling again, I figured out what had happened. The place had recently been painted a bright, distasteful , and the light reflecting the walls made everyone inside look as though they had hepatitis（肝炎）! I wondered how many other folks had the way I did. I had let one short conversation with a total change my attitude for an entire day. He told me I looked sick, and before long, I was actually feeling sick. That single observation had a great effect on the way I felt and acted.
The only thing more powerful than negativism is a word of optimism and hope. When a whole culture adopts an upward look, incredible things can be accomplished.
1.A. shapeB. decide C. preview D. transform
2.A. forgiveB. curseC. praise D. regret
3.A. vainB. angerC. action D. hope
4.A. highlightB. analyzeC. evaluate D. introduce
5.A. necessity B. opportunity C. quality D. identity
6.A. Actually B. ConsequentlyC. Accordingly D. Contrarily
7.A. rely on B. feed on C. go on D. take on
8.A. familiar B. ordinary C. odd D. easy
9.A. got B. took C. stopped D. made
10.A. more B. less C. quite D. too
11.A. never B. ever C. once D. always
12.A. uneasy B. unconcerned C. unsatisfied D. unaffected
13.A. got B. came C. took D. pulled
14.A. come up B. brought up C. picked up D. put up
15.A. fine B. upset C. sick D. calm
16.A. gray B. blue C. yellow D. red
17.A. in B. over C. off D. through
18.A. quit B. adapted C. answered D. reacted
19.A. liar B. onlooker C. attendant D. stranger
20.A. positive B. negative C. careful D. rigid
— You shouldn’t have told everybody my secret.
— Wait a minute! I didn’t tell anyone... I swear!
— Oh, ________! You big mouth！
A. I don’t buy it B. I mean it
C. You don’t forget it D. You got it
When the questions got personal during the talk show, the actress ________ in tears as she opened up about the wounds she suffered.
A. broke upB. broke downC. broke outD. broke through
In today’s fast changing and competitive world, to be able to learn faster and more effectively is not merely desirable; it is ________.
A. essentialB. worthwhileC. challengingD. sufficient
—What a pity! Their experiment is a failure.
—They ________ better under more favorable conditions.
A. should have doneB. could have done C. must have doneD. may have done
