Question

The iPhone, the iPad: each of Apple’s products sounds cool and has become a fad(一时的风尚). Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter “i” –-- and many other brands are following suit. The BBC’s iPlayer --- which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet ---used the title in 2008. A lovely bear --- popular in the US and UK --- that plays music and video is called “iTeddy”. A slimmed-down version(简装本) of London’s Independent newspaper was started last week under the name “i”.

In general, single-letter prefixes(前缀) have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce(电子商务) first came into use.

Most “i” products are targeted at （针对）young people and considering the major readers of Independent’s “i”, it’s no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name.

But it’s hard to see what’s so special about the letter “i”. Why not use “a”, “b”, or “c” instead? According to Tony Thorne, head of the Language Center at King’s College, London, “i” works because its meaning has become ambiguous. When Apple uses “i”, no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBC Magazines. “Even when Apple created the iPod, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition（定义）,” he says.

“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now connected with portability (轻便) .”adds Thorne.

Clearly the letter “i” also agrees with the idea that the Western World is centered on the individual. Each person believes they have their own needs, and we love personalized products for this reason.

Along with “Google” and “blog”, readers of BBC Magazines voted “i” as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last ten years.

But as history shows, people grow tired of fads. From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was connected with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the fashion disappeared.

1.People use iPlayer to __________.

A. listen to music B. make a call

C. watch TV programs online D. read newspapers

2.We can infer that the Independent’s “i” is designed for _________.

A. young readers B. old readers

C. fashionable women D. engineers

3.The underlined word “ambiguous” means “__________”.

A. popular B. uncertain

C. clear D. unique

4.Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products which are __________.

A. portable B. environmentally friendly

C. advanced D. recyclable

5.The writer wants to express that __________.

A. “i” products are often of high quality

B. iTeddy is alive bear

C. the letter “b” replaces letter “i” to name the products

D. the popularity of “i” products may not last long

Answer 1

1.C

2.A

3.B

4.A

5.D

【解析】

试题分析：本文是一则说明文。苹果公司推出的一系列带有i前缀的产品销售得异常火爆，但你知道为什么用字母i吗？本文就解释了取名的相关知识。

1.C 细节理解题 根据第一段的“The BBC’s iPlayer --- which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet”可知人们用它观看网络电视节目，C项表述符合文意，故选C。

2.A细节理解题 根据第三段的内容可判断Independent's “i”主要针对的读者群是年轻人，A项表述符合；B、C、D三项在文中没有提及，故选A。

3.B 词义猜测题 根据第四段最后两句When Apple uses “i”, no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBC Magazines. “Even when Apple created the iPod, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition（定义）,” he says.可推断出ambiguous意为“不明确的，模棱两可的”，与certain意义相近，故选B。

4.A 细节理解题 A轻便的，可携带的；B环保的；C先进的，发达的；D 可循环利用的。根据第五段的“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now associated with portability”可知带有i前缀的产品通常与“轻便”联系在一起，故选A。

5.5】D推理判断题 根据最后一段第一句“But as history shows, people grow tired of fads”和最后一句“However, as we entered the new century, the fashion disappeared.”以及本段中的例子可知，作者认为带有i前缀的产品的盛行也不会维持太长的时间。D项表述符合文意，故选D。

考点：考查科技类短文阅读