A couple of years ago I took the family on a winter vacation to New York City to experience the holiday atmospheres. The longest lines that week weren’t in the Empire State Building, at the Statue of Liberty Ferry or any of the Big Apple’s other landmarks (地标) , but at Fifth Avenue and 58th Street, where people crowded into FAO Schwarz.
It was not until I got inside that it became clear how only one toy store could provide everything else that Manhattan offers between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Far more than a shopping experience, the hour we spent wandering along the aisles(通道) at FAO Schwarz was more like visiting a museum of everything that children care for very much. And for me — and all of the other bright-eyed grownups — it was a trip down my memory lane to the toys we knew as kinds.
America’s most unique toy stores are found from coast to coast, in big cities and also in small towns. Let’s have a look at some others.
The Dinosaur Farm in South Pasadena, Calif.: Former rock musician Dave Plenn opened the shop in 1994, a year after “Jurassic Park” brought the creatures back into the spotlight again. But he says his wife ---who was then working for the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles— rather than the big movie proved the inspiration for the dinosaur store.
Mild Zone: A more traditional specialty store, which sells model cars like Matchbox, Hot Wheels and Johnny Lightning. “It’s such an addicting (上瘾的) hobby,” says Burke, who admits that he originally created the store as a means to feed his own toy car collection. “Once you buy your first, you can never stop.” The store has around 30,000 cars. Mile Zone’s customers are from kinds with a wish for speedy toys to grown-ups who view the model cars as time travel back to their youth.

1. 1.

   The author wrote the first paragraph mainly to show _________.
   

   1. A.
      the poor traffic condition in New York     
   2. B.
      the nice holiday atmosphere in New York
   3. C.
      the popularity of toy stores in New York  
   4. D.
      the charming landmarks in New York
2. 2.

   Walking into FAO Schwarz gave the author a chance to ___________.
   

   1. A.
      recall his life of childhood 
   2. B.
      visit a most special museum
   3. C.
      study the history of Manhattan  
   4. D.
      learn the way of producing toys
3. 3.

   Dave Plenn was inspired to open the Dinosaur Farm by ________.
   

   1. A.
      his wife      
   2. B.
      “Jurassic Park” 
   3. C.
      his research on nature       D .rock music
4. 4.

   We can infer from the passage that ______.
   

   1. A.
      dinosaur toy stores are more popular than traditional ones
   2. B.
      some unique toys have been displayed in local museums
   3. C.
      some popular toy stores have become new landmarks
   4. D.
      customers of toy stores are more than children

A． Grossmont Center

This mall in La Mesa is the shopping center that time forgot. It's a comfortable, well-maintained outdoor mall in La Mesa that is lacking in pizza and choices - in fact, it's a bit dull. But in the world of mega-malls, sometimes dull is OK. Yet it also has a nice Pacific Cinema, and a two-level Wal-Mart.

B．Westfield Horton Plaza

Horton Plaza's construction in the mid-1980s jump-started the Gas lamp renaissance. Its multi-level, somewhat confusing whimsical architecture is a must-see for any San Diego visitor. Nordstrom, Macy's and a wide range of shops and restaurants make this the noontime stop for downtown workers.

C． Fashion Valley Center

The class of San Diego malls, Fashion Valley has arguably the best of the stores. Nordstrom, JC Penney, Macy's, Nieman Marcus and the new Bloomingdale's make this well appointed two-level outdoor mall. Where else will you find a Tiffany store? Good restaurants and an AMC multiplex make this a place to go beyond shopping. Burberry, Lily Pulitzer, Gucci, Ruehl, Apple and Sony Style store reflect the mall's cool characteristic.

D． Westfield Parkway Plaza

Yet another Westfield mall, Parkway Plaza is the regional mall serving East County. Young adult shops, a Regal Cinema and a food court make this the area's teen hangout. A two-story Wal-Mart is the newest member. A Family Lounge is located in the Food Court for those with little ones, and the mall is a WiFi hotspot.

E．Westfield Plaza Camino Real

Another indoor Westfield mall, Plaza Camino Real serves the North County Coastal area (Encinitas, Carlsbad, Oceanside). Two-level, with over 170 stores, Plaza Camino has a MovieMax Theatre Plaza. A new Steve & Barry's University Sportswear and Bella Furniture are open.

F．Westfield Mission Valley

Westfield's Mission Valley Center is kind of a mess. Its layout is a mess (a remnant of the '60s) and it's the most downscale of the shopping malls. The selection of shops and the gigantic AMC multiplex suggest that it is better fit for the teen and young adult crowd.

56．Yuki is a rather fashionable girl. Like many other young girls of her age, she likes nothing more than dressing herself in a cool and fashionable way.

57．Rebecca works in a company in the downtown. During lunch hours, Rebecca usually go out with her colleagues to eat and after lunch they may even stroll around the shops just for relaxing.

58．Lucy and her husband are going to shop in some daily necessities in Wal-Mart. But their baby sitter happens to be on holiday so they’ve got to take their little son with them as well.

59．Betty just wants to go to Wal-Mart to buy some everyday things.

60．John is going shopping with his girlfriend. They plan to watch a movie first and buy some sports clothes since they are such sports lovers!

56. Yuki                                                           A．Grossmont Center

57.   Rebecca                                                   B．Westfield Horton Plaza

58.   Lucy and her husband                                C．Fashion Valley Center

59.   Betty                                                        D．Westfield Parkway Plaza

60.   John and his girlfriend                                E．Westfield Plaza Camino Real

                                                                      F．Westfield Mission Valley

We like to think our intelligence is self-made; it happens inside our heads, the product of our inner thoughts alone. But the rise of Google, Wikipedia and other online tools has made many people question the impact of these technologies on our brains. Is typing in “Who has played James Bond in the movies?” the same as our knowledge about the names like Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig? Can we say we know the answer as long as we know how to rapidly get the information on Google?
Here the question is about how we define intelligence itself. The answer appears to be interesting, because the evidence from psychological studies suggests that much of our intelligence comes from how we coordinate ourselves with other people and our environment.
An influential theory among psychologists is that we're cognitive misers(认知吝啬者). This is the idea that we are unwilling to do mental work unless we have to. We try to avoid thinking things fully when a short cut is available. If you've ever voted for the presidential candidate(总统候选人) with the most honest smile, or chosen a restaurant based on how many people are already sitting in there, then you are a cognitive miser. The theory explains why we'd much rather type a zip code into Google Maps than memorize and recall the location of a place – it's so much easier to do so.
Research shows that people don't tend to rely on their memories for things they can easily access. Buildings can somehow disappear from pictures we're looking at, or the people we're talking to can be changed with someone else, and often we won't notice – a phenomenon called “change blindness”. This isn't an example of human stupidity – far from it, in fact – this is an example of mental efficiency. The mind relies on the world as a better record than memory.
Philosophers have suggested that thinking is really happening in the environment as much as it is happening in our brains. The philosopher Andy Clark called humans "natural born cyborgs(电子人)", those naturally capable of absorbing and combining new tools, ideas and abilities. In Clark's view, the route to a solution is not the issue – having the right tools really does mean you know the answers, just as much as already knowing the answer.
Rather than being forced to rely on our own resources for everything, we can share our knowledge. Technology keeps track of things for us so we don't have to, while large systems of knowledge serve the needs of society as a whole. I don't know how a computer works, or how to grow vegetables, but that knowledge is out there and I can get to benefit. The internet provides even more potential to share this knowledge. Wikipedia is one of the best examples – an increasingly large database of knowledge from which everyone can benefit.
So as well as having a physical environment – like the rooms or buildings we live or work in – we also have a mental environment, which means that when I ask you where your mind is, you shouldn’t point toward the centre of your forehead. As research shows, our minds are made up just as much by the people and tools around us as they are by the brain cells inside our skull.
【小题1】Why did the writer raise the questions in Paragraph 1?

We like to think our intelligence is self-made; it happens inside our heads, the product of our inner thoughts alone. But the rise of Google, Wikipedia and other online tools has made many people question the impact of these technologies on our brains. Is typing in “Who has played James Bond in the movies?” the same as our knowledge about the names like Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig? Can we say we know the answer as long as we know how to rapidly get the information on Google?

Here the question is about how we define intelligence itself. The answer appears to be interesting, because the evidence from psychological studies suggests that much of our intelligence comes from how we coordinate ourselves with other people and our environment.

An influential theory among psychologists is that we're cognitive misers(认知吝啬者). This is the idea that we are unwilling to do mental work unless we have to. We try to avoid thinking things fully when a short cut is available. If you've ever voted for the presidential candidate(总统候选人) with the most honest smile, or chosen a restaurant based on how many people are already sitting in there, then you are a cognitive miser. The theory explains why we'd much rather type a zip code into Google Maps than memorize and recall the location of a place – it's so much easier to do so.

Research shows that people don't tend to rely on their memories for things they can easily access. Buildings can somehow disappear from pictures we're looking at, or the people we're talking to can be changed with someone else, and often we won't notice – a phenomenon called “change blindness”. This isn't an example of human stupidity – far from it, in fact – this is an example of mental efficiency. The mind relies on the world as a better record than memory.

Philosophers have suggested that thinking is really happening in the environment as much as it is happening in our brains. The philosopher Andy Clark called humans "natural born cyborgs(电子人)", those naturally capable of absorbing and combining new tools, ideas and abilities. In Clark's view, the route to a solution is not the issue – having the right tools really does mean you know the answers, just as much as already knowing the answer.

Rather than being forced to rely on our own resources for everything, we can share our knowledge. Technology keeps track of things for us so we don't have to, while large systems of knowledge serve the needs of society as a whole. I don't know how a computer works, or how to grow vegetables, but that knowledge is out there and I can get to benefit. The internet provides even more potential to share this knowledge. Wikipedia is one of the best examples – an increasingly large database of knowledge from which everyone can benefit.

So as well as having a physical environment – like the rooms or buildings we live or work in – we also have a mental environment, which means that when I ask you where your mind is, you shouldn’t point toward the centre of your forehead. As research shows, our minds are made up just as much by the people and tools around us as they are by the brain cells inside our skull.

1.Why did the writer raise the questions in Paragraph 1?

A．To find out who has played James Bond in the movies.

B．To introduce the topic to be discussed in the passage.

C．To show that he knows the answer to the questions.

D．To attract readers’ attention by mentioning James Bond.

2.What is the writer’s attitude towards the rise of technologies like Google and Wikipedia?

A．Supportive        B．Objective          C．Indifferent         D．Neutral

3. Which of the following might the philosopher Andy Clark agree with?

A．Intelligence is something that is made by one’s brain itself.

B．Intelligence is something that only happens inside one’s head.

C．Intelligence is the product of one’s inner thoughts alone.

D．Intelligence is a mixture of the environment, people and one’s brain cells.

4.It is true about the phenomenon called “change blindness” that human beings____.

A．are stupid not to notice the changes

B．are efficient in mental work

C．are blind to changes around them

D．rely on memory when dealing with things

5.According to the text, how do technologies like Google, Wikipedia affect us?

A．They make us much more intelligent.

B．They make us lazier and more stupid.

C．They have little to do with our intelligence.

D．They have a negative effect on our intelligence.

We spent a day in the country, picking wild flowers. With the car full of flowers we were going home. On our way back my wife noticed a cupboard (柜厨) outside a furniture shop. It was tall and narrow. “Buy it, ” my wife said at once. “We’ll carry it home on the roof rack. I’ve always wanted one like that.”

What could I do? Ten minutes later I was ￡20 poorer; and the cupboard was tied on the roof rack. It was six feet long and eighteen inches square, quite heavy too.

In the gathering darkness I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening. The police even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea.

After a time my wife said, “There’s a long line of cars behind. Why don’t they overtake, I wonder?” In fact a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously as they passed. But then, with great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One of the officers came to me.

“Right, sir, ” he said. “Do you need any more help?”

I was a bit puzzled. “Thanks, officer, ” I said. “You have been very kind. I live just on the road.”

He was staring at our car, first at the flowers, then at the cupboard. “Well, well, ” he said, laughing. “It’s a cupboard you’ve got there! We thought it was something else.”

My wife began to laugh. The truth hit me like a stone between the eyes. I smiled at the officer. “Yes, it’s a cupboard, but thanks again.” I drove home as fast as I could.

1. In fact the husband _______ the cupboard.

A. would like very much to buy           B. badly wanted 

C. was glad to have bought                  D. would rather not buy

2. Other drivers thought they were _______.

A. carrying a cupboard to the church

B. sending flowers to the church

C. carrying nothing but a piece of furniture

D. going to attend a funeral(葬礼) at the church

3. The police will be more polite to those who are _______.

A. driving in gathering darkness                 B. in great sorrow (悲痛)

C. driving with wild glowers in the car        D. carrying furniture

4. What did the husband think of this matter?

A. It was very strange.                               B. He felt ashamed of it.

C. He took great pride in it.                        D. He was puzzled at it.