The iPhone, the iPad, the iPod : each of Apple’s products sounds cool and has become a fad (时尚). 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 — adopted 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 of London’s Independent newspaper came out last week under the name “i”.
In general, single-letter prefixes have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce first came into use.
Most “i” products are aimed at young people and considering the major readers of Independent’s “i”, it is 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 iPad, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition ,” he says.
“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now associated 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 “Twitter”, readers of BBC Magazines voted “i” as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade.
But as history shows, fads come and go. From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was associated with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the trend inevitably（不可避免地）disappeared.
【小题1】People use iPlayer to ____________.

A．listen to music

B．make a call

C．watch TV programs online

D．read newspapers

【小题2】We can infer that the Independent’s “ i ” is aimed at _____________.

A．young readers

B．old readers

C．fashionable women

D．engineers

【小题3】 Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products that are ______________.

A．advanced

B．portable

C．recyclable

D．environmentally friendly

【小题4】The author of the passage would probably agree that _______________.

A．“i” products are often of high quality	B．all “i” products have something to do with Internet
C．the popularity of “i” products may not last long	D．iTeddy is a live bear

  Weather is the subject matter of Westerners whenever they meet. Housewives, businessmen, factory workers as well as farmers all talk about the weather. It is everyday news, whether or not conditions change. Many newspapers carry a regular front page news story in addition to the full reports on as inside-page provided by the weather service. Here are several different types of weather reports taken from the western papers:

    No.1 Regional forecast

    No. 2 Three-day Forecast

 

No. 3 Weather Stories

 

1.In a street of corner of London, two strangers may begin their talk with “______”

A. Hi, how are you?               B. What are doing here? Waiting for someone?

C. A nice day, isn’t it?              D. Didn’t you listen to the weather report last night?

2.The noon temperature of _______ is nearly 70’s at the weekend.

   A. Western Great Lakes             B. Duluth, Minn

   C. Westchester, Rockland           D. New Jersey

3.It seems that ________ has plenty of rain at the present season.

   A. Western Great Lakes             B. Winsconsin

   C. Westchester, Rockland           D. New Jersey

4. Which of the following is most probable according to No.3?

A. The traffic was terribly affected.   

B. The Five Great Lakes were covered by heavy snow.

C. The temperatures might drop to 50℃.

D. Many schools were damaged in the snowstorm.

 

　　Experience the newly opened Grand Canyon (大峡谷) West Skywalk in Colorado. Departing from Grand Canyon’s South Rim by Airplane to Grand Canyon’s West Rim, you will land and take a ground tour to the Skywalk! Walk on air for 70 feet over the edge of Grand Canyon West.

This Skywalk has been open since March 28, 2007. Daily visitorship to the Skywalk has been over 4,000 people. Please be patient to enjoy your moment on the Skywalk.

After you have experienced the one and only Grand Canyon Skywalk Glass Bridge, you will return to the Grand Canyon West Airport and take your Airplane for a flight back to the South Rim of the Canyon. This is a tour never to be forgotten as you will have walked on air over the Grand Canyon.

Tour Itinerary (行程)

Tour Duration	5.7 Hours	The Grand Canyon Adventure Skywalk
Flight from Grand Canyon South Rim to Grand Canyon West	1 Hour	Experience a bird’s-eye view of the Grand Canyon as you make your way to Grand Canyon West.
Light Lunch at Guano Point at Grand Canyon West	2 Hours	You’ll be taken by bus to Guano Point with breathtaking views of the western part of the Grand Canyon where the Calorado River makes its way into Lake Mood. Every table for lunch has a view.
Walk on the World Famous Skywalk	1.5 Hours	Finally you’ll board your bus to Eagle Point, home of the Grand Canyon Skywalk. Now it is time for you to walk on air for 70 feet over the Grand Canyon.
Flight Back to Grand Canyon South Rim	1.2 Hours	After time on the Skywalk, you’ll return to the Grand Canyon West Airport and return to Grand Canyon South Rim in time for dinner and sunset.

This advertisement is for __________.

      A. Grand Canyon West B. the Skywalk_{高到底#考￥资@源 网}

      C. Grand Canyon          D. Grand Canyon South

The package fee does NOT cover the cost of _______.

The Grand Canyon Skywalk Bridge is made of glass because ______.

      A. it looks stranger              B. it is cheaper to build

      C. it looks more beautiful     D. it gives you a better view

According to the Tour Itinerary, the route is ______.

   A. South Rim →Guano Point →West Airport →Eagle Point →West Airport →South Rim

   B. South Rim →West Airport →Guano Point →Eagle Point →West Airport →South Rim

   C. South Rim →West Airport →Eagle Point →Guano Point →West Airport →South Rim

   D. South Rim →West Airport →Eagle Point →West Airport →Guano Point →South Rim

Perhaps the most astonishing theory to come out of kinetics，the study of body movement,was suggested by Professor Ray Birdwhistell.He believes that physical appearance Is often culturally programmed.In other words,we learn our looks;we are not born with them.
A baby generally unformed facial features.A baby,according to Birdwhistell,learns where to set the eyebrows by looking at those around family and friends．This helps explain why the people of some regions of the United States look so much lilke．New Englanders or Southerners have certain common facial characteristics that cannot be explained by genetics(遗传学)．The exact shape of the mouth is not set at birth,it is learned later．In fact，the final mouth shape is not formed until well after permanent(永久的)teeth are set．For many，this can be well into adolescence(青春期)．A husband and wife together for a long time often come to look somewhat alike．We learn our looks from those around us. This is perhaps why in a single country there are areas where people smile more than those in other areas．In the United States，for example，the South is the part of the country where the people smile most frequently．In New England they smile less，and in the western part of New York State still less．Many Southerners find cities such as New York cold and unfriendly，partly because people on Madison Avenue smile less than people on Peach Tree Street jn Atlanta，Georgia．People in densely(稠密地)populated urban areas also tend to smile and greet each other in public less than people in rural areas and small towns．
【小题1】The passage might be taken out of a book dealing with______

A．physics

B．health

C．chemistry

D．body movement

【小题2】Ray Birdwhistell believes that physical appearance_______．

A．has little to do with culture	B．is decided by our parents
C．can be infiuenced by culture	D．varies from place to place

【小题3】Ray Birdwhistell can tell what region of the United States a person is from by     .

A．the way he or she talks	B．how he or she raises his or her eyebrows
C．what he or she likes best	D．how much he or she laughs

【小题4】According to the passage，people who live_______are more friendly.

A．in the north	B．in the country
C．in New York City	D．in densely populated areas

The hole in the Earth's ozone layer (臭氧层) has until now protected Antarctica from the worst effects of global warming. But scientists have warned that as the hole closes up in the next few decades, temperatures on the continent could rise by around 3^oC on average, with melting ice contributing to a global sea level increase of up to 1.4 metres.

    In the past decades the western Antarctic has seen rapid ice loss as the world has warmed, but the other parts of the continent have, paradoxically, been cooling, resulting in a 10% increase in ice in the seas around the region. This is because the hole in the ozone layer has increased cold winds in Antarctica, making much of the continent surface colder than usual.

    But now that the gasses that cause the ozone hole have been banned, scientists expect the hole to repair itself within the next 50 to 60 years. By then the cooling effect will have faded out and the Antarctic will face the full impact of global warming. This means an increase in average air temperatures of around 3^OC and a reduction in sea ice by around a third.

    The biggest threat to the continent comes from warming seas. Robert Johnson, a scientist who monitors Antarctica ice sheets, said, "The ice sheets in Antarctica are hundreds of metres thick. But once warm ocean waters start flowing underneath, the ice will begin thinning and could break up very quickly. "Thinning ice sheets cause ice to break away from the continent and to melt even faster. Escaping ice from western Antarctica has already resulted in a 10% rise in global sea level in recent decades.

    Johnson believes that international action to reduce global warming is required immediately or it may be too late. "Everything is connected - Antarctica may be a long way away but it is an important part of the Earth's system," said Johnson. "It contains 90% of the world's ice, 70% of the world's fresh water and that is enough, if it melts completely, to raise sea levels by 63 metres."

    Even in a worse-case situation scientists don't expect the ice to entirely disappear, but predict that, because of the melting ice sheets, average sea level rise will be around 1.4 metres higher by the end of the century.

1.The underlined word "paradoxically" (in Paragraph 2) most probably means "_        _".

A. rapidly B. approximately    C. contradictorily D. apparently

2.What is the effect of the hole in the ozone layer on Antarctica?

A. It is making much of the continent colder.

B. It is causing the ice to melt faster.

C. It is making the effects of global warming in the region worse.

D. It is reducing the amount of water in Antarctica.

3. What do scientists think is the biggest danger facing Antarctica?

A. Rising sea levels.       B. Warming sea water temperature.

C. Water pollution.         D. Growing ice sheets.

4. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. Antarctica contains most of the world's fresh water.

B. The average temperature has increased by 3 degree centigrade in recent decades.

C. Antarctica is currently experiencing the full effects of global warming.

D. Ten percent of Antarctica's ice has already been lost.

5.The best title for the passage is ___ ___      .

A. Our planet in danger                 B. Antarctica melting away

C. Action plan to save Antarctica       D. Let's save the ozone layer