Dear Customers,

I love slipping (滑落) into a comfortable chair for a long read—as I relax into the chair, I also relax into the author’s words, stories and ideas. The physical book is so elegant that it disappears into the background, and what remains is the author’s world.

Today, we at Amazon are excited to announce Mindle, a wireless, portable reading device with instant access to more than 90,000 books, magazines and newspapers.

We’ve been working on Mindle for more than three years. Our top design objective was for Mindle to disappear in your hands—to get out of the way—so you can enjoy your reading. We also wanted to go beyond the physical book. Mindle is wireless, so whether you’re lying in bed or riding a train, you can think of a book, and have it in less than 60 seconds. No computer is needed—you do your reading directly from the device.

We chose the same wireless technology used in advanced mobile phones. But unlike mobile phones, there are no monthly wireless bills, no service or data plans, and no yearly contracts. There is no software to install (安装，设置)。 We want you to get lost in your reading and not in the technology.

Mindle uses a new kind of display called electronic paper. Sharp and natural with no strong light, reading on Mindle is nothing like reading from a computer screen. Mindle weighs only 10.3 ounces—less than paperback—but can carry two hundred books.

Enjoy learning about Mindle and many thanks!

                                           Jeff Bezos Founder & CEO

1.This passage most probably is a(n)________.

A. advertisement

B. news story

C. lab report

D. letter of thanks

2.From the passage we learn that Mindle is a device which ________.

A. has neither wires nor weight

B. is operated by a computer

C. disappears while you read

D. can find a book within one minute

3.With the device, the reader is able to ________.

A. enjoy reading when driving a car

B. improve reading skills

C. gain access to free software

D. get rid of heavy books made of paper

4.Different from mobile phones, Mindle________.

A. has a much more friendly screen

B. can work in the absence of electricity

C. doesn’t involve regular bills

D. is wireless and can be used anywhere.

 

Invention is a creative process. An open and curious mind enables one to see beyond what is known. Seeing a new possibility, a new connection or relationship can spark(引发) an invention. Inventive thinking frequently involves combining concepts or elements from different fields that would not normally be put together. Sometimes inventors skip over the boundaries between separate fields. Ways of thinking, materials, processes or tools from one field are used as no one else has imagined in a different field.

  Play can lead to invention. Childhood curiosity like playing in a sand box, imagination can develop one’s play nature—an inner need according to Carl Jung. Inventors feel the need to play with things that interest them, and to explore, and this internal drive brings about interesting creations.

  Inventing can also be an obsession(痴迷). Inventors often imagine a new idea, seeing it in their mind’s eye. New ideas can arise when the conscious mind turns away from the subject or problem; or when the focus is on something else; or even while relaxing or sleeping. An unusual idea may come all of a sudden! For example, after years of working to figure out the general theory of relativity, the solution came to Einstein suddenly in a dream “like a giant die making an unforgettable impress, a huge map of the universe summarized itself in one clear vision”.

  Invention can also be accidental. Insight(洞察力) is also an important element of invention. It may begin with questions or doubt. It may begin by recognizing something unusual. It may be useful and it could open a new way for exploration. For example, the odd metallic color of plastic made by accidentally adding too much catalyst(催化剂) led scientists to explore its metal-like properties(性能). They then invented electrically conductive plastic and light emitting(散发) plastic—an invention that won the Nobel Prize in 2000 and has led to new kind of lighting, display screens, wallpaper and much more.

Title:    1  

A(n)   3    process	◆Look     2     than we know now. ◆Give combining concepts or      4    elements from different fields. ◆No one can    5     this before.
An obsession	◆   6     often imagine a new idea. ◆An unusual idea may come    7   .
A(n)   8	◆A vital element of invention is  9   . ◆It may open a new way for exploration. ◆Accidental actions can     10     to innovation.

 

Dear Customers,
I love slipping (滑落) into a comfortable chair for a long read—as I relax into the chair, I also relax into the author’s words, stories and ideas. The physical book is so elegant that it disappears into the background, and what remains is the author’s world.
Today, we at Amazon are excited to announce Mindle, a wireless, portable reading device with instant access to more than 90,000 books, magazines and newspapers.
We’ve been working on Mindle for more than three years. Our top design objective was for Mindle to disappear in your hands—to get out of the way—so you can enjoy your reading. We also wanted to go beyond the physical book. Mindle is wireless, so whether you’re lying in bed or riding a train, you can think of a book, and have it in less than 60 seconds. No computer is needed—you do your reading directly from the device.
We chose the same wireless technology used in advanced mobile phones. But unlike mobile phones, there are no monthly wireless bills, no service or data plans, and no yearly contracts. There is no software to install (安装，设置)。 We want you to get lost in your reading and not in the technology.
Mindle uses a new kind of display called electronic paper. Sharp and natural with no strong light, reading on Mindle is nothing like reading from a computer screen. Mindle weighs only 10.3 ounces—less than paperback—but can carry two hundred books.
Enjoy learning about Mindle and many thanks!
Jeff Bezos Founder & CEO
【小题1】This passage most probably is a(n)________.

A．advertisement

B．news story

C．lab report

D．letter of thanks

【小题2】From the passage we learn that Mindle is a device which ________.

A．has neither wires nor weight

B．is operated by a computer

C．disappears while you read

D．can find a book within one minute

【小题3】With the device, the reader is able to ________.

A．enjoy reading when driving a car

B．improve reading skills

C．gain access to free software

D．get rid of heavy books made of paper

【小题4】Different from mobile phones, Mindle________.

A．has a much more friendly screen

B．can work in the absence of electricity

C．doesn’t involve regular bills

D．is wireless and can be used anywhere.

TV Shows and Long Bus Trips
Long bus rides are like television shows. They have a beginning, a middle, and an end— with ads thrown in every three or four minutes. The ads are unavoidable. They happen whether you want them or not. Every couple of minutes a billboard appears outside the bus window.“Buy Super Clean Toothpaste.”“Drink Good’n Wet Root Beer.”“Fill up with Pacific Gas.” Only if you sleep, which is equal to turning the television set off, are you spared the unending cry of “You Need It! Buy It Now!”
The beginning of the ride is comfortable and somewhat exciting, even if you’ve traveled that way before. Usually some things have changed—new houses, new buildings, sometimes even a new road. The bus driver has a style of driving and it’s fun to try to figure it out the first hour or so. If the driver is particularly daring, the ride can be as exciting as a suspense(悬念) story. Will the driver pass the truck in time? Will the driver move into the right or the left-hand lane?After a while, of course, the excitement dies down. Sleeping for a while helps pass the middle hours of the ride. Food always makes bus rides more interesting. But you’ve got to be careful of what kind of food you eat. Too much salty food can make you very thirsty between stops.
The end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning. You know it will soon be over and there’s a kind of expectation and excitement in that. The seat, of course, has become harder as the hours have passed. By now you’ve sat with your legs crossed, with your hands in your lap, with your hands on the arm rests—even with your hands crossed behind your head. The end comes just at the right time. There are just no more ways to sit.
【小题1】According to the passage, what do the passengers usually see when they are on a long bus trip?

A．Buses on the road.

B．Films on television.

C．Advertisements on billboards.

D．Gas stations.

【小题2】What is the purpose of this passage?

A．To talk about the similarities between long bus trips and TV shows.

B．To persuade you to take a long bus trip.

C．To display the differences between long bus trips and TV shows.

D．To describe the billboards along the road.

【小题3】The writer of this passage would probably favor      

A．bus drivers who weren’t caring.

B．driving alone.

C．a television set on the bus.

D．no billboards along the road.

【小题4】The writer feels long bus rides are like TV shows because     

A．the ads both on TV shows and on the billboards along the road are fun.

B．they both have a beginning, a middle, and an end, with commercials in between.

C．the drivers are always daring on TV shows just as they are on buses.

D．both traveling and watching TV are not exciting.

【小题5】The writer thinks that the end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning because both are   

A．exciting.

B．comfortable.

C．tiring.

D．boring.

阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在表格中的空白处填入恰当的单词。

注意：每个空格只填一个单词。

Invention is a creative process. An open and curious mind enables one to see beyond what is known. Seeing a new possibility, a new connection or relationship can spark(引发) an invention. Inventive thinking frequently involves combining concepts or elements from different fields that would not normally be put together. Sometimes inventors skip over the boundaries between separate fields. Ways of thinking, materials, processes or tools from one field are used as no one else has imagined in a different field.

  Play can lead to invention. Childhood curiosity like playing in a sand box, imagination can develop one’s play nature—an inner need according to Carl Jung. Inventors feel the need to play with things that interest them, and to explore, and this internal drive brings about interesting creations.

  Inventing can also be an obsession(痴迷). Inventors often imagine a new idea, seeing it in their mind’s eye. New ideas can arise when the conscious mind turns away from the subject or problem; or when the focus is on something else; or even while relaxing or sleeping. An unusual idea may come all of a sudden! For example, after years of working to figure out the general theory of relativity, the solution came to Einstein suddenly in a dream “like a giant die making an unforgettable impress, a huge map of the universe summarized itself in one clear vision”.

  Invention can also be accidental. Insight(洞察力) is also an important element of invention. It may begin with questions or doubt. It may begin by recognizing something unusual. It may be useful and it could open a new way for exploration. For example, the odd metallic color of plastic made by accidentally adding too much catalyst(催化剂) led scientists to explore its metal-like properties(性能). They then invented electrically conductive plastic and light emitting(散发) plastic—an invention that won the Nobel Prize in 2000 and has led to new kind of lighting, display screens, wallpaper and much more.

Title:    1. 

A(n)   2.    process	◆Look     3.     than we know now. ◆Give combining concepts or    4.    elements from different fields. ◆No one can    5.   this before.
An obsession	◆    6.  often imagine a new idea. ◆An unusual idea may come    7.   .
A(n)     8.	◆A vital element of invention is    9.   . ◆It may open a new way for exploration. ◆Accidental actions can    10.   to innovation.