On the day Apple debuted the often-delayed white-colored iPhone 4, the company’s marketing department gave a nod to the product’s troubled history.

“Finally.” read the big headline Thursday above a picture of the white phone on the homepage of Apple. com.

The white model was supposed to ship alongside the black one at the iPhone 4’s launch（推出） last June. But design and manufacturing complications delayed the process by 10 months, catching Apple off guard, executives say.

As CNN reported last month, earlier test models of the white iPhone 4 produced unclear photos, especially when the flash（闪光灯） was used. Its whiteness confused the proximity sensor （距离传感器） , which detects when the phone is held next to someone’s head and turns off the touch screen to save battery life.

These problems weren’t present in older iPhones that came in white because they didn’t have flash photography; the proximity sensor was unaffected because the front side of previous models was black.

“We thought we were there a year ago, or less than that, when we launched the iPhone 4, and we weren’t,” Philip Schiller, Apple’s chief marketing executive, said in an interview. “It’s not as simple as making something white. There’s a lot more that goes into both the material science of it —how it holds up over time…but also in how it all works with the sensors. “

Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White predicts that the white model could help drive sales of Apple’s phones. He says Apple could sell 1 million to 1. 5 million every three months until the next iPhone model is unveiled, which is expected to be this fall.

Forty-five people were lined up at Apple’s flagship New York store Thursday morning to buy white iPhones, according to a CNN Money report.

1.

The reason why white-colored iPhone 4 was delayed by 10 months is that _______.

2.

According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

3.

What would be the best title for this passage?

4.

What does the underlined word “unveil” in the last paragraph mean?

When Colonel Harland Sanders retired at the age of 65, he had little to show for himself, except an old Caddie roadster, a $105 monthly pension check ,and a recipe for chicken.

Knowing he couldn’t live on his pension, he took his chicken recipe in hand, got behind the wheel of his van (货车),and set out to make his fortune. His first plan was to sell his chicken recipe to restaurant  owners, who would in turn give him a residual (酬金)for every piece of chicken they sold—5 cents per chicken. The first restaurateur he called on turned him down.

 So did the second.

 So did the third.

In fact, the first 1,008 sales calls Colonel Sanders made ended in rejection. Still, he continued to call on owners as he traveled across the USA, sleeping in his car to save money. Prospect number 1,009 gave him first “yes”.

After two years of making daily sales he had signed up a total of five restaurants. Still the Colonel pressed on , knowing that he had a great chicken recipe and that someday the idea would catch on .

Of course, you know how the story ends. The idea did catch on. By 1963 the Colonel had 600 restaurants across the country selling his secret recipe of Kentucky Fried Chicken (with ll herbs and spices ).

In 1964 he was bought out by future Kentucky governor John Brown.Even though the sale made him a multi-millionaire, he continued to represent and promote KFC until his death in 1990.

Which of the following statements about Colonel Sanders is wrong according to the passage? 

A. He received a pension of a little more than $100 every month after he retired.

 B. He couldn’t live on his pension because he had a chicken recipe in hand.

 C. He didn’t succeed in selling his recipe until he tried 1,009 times.

 D. He lived a hard life when he stared the business.

  The underlined phrase“catch on ”in Paragraph 6 probably means          .

     A. be accepted       B. be grasped       C. be popular      D. be rejected

 The sentence “Of course, you know how the story ends” means          .

A. you are sure to know the result of Colonel Sanders’ business

B. You are sure to know Colonel Sanders had finished his story

C. It is certain Colonel Sanders ended his business

D. It is certain Colonel Sanders knew how to end his story

 Colonel Sanders’ story teaches us an important lesson:       

A. It’s never too late to make a change in your life .

B. The early bird catches the worm.

C. Live and learn. Life can teach you a lot of lessons.

D. Constant dripping wears away a stone.

The Best Rice Cookers

☆☆☆☆Tefal Automatic 2W3 Classic Rice Cooker

One of the largest rice cookers on the market, with a 2-litre capacity （容量）（up to 12 servings）．It looks "rather utilitarian", but gives "the least sticky results" and its removable power cord means it can be taken outdoors or to the table．It comes with eight recipes and once cooking is completed it automatically switches to "keep-warm mode"．Price; $29．99．Call 0800-616413 for stockists．

☆☆☆ Keiswood Rice Cooker and Steamer RC310

A "stylish looking machine with a heavy glass lid and a steam tray for steaming fish and vegetables．It cooks up to ten portions of rice（l．8-litre capacity）, and produces "good results" although the rice tends to get sticky on the bottom layer．It keeps the rice warm once cooking is completed, but the power cord is not removable．Price:$34．99．Call 01705-392333 for stockists．

☆☆☆Zojurushi Rice Cooker / Warmer NDAQ – N10W

This cooker has a one – litre capacity (five portions of rice) and keeps rice warm for up to 12 hours after cooking. The lid has a clip – lock and is sealed so cooking is pressurized. It cooks rice “perfectly”, though “at a price”. Price: $ 109.90. Call 0181 – 9982100 for stockists.

☆☆☆Magimix – 2 – Tier Steamer

    A double – layer steamer with two large stainless – steel steam baskets. Rice is cooked in a heat – proff dish which is inserted in the bottom tier (层). It is “perfectly done” in just 20 minutes, with “no stickiness or scorching (烧焦).” The rice can also be kept warm on half power. Price: $ 89.95. Call 04183 – 427411 for stockiest.

☆☆☆Lakeland Ltd Microwave Multi – Steamer (Raf 4241)

    A four – portion steamer which takes just ten mantes in the microwave to cook four “fluffy” portions of rice. It is alos suitable for vegetables, noodles and pasta and is “great for smallest quantities”. Price: $ 5.95. Call 015394 – 88100 to order.

☆☆Hinari Steam Supreme

A double – layer steamer which comes with an additional rice bowl and lid. Its main drawbacks are “time and capacity”; the rice bowl can only hold two portions and this takes 55 minutes to cool. The instructions are also confusing. “Good as a general steamer, mediocre as a rice cooker”. Price: $ 19.99. Call Alba Ltd on 0181 – 7873111 for stockiest.

Which of the following is unlikely to be considered by a housewife who hates washing sticky cookers?

       A．Tefal Automatic 2003 Classic Rice Cooker

       B．Kenwood Rice Cooker and Steamer RC 310

       C．magimix 2 – Tier Steamer

       D．Lakeland Ltd Microwave Multi – Steamer (Ref 4241)

      may not be so popular with customers as others because it is time – consuming, low in capacity and vague in instructions.

       A．Zojurushi Rice Cooker / Warmer NDAQ – N10W

       B．Lakeland Ltd Microwave Multi – Steamer (Ref4241)

       C．Hinari Steam Supreme

       D．Kenwood Rice Cooker and Steamer RC 310

The phrase “at a price” describing Zojurushi Rice Cooker / Warmer NDAQ – N10W implies that its price is           .

       A．low   B．high  C．above average  D．reasonable

C
　　The curtain on the 2008 US presidential election finally rose last month as Requblican Senator(参议员) John McCain and Democratic Senator Barack Obama were formally selected as candidates of the two major parties.This may be one of the hardest decisions voters have to make between two appealing candidates.The big question for voters,as they face both an economic downturn and international threats,is :who will they elect? A young first - term senator promising change and new ideas,or a longtime senator with strong military experience and a reputation as a maverick(特立独行的人)？
　　American voters have never seen a candidate quite like Obama.He has a white mother from the US and a black fater from Kenya who left the family when Obama was very young.He spent part of his youth in Indonesia.
　　However,McCain has a very different life story.
　　He grew up in a Navy family and was a daring pilot during the Vietnam War in the 1960s. When Obama was in kindergarten in Indonesia,McCain's plane was shot down over Ietenam and he became a prisoner of war.McCain could have been set free if he disowned America but he refused and so was held for five years.
　　"We need a president who is very,very old,"McCain joked at his age as many others do.If elected,he would be 72 when he takes office and the oldest man to step in.
　　So in the end,the election may depend on several factors that are hard to judge:Will Obama's race matter to a significant number of voters ? Will workingclass whites who tended to support his primary (党内初选) oponent,Hillary Clinton,vote for Obama? And perhaps most important of all,will uncertain voters be more attracted to Obama's vision or to McCain's experience?
　　Whatever happens,one thing is clear,however:Whoever walks into the White House on January 20,2009,will find huge challenges waiting for him in the Oval Office,both at home and abroad.
　　64.______makes the result of the election hard to predict.
　　　A.Whether working class whites care about Obama's inexperience
　　　B.The economic trouble the country now faces
　　　C.Who uncertain voters will finally decide to vote for
　　　D.McCain being too old to govern the country
　　65.The appeal in Obama as a presidential candidate lies in _________
　　　A.his multi - cultural background
　　　B.his belife in tradition
　　　C.his inexperience in politics
　　　D.his fantastic promises
　　66.The word "disown" in Paragraph 6 means closest to ______.
　　　A.flee from
　　　B.turn his back on
　　　C.not keep it private
　　　D.expose secrets about
　　67.The challenges that will face the new preident______.
　　　A.are not mentioned in the text
　　　B.include buklding a strong party and a friendly image
　　　C.refer to the problems of immigrants and economy
　　　D.refer to the problems of economy amd international relations

Mapping Your World
Different forms of maps are appearing．They allow independent travelers to get local knowledge of places they are visiting, from the official to the unusual．Meanwhile, hi-tech developments are creating new ways for us to map the world．Here are two of our favorites：
Green Maps
Green Maps allows people to share with the world their knowledge of environmentally friendly places and attractions in the local areas．Users add information with a set of icons（图标）, making it easy to read any map, whatever the nationalities of those who produce it．At present there are over five hundred map projects being developed in 54 countries．Green Maps’ advertised idea is “think global, map local”．It is a wonderful way of gaining all sorts of information of a place, ranging from community gardens to good places of birdwatching．
Green Maps is not specifically intended for travelers．Not all of its maps are online, so it may be necessary for some users to communicate with the producers through the Green Maps website．
Maps Mashups
Many people use online maps developed by Google, but not many know about the mashups of them．Working in a similar way to Green Maps, Map Mashups allows people to add icons of their own to existing maps to express a certain topic．The mashups is so called because it combines all the knowledge you could ever need．It ranges from the extremely useful, such as where all the World Heritage Sites are, to the most bizarre （古怪的），such as where America’s drunkest cities are．With the mashups added to the basic Google Maps, a multi-layered （多层的） map can be created．
【小题1】According to the passage, which of the following is a characteristic of Green Maps?