Is your TV connected to the Internet? What about your chair or your fridge? It is possible that they are not. But in the future, most things in your home may be connected, as the so-called "Internet of things" is developing.
The Internet of things may be coming sooner than you think. It is reported that during his speech earlier this year, Samsung CEO(首席执行官)BK Yoon spent a lot of time talking about the Internet of things. He said that five years from now，every Samsung product will be part of the Internet of things, whether it's a washing machine or a vacuum cleaner(吸尘器).
So, how do household(家用)objects that are part of Internet of things work? Well, think of a usual chair. When connected to the Internet, the chair warms up when it knows that the user has just walked into the room and is feeling cold.
An Internet-connected camera, like a smart-home camera, could help people feel safer in their homes. It can recognize(识别)people's faces, and even can see when someone passes by in the dark. Then it can send you a message on your smartphone to let you know who's there. If the person is someone you don't know, it can tell you that, too.
But according to MIT Technology Review, whether companies are connecting dog food bowls or security(安全)systems to the Internet, there may be problems. For example,many early connected-home devices(装置)don't have much built-in security, which means they could be hacked(被黑客攻击)，In addition, it could be difficult to get these devices to work together because they are made by different companies. To fight this, many companies have joined the Open Interconnect Consortium, which had 45 members by late 2014.
So, picture this: you walk in through the front door of your home. The temperature changes to make you feel comfortable after a long day at school. Your favorite music starts playing for you. Do you think that this would be a good thing? It may happen sooner than you think.
1.The Samsung CEO's speech is mentioned to prove that_____.
A. the Internet of things will appear in our daily life sooner
B. Samsung has produced the Internet of things recently
C. Samsung products have been part of the Internet of things
D. he spent a lot of time talking about the Internet of things
2.We can infer(推断)from paragraphs 3 and 4 that
A.the chair can know whether the user feels cold or not
B.a usual chair can warm up when it knows the user comes in
C. an Internet-connected camera can be used to take photos in the house
D. an Internet-connected camera can be connected to the user's smartphone
3.According to the passage, it is mentioned that_____·
①the temperature inside is neither too high nor too low
②your fridge provides the drinks for you
③the chair warms up if you feel cold
④your favourite music starts playing
⑤your washing machine starts working
A.①②⑤ B.②③④ C.①③④ D.①④⑤
4.What's the problem about the Internet of things?
A. Companies which produce connected-home devices haven't joined together.
B. Connected-home devices may not work together and can easily get hacked.
C. Companies have difficulty connecting security system to the Internet.’
D. These new devices are produced by different companies.
I was just out of college, only three days into a graduate (研究生)year in England,and I was pulling a heavy bag and suitcase(箱子)through the London Underground. I was also crying out of control.
The day before yesterday, my uncle told me never to speak to him, his wife, or my two cousins again.Earlier, I made a joke. I didn't mean to hurt my aunt's feelings, but it did.I spent the evening in an ugly blue telephone booth (电话亭). crying as I spoke to a family friend who lived in England.
When I left the phone booth, I went back to a silent house with three closed bedroom doors. In the morning, I heard everyone get up and leave for work and school. I wrote a note to say sorry and pulled my bags to the train station. When I got into London, I had to take the underground to Angel Station to get to my family friend's house.
I was familiar with the underground, but at the time, it was just endless white tiles（瓷砖).Coming to England seemed like a bad decision. Crying yet again, I tried to lift my suitcase up the stairs.
When I was trying hard to walk forward, there were hands. Each time I faced another group of steps,a hand would lift the suitcase. At the top of the steps, the hand would let go, and I'd pull the suitcase to the next group. And just as I wanted to try again，another hand would appear.
It happened several times. I never looked up, because I couldn't stop crying.Each hand looked different, and many different people helped me, without asking or saying anything. I couldn't look up. I wasn't able to say thank you.
I went on to have an amazing year studying in England, but that was the last time I saw or spoke to any of my uncle's family. Yet when I think about that terrible loss in 2008, I remember those strangers' hands. They were there when I needed them, and even now, they help me out of the sadness of that memory. I think of them as I ride the underground in Washington D. C. today, and I watch the citizens and tourists to offer hands at any time.
1.What was the writer's feeling while she was walking in the station?
A. She felt sad and helpless at first, but might feel warm later.
B. She was looking forward to getting help from friends.
C. She expected to leave London and go back home
D. She regretted making the joke, but was angry with her uncle.
2.In the last paragraph, the underlined words "that terrible loss" probably mean_________.
A. I was crying when I took the underground in London
B. I left my uncle's family and haven't contacted them since then
C. I didn't say thank you to those who gave hands to me
D. I lost my good mood and felt sad when I left my uncle's family
3.What is the passage mainly about?
A. It tells us a story about an unlucky and homeless college student.
B. It.describes the writer's experience through the underground.
C. It expresses the idea of giving hands to strangers who are in need.
D. It shows the helping hands that writer got from strangers.
Sometimes, you feel down or unhappy and it is hard to come back to your high spirit. So if you're having a bad day and need a boost，then help is just a click away.
A website is trying to offer people positive(积极的)messages from strangers to cheer them up. It announces to be“the nicest place on the Internet"，where happy people can present their positive thoughts and feelings to those who are in low spirits.
The website, thenicestplaceontheinter.net, lets people post videos of themselves blowing kisses and leaving positive and encouraging messages to lift visitors' spirits.
The website was created by Jeff Lam and is considered to help many people out when they feel low. The well-known artist who lives in San Francisco said he came up with the idea when he and his friend Lauren were having one of those bad days.
"We tried to become cheerful，but none of the usual methods seemed to be working. Not music. Not food. What we hoped was something positive, honest and good.So with only a camera and work-free weekend, we created‘The Nicest Place On The Internet," he explained on his website.
One user of the site, Joseph Meehan, 27, from Birmingham, said,“it's a fun and
exciting website. I visit every once in a while when I'm missing my friends or family. I think it could really be a help to people that are feeling down or sad. It may even stop them from doing something stupid. You can also post your video to the website, and they add it to the series. It's very easy to share the love.”
Mr. Lam is now working on a new project that allows people to leave positive voicemails for strangers. The idea is that strangers send an audio(声音)diary by leaving a voicemail and then anyone can listen to it.
1.The underlined word "boost" in paragraph 1 probably means
A.鼓舞 B.放松 C.休闲 D.提高
2.The website was created in order to_______
A. provide a place for those who want to post their videos
B. discover something positive, honest and good
C. recommend positive voicemails on the website to people
D. offer something positive to cheer people up
3.According to the text, which of the following is TRUE?
A. Jeff Lam is working on a new project to collect more audio diaries.
B. Jeff Lam met a lot of difficulties during the time of creating the website.
C. Joseph Meehan has got help from the website and supports it.
D. Joseph Meehan has shared his own positive videos with strangers.
Last fall a beaver moved into the small stream beside our house. He began taking down small trees right away. and in a couple of weeks our stream turned into a pond(水塘).Every day,he added more to his dam(水坝)and to his house. We're sure you've all heard the saying, "as busy as a beaver". Now, we understand this saying as we saw the work that this beaver did over a very short period of time.
We thought that would be the last of the beaver's busy activity as winter came. To our amazement, however, he started chewing(咀嚼)on a very large tree. The tree was over 18 meters tall and around 1.5 meters in diameter(直径).We were amazed at the challenge this beaver was trying. All winter, he chewed and chewed. He had setbacks(挫折)as we faced major winter storms and ice-cold weather. But sure enough, when the weather allowed, he would come back and chew a bit more.
The beaver's first goal(目标)was to survive--to build home for the winter. Working every day with that goal in mind, he successfully achieved that goal. But the large tree he started chewing on last fall was a future goal一he wanted the large tree to provide new food and branches(树枝)for the coming spring. Even with the setbacks he faced over the winter, he never gave up until he reached it.
Our beaver's experience reminds us that we need to set goals for tomorrow. Sometimes just surviving seems to take up all of our time. But, if you do just a little bit when time allows and stick to your future goal, you will achieve it.
When faced with setbacks, have your goal in heart and don't let the setbacks stop you. Keep chewing like the beaver, and you will achieve your goal in the end.
1.What is the purpose of the beaver's chewing on the large tree?
A. To provide more food for the winter because of the snow.
B. To add more branches to his dam and his house.§X§K]
C. To prepare new food and branches for the coming spring.
D. To keep working every day with a goal in mind.
2.Here is。paragraph(段)"When spring arrived, we went down to see the beaver's progress. The tree was about to fall. Our beaver had almost completely chewed around and through the whole tree.”According to the passage, it should be put______
A. between paragraph I and paragraph 2
B. between paragraph 2 and paragraph 3
C. between paragraph 3 and paragraph 4
D. between paragraph 4 and paragraph 5
3.The best title of this passage might be_____
A. Keep Chewing B. Be Like the Beaver
C. As Busy as a Beaver D. Set Proper Goals
How often do You let other people's rude actions change your mood? Do you let a bad driver or an impolite waiter make your day in a mess? However, the mark of your wise reply to the actions is how ______you can come back to smiling to them. Sixteen years ago, I learned this________ at the back of a taxi in New York.
We were driving fast in the right lane (车道)when suddenly, a black car jumped____a parking space right to front of us. My taxi driver stepped on the brake(刹车)as hard as possible, and at the________moment our car stopped just one inch from the back of the other car.
I couldn't _____ what happened next. The driver of the car turned his head around and started_______bad words. But then here's what really_______ me. My taxi driver just smiled and waved(挥手致意) at the guy. I said, "Why did you just do that? This guy nearly ______us!" He told me what I now remember "The Law of the Garbage(垃圾)Truck."
He said,“Like garbage trucks, many people run around full of garbage, full of anger, and full of regret. _______their garbage increases more and more, they look for a place to pour it.If you let them, they'll pour it on you. So when someone wants to pour it on you, don't feel hurt. Just smile, wave, and move on. You will be______.”
I started thinking: how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and______it to other people? Then I knew clearly what I should do.
I began to see Garbage Trucks. I see the bad_____people are carrying. I see them coming to pour it. And like my taxi driver, I don't feel hurt. I just smile, wave, and move on。
1.A. clearly B.quickly C. exactly D.correctly
2.A. example B.experience C. lesson D.case
3.A. out of B. across C. next to D.far from
4.A. next B. busy C. right D.last
5.A. doubt B. consider C. accept D.believe
6.A.shouting B. telling C. whispering D.expressing
7.A. cheered B. encouraged C. surprised D.satisfied
8.A. attacked B. killed C. warned D.beat
9.A.Since B. While C. As D. Before
10.A. happier B. busier C. safer D.luckier
11.A. donate B. lend C. spread D.hang
12.A. news B. Prize C. name D.mood
---I'm going to give a talk on the Dragon Boat Festival to the exchange students.
---Great! But don't forget to tell them______.
A. what should they eat at the festival
B. why people enjoy the full moon
C. what kind of race is often held
D. How do people celebrate it
