“Get your hands off me, I have been stolen,” the laptop, a portable computer, shouted. That is a new solution to laptop computer theft: a program that lets owners give their property a voice when it has been taken.
The program allows users to display alerts on the missing computer’s screen and even to set a spoken message. Tracking software for stolen laptops has been on the market for some time, but this is thought to be the first that allows owners to give the thief a piece of their mind.
Owners must report their laptop missing by visiting a website, which sends a message to the model: a red and yellow “lost or stolen” sign appears on its screen when it is started. Under the latest version（版本）of the software, users can also send a spoken message.
The message can be set to reappear every 30 seconds, no matter how many times the thief closes it.” One customer sent a message saying,’ You are being tracked. I am right at your door’,” said Carrie Hafeman, chief executive of the company which produces the program, Retriever.
In the latest version, people can add a spoken message. For example, the laptop’s speakers will say: “Help, this laptop is reported lost or stolen. If you are not my owner, report me now.”
The Retriever software package, which costs $29.95 but has a free trial period, has the functions of many security software programs .Owners can remotely switch to an alternative password if they fear that the thief has also got hold of the access details.
If a thief accesses the internet with the stolen laptop, Retriever will collect information on the internet service provider in use, so that the police can be alerted to its location.
Thousands of laptops are stolen every year form homes and offices, but with the use of laptops increasing, the number stolen while their owners are out and about has been rising sharply.
Other security software allows users to erase data remotely or lock down the computer.
1.The expression “to give the thief a piece of their mind “can be understood as “_______”
A. to give the thief an alert mind
B. to express the owners’ anger to the thief
C. to remind the thief of this conscience
D. to make the thief give up his mind
2.Different from other security software, Retriever can .
A. record the stealing process B. help recognize the lost laptop
C. lock down the computer remotely D. send a spoken message
3.One function of the program is that it allows the owner to at a distance.
A. change some access details for switching on the laptop
B. turn on the laptop by using the original password
C. operate the laptop by means of and alternative password
D. erase the information kept in the stolen laptop
4.Which of the following can best summarize the main idea of the passage?
A. With no Retriever, thousands of laptops are stolen every year.
B. A new soft ware provides a means to reduce laptop theft.
C. Retriever has helped to find thieves and lost computers.
D. A new program offers a communication platform with the thief.
Horse-drawn sleigh rides Dogsledding Snowmobiling
Welcome to Banff, Canada’s first, most famous and arguably most fascinating national park. If you’ve come to ski or snowboard, we’ll see you on the slopes. Skiing is a local favourite too.
While you’re here, try other recreational activities available in our mountains. Popular choices include a Banff Gondola ride up Sulphur Mountain, bathe in the natural mineral waters at the Upper Hot Spring, horse-drawn sleigh ride, drive-your-own-team dog sled excursion, and snowmobile tour to the highland（but not in the national park）.
We also recommend you make time to enjoy simple pleasures. After looking around Banff Ave shops, walk a couple of blocks west or south to the scenic Bow River.
True ice skating on frozen Lake Louise where Ice Magic International Ice Sculpture Competition Works are displayed after Jan 25. You can rent skates in Banff or at the sport shop in the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise hotel.
Banff’s backcountry paths access a wilderness world of silence and matchless beauty—cross country skis and snowshoes provide the means. Banff sport shops rent equipment and clothes, or join an organized tour. Although we’ve been many times, we still find the cliffs and icefalls of our frozen canyons worth visiting.
Wildlife watching also creates satisfying memories. We have seen hundreds of the elk and bighorn sheep that attract visitors, yet they still arouse a sense of wonder. And the rare spotting of a cougar, wolf or woodland caribou takes our breath away.
See if simple pleasure work for your Fight in the snow with your kids, walk beside a stream or climb to a high place and admire the view.
—Banff Resort Guide Editors
1.According to the passage, Banff’s backcountry is accessible by .
A. cross country skiing B, horse-drawn sleigh riding
C. snowmobiling D. dogsledding
2.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. Dogsledding is the most popular sport among local people.
B. Watching wildlife is a memorable experience.
C. Travelers should bring their own sports equipment.
D. Shopping is too simple a pleasure to enjoy.
3.The purpose of the writing is to _______.
A. promote scenic spots in Canada
B. advertise for the sports in Banff
C. introduce tourist activities in Banff
D. describe breathtaking views in Banff
Even at school there had been an unhealthy competition between George and Richard.
“I’ll be the first millionaire in Coleford!” Richard used to boast.
“And you’ll be sorry you knew me,” George would reply “because I’ll be the best lawyer in town!”
George never did become a lawyer and Richard never made any money. Instead both men opened bookshops on opposite sides of Coleford High Street. It was hard to make money from books, which made the competition between them worse.
Now with only one bookshop in town, business was better for George. But sometimes he sat in his narrow , old kitchen and gazed out of the dirty window , thinking about his former rival （竞争对手）。Perhaps he missed him?
George was very interested in old dictionaries, He’d recently found a collector in Australia who was selling a rare first edition. When the parcel arrived, the book was in perfect condition and George was delighted. But while he was having lunch, George glanced at the photo in the newspaper that the book had been wrapped in. He was astonished—the smiling face was older than he remembered but unmistakable! Trembling, George started reading.
“Bookends have bought ten bookstores from their rivals Dylans. The company, owned by multi-millionaire Richard Pike, is now the largest bookseller in Australia. ”
1.George and Rivhard were at school.
A. roommates B. good friends
C. competitors D. booksellers
2.How did George feel about Richard after his disappearance?
A. He envied Richard’s marriage.
B. He thought of Richard from time to time.
C. He felt lucky with no rival in town.
D. He was guilty of Richard’s death.
3.George got information about Richard from .
A. a dictionary collector in Australia
B. the latter’s rivals Dylans
C. a rare first edition of a dictionary
D. the wrapping paper of a book
4.What happened to George and Richard in the end?
A. Both George and Richard became millionaires.
B. Both of them realized their original ambitions.
C. George established a successful business white Richard was missing.
D. Richard became a millionaire while George had no great success.
Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
Most people believe they don’t have much imagination. They are 1.Everyone has imagination, but most of us, once we become adults, forget how to 2it. Creativity isn’t always 3with great works of art or ideas. People at work and in their free time 4think of creative ways to solve problems. Maybe you have a goal to achieve, a tricky question to answer or you just want to expand your mind! Here are three techniques to help you.
Making connections This technique involves taking 5ideas and trying to find links between them. First, think about the problem you have to solve or the job you need to do. Then find an image, word, idea or object, for example, a candle. Write down all the idea/words 6with candles: light, fire, matches, wax, night, silence, etc. Think of as many as you can. The next stage is to relate the 7to the job you have to do. So imagine you want to buy a friend an original 8; you could buy him tickets to match or take him out for the night.
NO limits! Imagine that normal limitations don’t 9. You have as much time/space/money, etc. as you want. Think about your goal and the new 10.If your goal is to learn to ski, 11, you can now practise skiing every day of your life （because you have the time and the money）. Now 12this to reality. Maybe you can practise skiing ever day in December, or every Monday in January.
Be someone else! Look at the situation from a 13point of view. Good businessmen use this technique in trade, and so do writes. Fiction writers often imagine they are the 14in their books. They ask question: What does this character want? Why can’t she get it? What changes must she make to get what she wants? If your goal involves other people, put yourself in their 15. The best fishermen think like fish!
1.A. wrong B. unbelievable C. reasonable D. realistic
2.A. put up with B. catch up with C. make use of D. keep track of
3.A. equipped B. compared C. covered D. connected
4.A. skillfully B. routinely C. vividly D. deeply
5.A. familiar B. unrelated C. creative D. imaginary
6.A. presented B. marked C. lit D. associated
7.A. ideas B. ambitions C. achievement D. technique
8.A. experience B. service C. present D. object
9.A. work B. last C. exist D. change
10.A. possibilities B. limitations C. tendency D. practice
11.A. in fact B. in particular C. as a whole D. for example
12.A. devote B. adapt C. lead D. keep
13.A. private B. global C. different D. practical
14.A. features B. themes C. creatures D. characters
15.A. positions B. dreams C. images D. directions
Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.
|
A. contents B. taking C. carefully D. plastic E. packaging F. declined G. freely H. typical I. contracts J. registered |
If the package looks pretty, people will buy just about anything. So says an advertising executive in New York, and he has proved his point by selling boxes of rubbish for the price of an expensive bottle of wine.
Justin Gignac,26, has sold almost 900 1.presented plastic boxes of rubbish from the street of Big Apple at between ＄50 and ＄100 each. Buyers from 19 countries have paid for the souvenirs（纪念品）. The idea has been so successful that he is thinking of promoting it around the world.
It all began when Mr Gignac was at a summer workshop, “We had a discussion about the importance of 2.,”he recalls.” Someone said packaging was unimportant. I disagreed. The only way to prove it was by selling something nobody would ever want.”
He searches the streets of Manhattan and typical 3.include broken glass, subway tickets, Starbucks cups and used 4.forks. “Special editions” are offered at a high price. He charged ＄100 for rubbish from the opening day of the New York Yankees’ stadium.
Mr Gignac denies 5.his customers for fools: “They know what they’re getting. They appreciate the fact that they’re taking something nobody would want and finding beauty in it.”
Some 6.customers include people who used to live in the city and want a down-to-earth souvenir. He claims he has even sold to art collectors.
Realizing that the concept appears to be a real money-maker, Mr Gignac has 7.a company and is employing his girlfriend as vice president. He 8.to discuss his profit margins: “It’s actually quite a lot of effort putting them together-but yes, garbage is free.”
Mr Gignac is considering more varieties of souvenirs. He maintains that he has signed 9.with people interested in similar projects from as far as Berlin and London.
As a new diplomat, he often thinks of he can react more appropriately on such occasions.
A. what B. which C. that D. how
