I have been using the Internet since I was five years old, when my dad first sat me down in front of a computer and connected me to the World Wide Web.
I’ve always felt like a master of the Internet world. AOL Instant Messaging, MSN, Gmail, Facebook, Myspace—I’ve got them all under control. I thought there was nothing more to it besides checking my email and wasting my time, until I was introduced to e-commerce: business on the Internet.
My friends often said they got cheap textbooks off Amazon.com, or had a good deal on Steve Madden boots that were on sale at SteveMadden.com. Unfortunately for me, I continued my “e-commerce-less” Web-surfing, unaware of all the deals I was missing out on.
That is, of course, until my sister finally sold the idea to me.
“Why are all these packages arriving in the mail for you, Katy?” I asked her one day. Strange envelopes had been put on our doorstep for weeks now, each one always addressed to my sister.
“Oh, it’s the stuff I ordered online!” she answered. I watched in surprise as she opened item after item. There was no way our parents were letting her spend that much money—online or off!
“How much did all of this cost?”
“Oh, only about $15 in all!” She said excitedly. “Everything on eBay is on sale! It’s better than going to the mall.”
I felt as if in my entire life, there had been a store right in my backyard that I had never walked into! That week, I ordered a used Spanish textbook for my summer course online for 10 percent of the publishing price. A few days later, I bought an iPod protector and a book or two via the wonderful eBay.com.
1.What can we infer from the passage?
A. The author started doing online shopping at the age of five.
B. The author is a master of the Internet world.
C. The author learnt online shopping from her sister.
D. The author often bought things via Amazon.com.
2.Why was the author surprised when she saw her sister’s items?
A. Because she had no knowledge of online shopping.
B. Because she didn’t like the stuff her sister bought.
C. Because she thought that her parents would be happy to see her sister’s items.
D. Because she hadn’t thought her sister should buy so many things.
3.The underlined sentence suggests that the author ________.
A. wanted to go for a walk in her backyard
B. showed great interest in the Internet
C. was eager to open up an online shop
D. had never done online shopping before
While inventions like the wheel and the Internet have changed the way the world works today, there are some creations that never quite got off the ground. Let’s look at the strangest inventions from across the globe.
THE TOMATO-FEEDING ROBOT
Japanese juice seller, Kagome, invented a robot that will feed you tomatoes with its long metal arms extended on either side of your face while you run. Originally created for the Tokyo Marathon, the robot even has a timer so that tomato-eating runners won’t use up their supply too quickly.
THE ROLLING BENCH
It’s lunchtime and many people may be looking for a park bench to sit on, but the rain has made every surface humid. This is when the rolling bench comes in. When one side is too wet, a handle on the side can roll up another dry side for better sitting conditions. The inventions come from designer Sung Woo Park, from Seoul in South Korea.
THE LED SLIPPERS(拖鞋)
We all hate hurting our toes in the dark, but a revolutionary footwear design can prevent this from happening again. The slightly strange LED slippers are designed to be comfortable, yet shine your path at night. With two in-built LED lights at the top of each slipper, the users can direct their toes at any area that needs light.
THE FOOT-POWERED BICYCLE
It’s the unusual invention of German designers Tom Hambrock and Juri Spetter. Besides an unusual appearance, its function is also slightly strange, as the user must run to get the bicycle moving. As soon as the riders have enough momentum(动力), they’re able to rest their feet on the back wheel and use the handlebars to control its direction.
1.What can we know about the tomato-feeding robot from the text?
A. It’s popular with lazy eaters.
B. It was the creation of a Korean.
C. It was designed for a sports event.
D. It has two plastic arms.
2.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “humid” in the text?
A. Dirty. B. Wet.
C. Unsafe. D. Uncomfortable.
3.Which invention was designed for its users’ safety?[
A. The LED slippers.
B. The rolling bench.
C. The foot-powered bicycle.
D. The tomato-feeding robot.
4.What can we infer about the inventions mentioned in the text?
A. They bring us speed improvement.
B. Their inventors are all from Asia.
C. They are powered by electricity.
D. They can serve us in different ways.
My husband and I enjoy seeing life through the eyes of our five children. It is amazing to watch them discover their ______.
One day last summer, our oldest daughter, Kaytlin found a(n) ______ red squirrel beneath the steps.
We watched it from a distance, not wanting to ______ it. But after a long wait,
we ______ that the tiny squirrel was likely an orphan. He was ______ and hungry. There were no wildlife rehabilitators(复健员) in our country, ______ we decided to care for the squirrel ourselves. More extensive research taught us how to ______ him and that we should release him as soon as he could ______ on his own.
Our daughters and I fed “Squit”. Kaytlin volunteered to take more ______. She woke in the night ______ his needs. To our ______, Squit soon began to get better. Within a few weeks, he would ask for his next meal and playfully crawl around on the girls. It wasn’t long ______ he was reintroduced to the wild.
On the first few visits to the great outdoors, he seemed to be ______ about the surroundings. After playing in the grass for a bit, he would ______ Kaytlin for safety. Soon she had him climbing trees and finding some leaves and sticks for nest.
One day in the trees, Squit met up with a family of gray squirrels that was not
____ at all. They tried to hit him, but finally he managed to get the ______ of dealing with them. Several days later, he played all day in the trees and came down at bedtime. And then one raining night, he didn’t ______. But when the sun rose the next day, there was Squit, begging for food. And that ______ the pattern for weeks.
The ______ was heartwarming for our family. In the wild and silly moments of
____ an orphaned baby squirrel, our children learned to value and appreciate life.
1.A. relation B. stress C. world D. problems
2.A. old B. baby C. big D. strong
3.A. disturb B. beat C. lose D. leave
4.A. realized B. remembered C. forgot D. admitted
5.A. brave B. healthy C. sad D. weak
6.A. so B. but C. though D. for
7.A. trap B. train C. feed D. attract
8.A. fight B. survive C. climb D. play
9.A. responsibilities B. measures C. risks D. photos
10.A. for B. by C. with D. to
11.A. regret B. relief C. disappointment D. sorrow
12.A. before B. after C. when D. since
13.A. confident B. excited C. uncertain D. serious
14.A. look back on B. catch sight of C. stay away from D. run back to
15.A. active B. frightened C. rude D. friendly
16.A. habit B. interest C. trick D. purpose
17.A. eat B. return C. go D. sleep
18.A. developed B. changed C. built D. remained
19.A. truth B. lesson C. experience D. experiment
20.A. teaching B. raising C. encouraging D. finding
–Where shall we go for the holiday, to the park or to the cinema?
–_______ I don’t really mind.
A. Forget it! B. Why not?
C. What’s the point? D. It’s up to you!
Is there anything_______ you would like for dinner?
A. in detail B. in common
C. in general D. in particular
An excellent idea_______ to me when I woke up this morning.
A. had occurred B. occurred
C. have occurred D. was occurred
