In the mid-2000s, Waze Mobile co-founder Ehud Shabtai received a cutting-edge (尖端的) gift from girlfriend: a GPS. The expensive gift was supposed to be helpful. But straight out of the box, it was already out of date.
Shabtai, a coding enthusiast, had an immediate reaction to reinvent. Shabtai’s solution? To build an app. With 80 million monthly active users globally and nearly 400,000 superusers who function much like Wikipedia volunteer editors (editing maps rather than words), Waze Mobile caught the eye of Google as a revolutionary approach to navigation (导航).
Acquired by Google in 2013, Waze’s value mainly lies in its high rate of user involvement. Unlike traditional navigation apps that simply show directions, Waze asks its users to report accidents and other road conditions in real time, so other users can avoid the traffic by using an alternative route.
The goal behind Waze’s approach is an ambitious one: not just avoid traffic, but end it altogether. Waze is finding new ways to put its loyal and active user base to use to make that vision a reality, including a plan to make carpooling (拼车) cool.
To be sure, traffic jams are troubling people all over the world. Waze has been quietly ahead of the game for some time. In 2013, when Waze was just a small digital-mapping business with limited resources it had something Google Maps and other competitors didn’t: richer GPS guidance thanks to its stream of live traffic reports from users.
These users were the basis of Shabtai’s plan to solve for his GPS device’s “silent” hardware: he grounded the app in software that could be perpetually updated by users, anywhere and anytime.
Waze Carpool is going straight to the heart of traffic jams, trying to get more drivers off the road and into carpools. The app has already connected tens of thousands of rideseekers with drivers willing to ferry them along a shared route, and that trend could be the answer to a traffic-free future.
1.What did Shabtai do when he found his girlfriend’s gift out of date?
A.He improved it. B.He took it apart.
C.He put it away. D.He used it anyway.
2.What sets Waze Mobile apart from traditional navigation apps?
A.It has the most users. B.It can indicate directions.
C.It reports road conditions in real time. D.Most users help edit its words.
3.What does the underlined word “perpetually” in paragraph 6 probably mean?
A.Difficultly. B.Carefully.
C.Greatly. D.Constantly.
4.What is mainly talked about in the text?
A.The rise of carpooling. B.An advanced navigation app.
C.The development of Google. D.Traffic problems in the world.
One form of social prejudice（偏见）against older people is the belief that they cannot understand or use modern technology. Activities like playing computer games，going on the Net and downloading MP3s are only for the youngsters. Isn't it unfair that older people enjoying a computer game should be frowned upon（反对）by their children and grandchildren？
Nowadays older people have more control over their lives and they play a full part in society. Moreover, better health care has left more people in their sixties and seventies feeling fit and active after retirement. Mental activity, as well as physical exercise, can contribute to better health. Playing computer games is a very effective way of exercising the brain.
When personal computers were first introduced, most older people didn't believe they would ever familiarize themselves with them. Now computers have been around for a few generations and retired people have gradually become more relaxed about using them for fun. Gamers over 65 prefer playing puzzle games and card games. Kate Stevens，aged 72，says，"I find it very relaxing. It's not very demanding，but you still need to concentrate. "
Another development that has favored "grey games" is a change in the type of videogames available on the market. There's a greater variety of games to choose from，including more intellectual and complex strategy（策略）and simulation（模拟）games. Internet Chess and Train Simulator are among the most popular of these. Train Simulator is based on real-world rail activities. Players can choose from a variety of challengers，such as keeping to a strict timetable and using helper engines during a winter storm.
Some people argue that "grey gamers" simply don't have the skills required for computer games, and that teenagers are better. This couldn't be further from the truth. Most computer games require the kind of analytical thinking that improves with practice, which means that the "grey gamers" may well be far better than gamers half a century younger than them. In games where speed is the main consideration, older people would be at a disadvantage because they may have slower reaction time. On the other hand, "grey gamers" have a preference for slower-paced, mind challenging games.
1.The second paragraph is intended to _______.
A. show the best way to exercise the brain
B. stress the importance of good health
C. explain why grey gamers exist
D. teach how to play videogames
2.What was older people's attitude towards personal computers at first?
A. Doubtful. B. Concerned.
C. Enthusiastic. D. Supportive.
3.The method the author uses to develop Paragraph 4 is ________.
A. offering analyses B. giving examples
C. making comparisons D. providing details
4.The underlined part in Paragraph 5 probably means _______.
A. mind challenging games are not suitable for older people
B. teenagers should improve their skills with practice
C. playing computer games requires analytical thinking
D. older people may perform well in some computer games
Rodney Smith is a man with a task. The Bermuda native is in the midst of a trip that will take him to every state in the nation, mowing lawns(修理草坪）.
Five years ago，Smith came across a senior man mowing his lawn and stopped to help.“When I came across the elderly man, my life changed，”he said. After that, Smith went on to create the Raising Men Lawn Care Service (RMLCS) to mow lawns for the elderly，disabled，single moms and former soldiers free of charge. As part of providing free yard work, the organization teaches children about serving their communities and lawn mower safety.
A key component of RMLCS is its 50-yard challenge，which sets a goal for children nationwide to mow 50 lawns for free in their community. When a kid signs up for the challenge, the group sends them a white shirt with the Raising Men logo(标识），shades and ear protection. The participants receive a different colored shirt after every 10th lawn they mow. When they have completed the task for 50 yards，they receive a special visit from Smith or someone with RMLCS. They give the volunteer a new lawnmower, free of charge, and cut other lawns with them.
Since this challenge started in 2016，12 kids have already completed the challenge. And both boys and girls are part of it. At present they have 130 kids nationwide taking part in this challenge，including 7 in Bermuda and the U. K. and one in Canada. So it5 s spreading worldwide. Even the Queen of England took notice — the governor of Bermuda presented Smith with an award late last year on behalf of her.
It was also last year that Smith came up with the 50 States 50 Lawns campaign. Now, in 2018，he’s on the road again.
1.What is the purpose of the Raising Men Lawn Care Service?
A.Educate children to work hard.
B.Offer free lawn cutting service.
C.Make lawnmowers of high quality.
D.Train professional lawn mowing workers.
2.What indicates a child completing the 50-yard challenge?
A.A visit to RMLCS.
B.The Raising Men logo.
C.A white shirt and ear protection.
D.A new lawnmower from RMLCS.
3.Why is the Queen of England mentioned?
A.To praise the queen for her care.
B.To prove Smith is respected by everyone.
C.To show Smith’s behavior got recognized.
D.To introduce where Smith’s motivation came from.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A.Mow Lawns in Order to Travel
B.Lawn Mowing — a New Trend
C.Choose Mowing Lawns to Help
D.Smith — a Man Loves Mowing Lawns
The Moth Poetry Prize
ABOUT THE PRIZE
The Moth Poetry Prize is an annual contest from Irish magazine. It is one of the biggest prizes in the world for a single unpublished poem of any length with the theme of peace. The prize is open to anyone over 16 as long as the poem is previously unpublished，and each year it attracts thousands of entries from new and established poets from over 50 countries worldwide.
The shortlist will be announced in June 2019 and the four shortlisted poems will feature in the summer issue of The Moth. The winners will be invited to a special prize-giving event at Poetry Ireland in Dublin in the summer of 2019.
THE JUDGE
The poet and novelist Jacob Polley will judge this year’s Moth Poetry Prize. Jacob is the author of four poetry collections published by Picador，the latest of which，Jackself，won the T. S. Eliot Prize. He is also the recipient of a Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize，and his novel Talk of the Tovun won a Somerset Maugham Award. He teaches at the University of Newcastle.
HOW TO ENTER
The entry fee is 15 euros per poem, and you can enter as many poems as you like.
You can enter online or send your poem (s) along with a cheque or postal order made payable to “The Moth Magazine Ltd. ” with an entry form or a cover letter with your name and contact details and the title of poem(s) attached to： The Moth，Ardan Grange, Milltown, Belturbet, Co. Cavan, Ireland.
Please remember to read the rules of the competition before you enter.
Call 00 353 (0)87 2657251 or email enquiries®themothmagazine. com for more details.
1.What information about the contest can we learn?
A.Its closing date. B.Its evaluation criteria.
C.The award to winners. D.Its organizer.
2.What is the requirement of the contest?
A.One person can only submit one entry.
B.The participants must be Irish citizens.
C.The entries should be focused on peace.
D.Only teenagers of 16 are admitted to take part.
3.What will the winners get?
A.An award of 15 euros.
B.An invitation to Dublin.
C.A poetry collection by Picador.
D.A chance to interview Jacob Polley.
I still keep the photo taken by my mom and treasure it as my life. That was many years ago when I was taking summer ______ in college and was moving into an apartment. I was carrying two ______ with everything that I was going to need to ______ the 6 weeks of classes. It is the last time I can remember ever traveling that ______.
Since then my possessions have ______. Though most of them like my furniture are ______, there are occasions when I feel ______ down by all of them. I am sure that I will need two trucks rather than two suitcases if I ever ______ again.
One thought, however, brings me ______. It is the knowledge that when I make my ______ journey from this world-I am dead, I won’t ______ any of those things with me. The only things I will take with me will be what I have packed in the suitcase of my ______. I will be carrying with me every ______ thing I ever did, every loving thought I ever shared, and every bit of ______ I ever brought into this world to make others laugh. I will be carrying all the goodness I gave to others, all the______ I was able to share, and all the joy I created. These things won't be weighing me down. Instead, I will be surely ______.
As you are ______ for your own final trip-completely prepared, make sure that you should not make your ______ heavy. Make sure that the belongings in your home ______ take second place to the love in your heart. When you ______ it in Heaven, God and all His angels will smile.
1.A. journeys B. holidays C. lectures D. classes
2.A. trucks B. suitcases C. books D. computers
3.A. bring out B. take away C. get through D. pay for
4.A. hard B. light C. unforgettably D. happily
5.A. gone B. appeared C. lessened D. grown
6.A. expensive B. useful C. beautiful D. enjoyable
7.A. weighed B. put C. turned D. calmed
8.A. treasure B. possess C. move D. demand
9.A. confusion B. matter C. hate D. comfort
10.A. final B. pleasant C. tiring D. latest
11.A. compare B. take C. fill D. stand
12.A. soul B. body C. home D. college
13.A. strange B. little C. kind D. smart
14.A. knowledge B. hope C. thought D. laughter
15.A. love B. information C. time D. money
16.A. burst out B. worn out C. given up D. lifted up
17.A. ready B. eager C. fit D. responsible
18.A. world B. weight C. travel D. heart
19.A. hardly B. always C. rather D. never
20.A. cover B. wrap C. unpack D. untie
During my first year in China, I spent the summer holiday 1. my family at the seaside in Beidaihe. The hotel 2. we were staying in was near the sea, so we used to spend most of our time 3.(swim). Now, my wife is from Switzerland and when she was at home, she bought me a watch as 4. present. The watch she bought 5.(be) waterproof(防水的) and I never took it off, even when I was having a bath. When I went swimming at Beidaihe, I didn’t take my watch off either. On the last day of our holiday, I went swimming and 6.(come) out of the sea without my watch. As I was leaving, the manager of the hotel said, “Leave your address and phone number so that we can send your watch to you if we can find it.” I did so but I wasn’t very 7.(hope). One week later, I got a phone call form the hotel. The man who 8.(find) my watch was a PLA man. He picked it up when he was out 9.(walk) on the beach one day and handed it in at the police station. After several 10.(day), I got my watch back and it was still working.
