Technology offers conveniences such as opening the garage door from your car or changing the television station without touching the TV.
Now one American company is offering its employees a new convenience: a microchip implanted (植入) in their hands. Employees who have these chips can do all kinds of things just by waving their hands. Three Square Market is offering to implant microchips in all of their employees for free. Each chip costs $300 and Three Square Market will pay for the chip. Employees can volunteer to have the chips implanted in their hands. About 50 out of 80 employees have chosen to do so. The president of the company, his wife and their children are also getting chips implanted in their hands.
The chip is about the size of a grain of rice. Implanting the chip only takes about a second and is said to hurt only very briefly. The chips go under the skin between the thumb and forefinger. With a chip in the hand, a person can enter the office building, buy food, sign into computers and more, simply by waving that hand near a scanner. The chips will be also used to identify employees. Employees who want convenience, but do not want to have a microchip implanted under their skin, can wear a wristband (腕带) or a ring with a chip instead. They can perform the same tasks with a wave of their hands as if they had an implanted chip.
Three Square Market is the first company in the United States to offer to implant chips in its employees. Epicenter, a company in Sweden, has been implanting chips in its employees for a while.
Three Square Market says the chip cannot track the employees. The company says scanners can read the chips only when they are within a few inches of them. “The chips protect against identity theft, similar, to credit cards.” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the chips back in 2004, so they should be safe for humans, according to the company.
In the future, people with the chips may be able to do more with them, even outside the office. Todd Westby is Chief Executive Officer of Three Square Market. He says, “Eventually, this technology will become standardized allowing you to use this as your passport, public transit, all purchasing opportunities, etc.”
1.What is the third paragraph mainly about?
A.The substitutes of the chips.
B.The advantages of the chips.
C.The places to implant the chips.
D.The potential risks of implanting the chips.
2.What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 5 refer to?
A.the hands B.the employees C.the credit cards D.the scanners
3.We can infer that ________.
A.the chips are very popular among the employees
B.the chips have magic powers
C.the price of the chips is reasonable
D.most people suspect the application of the chips
4.Which of the following best describes Todd Westby’s attitude towards the chips?
A.Defensive. B.Disappointing. C.Optimistic. D.Casual.
When I was a kid, I loved reading history, science fiction, detective stories, but especially comics. I had piles of them and kept talking my Dad into making more shelves for me. One day, I read about a 13-year-old boy who had actually written one of my favorite comics, Legion of Super-Heroes, and I said, “I can do that too.” That year, I was two years younger than the writer.
Three years later, a friend and I started our own fan magazine about comics. It became the first place that regularly told people when their favorite comics were coming out and writers and artists were working on them. Because of the magazine, I won the awards for The Comic Reader, but more important, it got many of the people in the field to know who I was.
One day when I was visiting DC Comics for news for my next issue, one of the editors a chance to write text for his comic. Suddenly, at 16, I was getting paid to write.
I was able to pay for my college classes working as an assistant editor at DC Comics and learned how to write comics stories while I was there. I wrote hundreds of stories. Over the years, I worked as an editor and an executive (主管) for the company, eventually serving as a president and publisher, until earlier this year. Now I’m back to my first love, writing comics again.
Every morning, I open my e-mail and find pages of art sent in by artists across the country who draw my stories. When I’m tired of working on the stories, I can go online and find my readers commenting on my stories or telling me when I make mistakes.
Keep reading and writing, it’s a wonderful way to live.
1.At what age did the author win the awards for The Comic Reader?
A.13 B.14 . C.15. D.16.
2.What is the author’s present job?
A.An editor. . B.A painter. C.A publisher D.A comics writer.
3.How is the passage mainly developed?
A.By listing some data. B.By giving examples.
C.By following time order. D.By making comparisons.
Each time Chinese New Year is approaching, preparations are underway around the world. Here are some Chinatowns for those outside of China wishing to mark the day.
London
Although it may not be as large or as long-built as others, having only become a center for the Chinese community during the 1950s, London’s Chinatown is perfectly formed little firework that knows how to see in the year with a bang. Decorated with red lanterns, previous years have seen shows with acrobatics（杂技）, martial arts（武术）,dance and opera nearby.
San Francisco
San Francisco’s Chinatown is perhaps the most famous in the United States. The city was the main entry-point for Chinese who had crossed the Pacific to the USA during the early 19th century. Between the Grant Avenue and the Stockton Street, this historic area is a local treasure, attracting more visitors per year than the Golden Gate Bridge.
Bangkok
With an about 100-year-old history, the Thai capital’s Chinatown contains complex streets offering all kinds of tasty treats, clothes, toys and antiques. Sunday market days are such a good time to get the full atmosphere of the neighborhood. The area is also known for its gold dealers, whose shops line the road.
Mauritius
Found in Port Louis, this Mauritian Chinatown shows the island nation’s rich multicultural diversity. Established in the early years of the 20th century by settlers from China, its tiny shops and restaurants serve locals and visitors. During the Chinese Spring Festival, the most exciting sight is the Dragon Dances on Rue Royale when Chinese musicians and dancers perform the traditional lion dances through the streets.
1.According to the text, which of the following has the longest history?
A.London’s Chinatown. B.San Francisco’s Chinatown.
C.Mauritius’s Chinatown. D.Bangkok’s Chinatown.
2.What’s special about Bangkok’s Chinatown?
A.It is crowded with Chinese restaurants. B.It is the major entrance for the Chinese.
C.It is well-known for its gold business. D.It is when you can enjoy fireworks.
3.If you want to enjoy the Dragon Dances, you can go to ______.
A.Rue Royale in Port Louis, Mauritius B.the Sunday market in Bangkok
C.the Grant Avenue in San Francisco D.the Chinese community in London
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.In which year did James Harman die?
A.1989. B.1990. C.1991.
2.How do most people know Anna Collins?
A.From a novel. B.From a film. C.From a charity.
3.Whose ten books achieved massive sales?
A.Anna Collins’. B.Ian Cheriton’s. C.Sylvia Daniels.
4.What can we know about Sylvia Daniels?
A.She got a best actress award. B.She had a job in her hometown.
C.She seldom came back to Tanbride.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.When can phone calls from artists be difficult for the woman?
A.When their work doesn’t sell. B.When they don’t get payments.
C.When their work isn’t displayed.
2.What is the woman’s role in the service the gallery offers to large companies?
A.Making initial contracts. B.Responding to enquiries.
C.Sending in photographs.
3.What does the woman find most enjoyable about her job?
A.Opening a new exhibition. B.Meeting interesting people. C.Being close to art.
4.What does the woman do?
A.The marketing manager. B.The gallery manager. C.The company secretary.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What date is it today probably?
A.July 7. B.July 10. C.July 17.
2.What is the third energy source the speakers will probably choose?
A.Solar. B.Nuclear. C.Wind.
3.What information will the speakers remove from the presentations?
A.The background. B.The diagrams. C.The statistics.
