The home computer industry has been growing rapidl... - 搜题云问答

第1题

All the following examples are high tech except ______.A．a microwave ovenB．a home computer

All the following examples are high tech except ______.

A．a microwave oven

B．a home computer

C．a hand pump

D．a satellite.

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第2题

An "internal computer" （Para. 2 ) is______.A．a computer used exclusively by one company f

An "internal computer" (Para. 2 ) is______.

A．a computer used exclusively by one company for its own problems

B．a person ' s store of knowledge and the ability to process it

C．the most up to date in home computer a company can buy

D．a computer from the post-war era which is very reliable

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第3题

Futurists love computers. After all, 40 years ago electronic digital computers didn't exis

t; today microchips (微型集成电路片) as tiny as a baby's fingernail are making all sorts of tasks faster and easier. Surely the future hold still more miracles.

Some of the computer experiments now going inspire imagination of the future. For example, scientists are working in devices that can electronically perform. some sight and hearing functions, which could make easier for the blind and deaf. They are also working on artificial arms and legs that respond to the electric impulses (脉冲) produced by the human brain. Scientists hope that someday a person who has lost an arm could still have near-normal brain control over an artificial arm.

Video games, computerized effects in movies, and real-life training machines now being used by the U. S. Army are causing some people to predict new educational uses for computers. Computers could someday be used to imitate travel to other planets, to explore the ocean floor or to look inside an atom.

Experiment with electronic banking and shopping inspire predictions that these activities will soon be done from home computer terminals (终端) . Cars, too, might be equipped with computers to help drivers find their way around or to communicate with home and office computers.

Many people, including handicapped (残废的) workers with limited ability to move around, already are working at home using computer terminals. Each terminal is connected to a system at a company's main office. Some futurists say the day may come when few people will have to leave home to go to work—they'll just turn on a terminal.

Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for the passage？

A．Futurists and Computers

B．A Look at Future Uses of Computers

C．Computer Experiments

D．Scientists and Computers

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第4题

A recent study shows that more and more Americans are choosing to work at home.There are s

A recent study shows that more and more Americans are choosing to work at home.

There are several reasons for the change. One reason is many parents want more time to be with their children at home. Another is that people want the freedom to decide for them- selves how and when to do their job. The chance to work at home lets people live wherever they wish—out in the country, perhaps. It also makes it possible for many others—disabled and other persons, new mothers-to do useful work and earn money.

About half the people who work at home operate their own business. They sell products or services. The other half works for companies. They may make things, such as clothes. Or they may do office work, such as copying letters. A smaller number work at highly skilled jobs as designers or engineers.

The revolution(革命) in computer technology is one of the main reasons for the change to working at home.

Computers are now used in almost every American workplace in offices, in factories, even on farms. Computers make it much easier and quicker to do any task that involves information: writing, counting, designing, planning, keeping records.

With computers, there is less need for people to come together to work. Computers can he linked by telephone lines with other computers far away. A worker can write a report or

add information to company records on a computer at home and then send the finished work to a computer in another city.

Americans already are using computers to do many different kinds of jobs at home. Many highly skilled workers, for example, ask their companies for the chance to work at least part of the time at home. They say they can think more clearly and be more creative in the quiet, peaceful atmosphere of their home.

Many engineers, writers and computer scientists are among those who now do at least part of their work at home, using a computer. Most of such professional workers, however, spend at least a day or two each week in the company office to discuss their work with oth- ers. Working at home is a good idea for some people in some industries. However, it does not work for everyone.

Some home workers have said their personal lives and work lives became too close. Some have said they needed to be with other people to develop new ideas. And others have said it is more difficult to get a better job with the company when you are not working in the company's office.

Lots of people hope to work at home so as to______.

A．get a higher pay

B．have enough time to stay with their children

C．have more time for rest

D．do more housework

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第5题

The Californian coastline north and south of Silicon Valley is a trend-setting sort of pla

ce. Increasingly, the home interiors of the well-heeled there tend toward one of two (1)_____. Houses are (2)_____ light flooded, sparse and vaguely Asian in (3)_____, with perhaps a Zen fountain in one corner, a Yoga area in another. Or they resemble electronic control rooms with all sorts of (4)_____, computers, routers, antennae, screens and remote controls. Occasionally, both elements are (5)_____. "She" may have the living room and public areas, (6)_____ "he" is banished with his toys up or down the stairs.

Currently, the gadget lovers have powerful allies. Many of the largest companies in the consumer-electronics, computer, telecoms and internet industries have made a strategic decision to (7)_____ visions of a "digital home", "eHome", or "connected home". Doubting that (8)_____ from corporate customers will ever (9)_____ to the boom levels of the late 1990s, Microsoft, Intel, Sony, Verizon, Comcast, Hewlett-Packard, Apple and others see the consumer (10)_____ their best chance for growth and will be throwing a bewildering (11)_____ of home "solutions" at (12)_____ in the coming months and years.

To understand what the (13)_____ ultimately have in (14)_____ it is best to visit the (15)_____ homes that most have built on their campuses or at trade shows. (16)_____ cosy and often intimidating, these feature flat screens almost everywhere, (17)_____ electronic picture frames in the bedroom from the large TV-substitute in the living room. Every (18)_____ has a microchip and can be (19)_____ to, typed into or clicked onto. Everything is (20)_____ to a central computer through wireless links.

A．extremes

B．spheres

C．hazards

D．loopholes

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第6题

The home computers industry has been growing rapidly in the United States for the last ten

years. Computers used to be large, expensive machines that were very difficult to use. But scientists and technicians have been making them smaller and cheaper while at the same time they have been made easier to use, As a result, their popularity has been increasing as more people have been buying computers for their homes and businesses. Computers have been designed to store information and compute complex problems. Some have voices that speak with the operators. Stores use computers to keep records of their inventories and to send bills to their customers. Offices use computers to type letters, record business and communicate with other offices. People have been using computers in their homes to keep track of expenses and turn appliances on and off.

One important new use for computers is for entertainment. Many new games have been designed to be played, on the computers. People of all ages have been playing these games. They have been going to Arcades where the computer games can be played for a small cost. People also have been buying home computers ,to play computer games at home. They have become very popular indeed.

Computers in the United States ______.

A．used to be too small to use

B．used to be nice

C．used to be heavy

D．used to be large and expensive

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第7题

The Teclrnology Buyer's Guide Home Control Center Rex－l0 is a computer controlled

The Teclrnology Buyer's Guide

Home Control Center

Rex-l0 is a computer controlled mini speaker that acts like a "watchdog" barking when

it detects motion. It' s the perfect protection when you' re out of town. (800-843-532;$ 200)

IBM's Home Director is a multitasking PC that lets homeowners create and run daily routines around

the house. Preset tasks each day or on a weekly basis. Come home to freshly baked apple

pie, a vacuumed house, nearly any wish come true. (800-4267235; $99 and up)

Inteiectron's Lanterns are attractive outdoor lights that turn on at dusk,then switch to full brightness whenever they detect movement. (510-732-6790; $35 to $55)

Park's Temperature Control makes for even daily temperature control and saves up to

20% off a homeowner's energy bill. (800-725-9162; $250 to $375)

Home Entertainment

Via TV Videophone:is just what you need to show the grandparents how the kids are

growing up while talking with them over the phone. The machine works via regular phone

lines (888-843-9898; $550)

Zenith Z32 Color TV is a wide-screen TV that will be the centerpiece of your home

theater. It has just about the sharpest picture at 32 inches (847-39-8100; $ 1,650)

Sennheiser 11D580 Precision Headphones are just what you need to experience crisp

solitary listening. An experience you'll want after a hard day at the office (860-434-9190,

$ 349)

Nintendo 64 is a video-game box guaranteed to give you more thrill than any

action-packed movie (800-255-3700; $ 149)

Kitchen Helpers

Krups Espresso Novo 4000 Programatic coffee maker makes coffee from mild to very

strong. It has a microchip-monitored steam pump. (800-526-5377; $349. 99)

Capresso is the bean grinder-digital coffee maker that should be in everyone's house

You can programme it up to 10 hours so you can depend on fresh coffee anytime

(201-767-3999; $230)

Sharp Multiple Choice Microwave tells you what to put on the plate and how long to cook

it. The digital screen can tell you how to bake apples, cut down on your salt intake, and

much more. (800-be-sharp; $189 to $199)

Panasonic Electronic Rice Cooker not only cooks rice but steams vegetables and has a

fuzzy-logic chip that makes many cooking decisions for you. It can be set 13 hours in advance

to whip up your dinner. (800-366-4308; $ 160 to $170)

Office

Pro-26 Document Shredder, destroys top-secret memos in the comfort of your home.

Two pages can be shredded like spaghetti in seconds. (800-351-7222; $50)

Qulckcam YC 's Videoconterencing via the Net allows you to work at home and let the

office interact with you face-to-face. (800-950-5880; $129)

Brother's MFC Multipurpose Color Printer combines a scanner, copier, fax and digital

answering machine all in one. (800-284-4329; $799)

Kensington Smartsockets' with its co[or-coding system and spaced-out sockets will keep

your plugs untangled. (800-535-4242; $19 to $49)

PanasonIc 6. 6-oz. Combo Cellular allows you to travel far from home and stay in touch

Analog cellular charges kick in when you are 1,000 feet from home. (800-441-7262; $199)

Relaxation

La-z-boy Maxim is a high tech way to recline that lets you catch up on all the sleep

you,ye missed while you are treated to heat and a back massage, all run off a central

computer system. If you can,t take your mind off business, just plug in your laptop to the

armrest phone jack. Better still sit back and enjoy your favorite music with the built-in sound

system, it's got everything you'll need, (800-625-3246; $760 to $850)

Sony Web TV is designed for laid-back Net surfing. Grab hold of Web TV's wireless

keyboard,then you can casually cruise the information highway on the TV, resting the body

without resting the mind (800-772-sony; $200 to $300)

Panasonic Great Escape lets you sit back, relax, and enjoy a shiatsu massage. Great for

relieving stress. (201-348-9090; $2,500 to $3,400)

Transportation

Sandia National Bus Pothole Fixer comes complete with scanners that spot holes cleaners

to clear away debris, and nozzles to shoot filler material in the hole as it drives over, taking

its passengers to their destination. To be commercialized soon

Hypercar is designed to improve car efficiency. It has a scooter sized engine with a gas

turbine cell that provides a constant source of electricity. It is quiet, safe, nearly 95% less

polluting than a conventional car, and gets between 100 and 200 miles per gallon. It is being

tested at the Hypercar Center at the Rocky Mountain Institute

Miscellaneous

Motorola Cow Alert works off a computer chip and a battery. A sensor sits in one of a

cow,5four stomachs ready to alert the farmer within half an hour if a cow falls ill

(Motorola U. S. based)

Heartthrob Brooch not only has 6 rubies and 78 diamonds but carries a chip-controlled

light-emitting device that flashes with each beat of the wearer's heart. (M. I T. Media Lab

designer Harry Winston; $400,000)

Sole Attraction is a new sneaker that takes vital information from potential mates. All

you do is shake hands and exchange the necessary information, then let the sneakers do the

rest. Provided both of you are wearing them, a low-level electric current races along your

skin's surface and onto your partner,s, coding details on a computer chip on the soles of the

sneakers. (designed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology(M. I . T), U. S)

Questions 11-20 are based on Passage 2

11. The IBM Home Director's unit uses a ___________ to run the home

A. dog's bark B. multitasking PC

C. video phone

12. Park, s Temperature Control is reported to save up to ______________ percent of energy bills

A.50 B.1O

C. 20

13. The Zenith Z32 comes with a ______________.

A. wide screen TV ？ B. phone

C. home theater

14. Krups Espresso makes different types of coffee but the Capresso has a _________.

A. timer B. steam pump

C. storage filter

15. Kensington Smartsockets lets you ________.

A. interact with your boss B. organize your plugs

C. shred documents

16. The Panasonic Great Escape machine lets you enjoy a _________________.

A. phone jack B. music system

C. shiatsu massage

17. The Hypercar is designed to be _____________.

A. safe and efficient B. Powerful and noisy

C. cheap and easy to repair

18. Farmers can find out when a cow _________ with the Motorola Cow Alert

A. needs milking B. is sick

C. is missing

19. The Heartthrob Brooch flashes when _____________.

A. the heart beats B. love stimulates the jewels

C. the light is dim

20. The sole Attraction sneakers work off _____________.

A. heart beats B. an electric current

C. a timed response

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第8题

"High tech" and "state of the art" are two expressions that describe the modem technology.

High tech is just a shorter way of saying high technology. And high technology describes any invention, system of device that uses the newest ideas or discoveries of science and engineering. What is high tech？ A computer is high tech. So is a communications satellite. (79) A modem manufacturing (生产) system is surely high tech. High tech became a popular expression in the United States during the early 1980' s. Because of improvements in technology, people could buy many new kinds of products in American stores, such as home computers, microwave ovens, etc.

"State of the art" is something that is as modem as possible. It is a product that is based on the very latest methods and technology. Something that is "state of the art" is the newest possible design or product of a business or industry. A state of the art television set, for example, uses the modernest electronic design and parts. It is the best that one can buy.

"State of the art" is not a new expression. Engineers have used it for years, to describe the best and most modem way of doing something. Millions of Americans began to use the expression in the late 1970 ' s. The reason was the computer revolution. Every computer company claimed that its computers were "state of the art".

Computer technology changed so fast that a state of the art computer today might be old tomorrow. (80) The expression "state of the art" became as common and popular as computers themselves. Now all kinds of products are said to be "state of the art".

What is the purpose of the passage？

A．To tell how "high tech" and "state of the art" have developed.

B．To give examples of "high tech".

C．To tell what "high tech" and "state of the art" are.

D．To describe very modem technology.

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第9题

Today, the computer has taken up appliance status in more than 42 percent of households ac

ross the United States. And these computers are increasingly being wired to the Internet. Online access was up more than 50 percent in just the past year. Now, more than one quarter of all U.S. households can surf in cyberspace.

Mostly, this explosive growth has occurred democratically. The online penetration and computer ownership increases extend across all the demographic levels-by race, geography, income, and education.

We view these trends as favorable without the slightest question because we clearly see computer technology as empowering. In fact, personal growth and a prosperous U.S. economy are considered to be the long-range rewards of individual and collective technological power.

Now for the not-so-good news. The government's analysis spells out so-called digital divide. That is, the digital explosion is not booming at the same pace for everyone. Yes, it is true that we are all plugged in to a much greater degree than any of us have been in the past. But some of us are more plugged in than others and are getting plugged in far more rapidly. And this gap is widening even as the pace of the information age accelerates through society.

Computer ownership and Internet access are highly classified along lines of wealth, race, education, and geography. The data indicates that computer ownership and online access are growing more rapidly among the most prosperous and well educated: essentially, wealthy white people with high school and college diplomas and who are part of stable, two-parent households.

The highest income bracket households, those earning more than $75,000 annually, are 20 times as likely to have access to the Internet as households at the lowest income levels, under $10, 000 annually. The computer penetration rate at the high-income level is an amazing 76.56 percent, compared with 8 percent at the bottom end of the scale.

Technology access differs widely by educational level. College graduates are 16 times as likely to be Internet surfers at home as are those with only elementary-school education. If you look at the differences between these groups in rural areas, the gap widens to a twenty-six-fold advantage for the college-educated.

From the time of the last study, the information access gap grew by 29 percent between the highest and lowest income groups, and by 25 percent between the highest and lowest education levels.

In the long run, participation in the information age may not be a zero sum game, where if some groups win, others must lose. Eventually, as the technology matures we are likely to see penetration levels approach all groups equally. This was true for telephone access and television ownership, but eventually can be cold comfort in an era when tomorrow is rapidly different from today and unrecognizable compared with yesterday.

How many U. S. households have linked to Internet today？

A．More than 25 percent.

B．By 29 percent.

C．More than 42 percent.

D．More than 50 percent.

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The home computer industry has been growing rapidly in the United States for the last ten