I might be letting my young son watch too much television. I am certainly watching too many of his programs. They can really be perplexing as they force you to think carefully about the mysteries of life.
For example, when Franklin (the turtle) wanted a pet, his parents didn’t want it to be a frog. They felt that frogs belong in a pond. Isn’t that where turtles belong?
And why is it that Little Bear’s animal friends can all talk and behave like people, but his friend Emily has a dog that can only bark and fetch? Tell me that isn’t a mystery!
Dog lovers can be cheered up by Kipper and his friends. These dogs are very human. However, the only time they wear clothes is when they put on bathing suits to go swimming. I’m confused!
Speaking of dogs, could Pluto ever be Goofy’s pet? I don’t get it! What did the great Mr.Disney have in mind?
And this is awful! The other day we watched a very nice little pig setting up a picnic. One of the foods was a big ham. Could it have been a soy (大豆) ham? Is there such a thing? I hope so!
Another thing that bothers me: What if Elmo isn’t real? He can’t be a mere puppet (木偶)! He’s got a better altitude than most people. I just keep wondering.
I think we’ll turn off the TV and go out for a walk. Maybe we’ll run into that mouse who dresses well but certainly doesn’t speak as clearly as the average bear.
1. What does the underlined word “perplexing” in paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Boring. | B．Humorous. | C．Confusing. | D．Curious. |
| A．Pigs don’t eat meat. | B．Pigs are dirty animals. |
| C．Ham is too expensive. | D．Ham is made from pigs. |
| A．Embarrassed. | B．Concerned. | C．Astonished. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．should speak more clearly | B．should not wear good clothes |
| C．should not dress better than bears | D．should speak louder again next time |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Georgia Aquarium is open 365 days a year. Please note that hours of operation do vary. Last ticket sold and entry is 30 minutes before closing time.
Regular Hours
Sunday-Friday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Summer Hours: May 27-August 16
Monday-Saturday: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday:9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Full Price Total Ticket
Adult (ages 13-64): $38.95 Child (ages 3-12): $32.95
Senior (age 65+): $34.95
Total Ticket Online Discount
Adult (ages 13-64): $35.95 Child (ages 3-12): $29.95
Senior (age 65+): $31.95
Animal Encounters: $59.95
Beluga & Friends Interactive Program: $179.95
Journey with Gentle Giants Immersion Program: $234.95
AT&T Dolphin Tales
Our new dolphin gallery, theater and show are now open. The gallery and viewing window are open to general admission guests periodically throughout the day. Show times vary each day, so check for times when you are purchasing general admission tickets. Don’t forget AT&T Dolphin Tales is included in Total Ticket general admission, so don’t miss this spectacular show!
4D Theater—Deepo’s Undersea 3D Wondershow Presented by AT&T
With multiple shows throughout the day, be sure to catch this unique experience at Georgia Aquarium. Admission to the 4D Theater is included in Total Ticket general admission!
Journey with Gentle Giants Immersion Program
Swim or scuba dive in the Ocean Voyager exhibit, built by The Home Depot. Swims are daily at 4:30 p.m., and scuba dives are daily at 3 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m. Spots are limited, so it’s best to book in advance.
Beluga & Friends Interactive Program
Interact with belugas and harbor seals in the Georgia-Pacific Cold Water Quest gallery. This animal interaction occurs daily at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Spots are limited, so it’s best to book in advance.
Animal Encounters
Interact with a penguin daily at 11:30 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. You can also experience a special encounter with a dolphin. Spots are limited, so it’s best to book in advance.
1. How much can they save if grandparents in their seventies with a 10-year-old boy visit Georgia Aquarium with online tickets?| A．$9. | B．$6. | C．$3. | D．$12. |
| A．July 7, Sunday, 5 p.m. | B．June 17, Saturday, 7 p.m. |
| C．April 27, Monday, 4 p.m. | D．May 7, Friday, 6 p.m. |
| A．Animal Encounters |
| B．4D Theater—Deepo’s Undersea 3D Wondershow |
| C．Beluga & Friends Interactive Program |
| D．Journey with Gentle Giants Immersion Program |
【推荐2】Read the following passage and then answer the questions.
When thinking back to an experience that has affected me the most, I can’t help but recall the first time I performed for a crowd with my band.
As I stood in the dark, in front of 300 people, my head began to pound and my eyes began to hurt from straining to see the faces before me. No matter how many times I wiped off my hands, they were covered with sweat, making them fumble across the strings of my guitar. Then, in a flash, the spotlights were turned on and the crowd yelled. My heart raced and I knew that the night of my first concert would be exciting and memorable.
The concert was held annually at Frank's school. Being the largest activity for the students in the spring, we were told to expect the whole school to come to see us play. That fact went over and over in my mind. True, I had played in the school band in concerts for many people, but that was with a large group and I had sat in the back. Here it was just the three of us, all up front. I had had different visions of what performing would be like, but what ended up happening was a pleasant surprise.
During the first song, the crowd stood in a mixed state of confusion and excitement. I could see nothing but their dark shapes, some swaying to the beat of the bass drum, others standing still, examining our every move. The song ended with hesitant applause.
Glancing at Frank, the guitarist and singer, I read a message in his eyes. "I don't think they like us." His look pierced through my heart and I almost left the stage, yet kept going anyway. The second and third songs went the same way with the crowd looking at us like monkeys in a zoo. But then the magic started.
Our fourth song we had was written for the occasion and it was as if it were the beginning of a trip that we would take with the crowd of onlookers. The funk bass and driving drums seemed to pick these people up like puppets and do with them what they pleased. The crowd danced and jumped and clapped, in and out of beat. Our music was giving these people a reason to lose their inhibitions and for a short time, enjoy themselves. By the end of the second to last song the crowd was at our mercy. Finally creating a situation that I had only dreamed of, during the last song the crowd began to sing the words. But it was not just any song, it was a song we had written. This sent my heart racing and I couldn't help smiling and even laughing. The song ended and an echoing roar came over the crowd.
The concert was to me part of a childhood dream. My friends and I were responsible for giving 300 people a good time for an evening. They sang my words and they hummed my tune, and all helped to make the dream come true. That night back in my room, I sat up all night. I saw the bodies dancing in front of me and heard their screams. Even though I may perform in college and in the future, this feeling is one I may never feel again.
Questions 1 to 5. Judge if the following statements agree with the information given in the passage. Choose A for TRUE if the statements agree with it; choose B for FALSE if the statements don’t agree with it; choose C for NOT GIVEN if the information the statements carry is not mentioned anywhere in the passage.
Questions 6to 9. Match the following words with their meanings in the passage. Note that there are four choices more than you need.
Question10. Choose the best answer from A, B, C or D.
1. The three of us usually sat up front in the school band.
2. In the beginning, the audience was not fully absorbed in the performance.
3. The song written for the concert aroused the audience’s excitement.
4. When the fourth song started, the audience began to sing along.
5. In the end, the performers played more songs at the request of the audience.
6. straining
7. fumble
8. inhibitions
9. racing
10. What is the best title for the passage?
| A．My Valuable Experience. | B．A Special Occasion. |
| C．My Childhood Dream. | D．A Memorable Concert. |
【推荐3】Teens love to socialize, and these websites give them a chance to do that while playing games,exploring virtual (虚拟的) worlds and taking quizzes. Of course, teens also need to be safe online and report any cyber bullies (网络欺凌).
Instagram allows teens to upload photos of their daily life and share them with friends. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and that must be true because Instagram has around 300 million users who are active each month. The platform is all about photos with short captions(说明文字).
When it comes to Instagram's users, 53 percent of them are aged 18-29, but a big percentage of those may be even younger and simply list their age as 18 in order to use the platform.
Habbo Hotel
Habbo Hotel is a place for teens to chat. Each teen receives a personal room to decorate with virtual objects. They can also dress their avatar (网络头像) in virtual clothes or create games to play with friends. The room might have music, be set up like a classroom, or have other features so different avatars can visit one another. Each room teens can interact in has an adult moderator (管理员) to make sure it stays safe.
Fanlala
Fanlala is a social network that gives tens who love celebrities, music and TV shows a place to interact. Through it, a user can get the latest news and gossip on their favorite shows, as well as take quizzes and polls to test their knowledge. Teens can set up their own profile on Fanlala and interact with other users.
Teen Chat
Teen Chat is a place for teens to interact with one another through forums according to their interests. For example, there are chat rooms for those who love anime (动漫) and for those who've just started college. There are also chat rooms for things like music, games and sports. The platform offers a“Friend Finder'" tool that will help teens search for people who live locally to them.
1. What makes Instagram different from other sites listed in the passage?| A．It's a great place for people to share photos. |
| B．The majority of its users are in their 20s. |
| C．It has the largest number of users. |
| D．Only those above 18 normally use it |
| A．Instagram. | B．Habbo Hotel. |
| C．Fanlala. | D．Teen Chat. |
| A．Game skills. | B．Sports knowledge. |
| C．Anime videos. | D．Entertainment news. |
| A．Tips on Online Chatting |
| B．Sites for Socializing |
| C．Free Chat Rooms for Everyone |
| D．How to Fight Cyber Bullying |
| A．There are a thousand words in a picture. |
| B．There are various colors in a picture. |
| C．A picture is more meaningful. |
| D．The picture is not attractive. |
【推荐1】Although many years have passed, I still remember the last year of my junior school. I had to prepare for the entrance test, which made me stressed (有压力的). I cried several nights.
When we are feeling very stressed, many of us may feel like crying. Shedding tears is a good way to deal with our “dark” emotions (情绪). When we cry, we are letting go of our stress, I certainly felt better after I had cried. After I had calmed myself down, I reached out to some friends and teachers who encouraged me. I managed to get an offer from a qualified senior school.
With increased competition, it isn’t surprising that many students today are feeling stressed out. Many of us think of our “dark” emotions to be our enemies (敌人). It appears silly for us to be so easily beaten by them. That’s why we might feel too shy to cry. When we are feeling sad, we may also have difficulty asking for help or talking to others.
“Dark” emotions are not in themselves a bad thing. Just like happiness, they are common. But you should certainly find ways to manage them. Try to take part in social events. Eat healthy, balanced meals. Find people who can support you. Exercise regularly. These things can all help. The most important thing, though, is to accept your feelings. They are nothing to be ashamed of.
1. Why did the writer cry when preparing the entrance test?| A．The time passed quickly. | B．He felt worried. |
| C．He missed his junior school. | D．He got little help. |
| A．By crying all the time. | B．By reaching out to family. |
| C．By entering a qualified senior school. | D．By asking friends and teachers for help. |
| A．We are not brave enough to ask for help. |
| B．We are not strong enough and look foolish. |
| C．We are not wise enough to hide our feelings. |
| D．We are not confident enough to talk to others. |
| A．Silly. | B．Useful. | C．Natural. | D．Unsatisfying. |
| A．To offer us some ways to eat healthy. |
| B．To help us to stay away from dark emotions |
| C．To tell us to prepare for the entrance test well. |
| D．To encourage us to accept our feelings, no matter good or bad. |
【推荐2】Streaming humorous videos on the Internet at work isn’t always a waste of time. They may be putting themselves in a good mood (心情) so that they can think more creatively.
According to Ruby Nadler, a PhD student at the university of Western Ontario, “Generally, a positive mood has been found to improve creative problem solving and flexible yet careful thinking.” She and her colleagues Rahel Rabi and John Paul Minda focused their research on a specific type of learning that benefits from creative thinking.
People in the study were put into various moods before being given a category (类别) learning task to complete: They learned to classify (分类) sets of pictures with visually (视觉) complex patterns. The researchers used music and video clips to change people’s mood; at the beginning, they tested out a few to see which ones made individuals the happiest and saddest. The happiest music was a cheerful Mozart composition, while the happiest video was a newborn baby laughing.
The researchers then used them in the experiment, along with sad music and videos that had no effect on moods. People were required to learn to spot a pattern after listening to the music and seeing the movie. Volunteers who were happy were better at learning a rule to categorize the patterns than those who were sad or indifferent.
“If you have a project where you want to think creatively, or you have a problem to carefully consider, being in a positive mood can help you do that,” Nadler says. And music is a simple method of putting yourself in a good mood. Everyone responds to various types of music, so don’t feel obligated (必须的) to switch to Mozart, she adds.
This, according to Nadler, might be one of the reasons why individuals enjoy watching humorous films at work. “I think people are unconsciously (无意识地) trying to put themselves in a positive mood, so the seeming waste of time may actually be beneficial to employers,” she says.
1. How did the researchers change the participants’ mood in their study?| A．By sets of pictures. | B．By music and videos. |
| C．By an assignment. | D．By a project. |
| A．Complete a given task. | B．Report how they felt. |
| C．Learn a piece of music. | D．Design a rule for the given task. |
| A．Happy and sad people are equally good at learning. | B．Only Mozart’s music can help keep a good mood. |
| C．A positive mood can help think creatively. | D．It’s a must to keep a good mood at work. |
| A．Ways to change moods. | B．Types of music and videos. |
| C．Methods of keeping a good mood. | D．Positive effects of a good mood. |
【推荐3】Toxic positivity is the belief that no matter how difficult a situation is, people should maintain a positive mindset. This attitude doesn’t just stress the importance of optimism, it minimizes and denies any negative emotions. We all know that having a positive attitude is good for your mental well-being.
Toxic positivity can take a wide variety of forms. For example, when something bad happens, such as losing your job, people tell you to “just stay positive” or “look on the bright side.”
If you’ve been affected by toxic positivity, there are things that you can do to avoid it.
Be realistic about what you should feel. When you are facing a stressful situation, it’s normal to feel stressed, worried, or even fearful. Don’t expect too much from yourself. Focus on self-care and taking steps to improve your situation.
It’s okay to feel more than one thing. If you are facing a challenge, it’s possible to feel nervous about the future and also hopeful that you will succeed.
Focus on listening to others and showing support. When someone expresses a difficult emotion, don’t shut them down with toxic words.
| A．Such comments are often meant to be comforting. |
| B．But the problem is that life isn’t always positive. |
| C．Your emotions are as complex as the situation itself. |
| D．Manage your negative emotions, but don’t deny them. |
| E．And it’s your own fault for not “choosing to be happy”. |
| F．Pay attention to how you feel after receiving such comments. |
| G．Instead, let them know such feelings are normal and that you are there to listen. |
【推荐1】There seems to be a lot of talk these days about what is fair, and what is not. Most people tend to believe life should be fair. Some of the 99% seem to believe life has somehow treated them unfairly, and some of the 1% feel life hasn’t treated them fairly enough. My questions are these: What is fairness? Is life fair? Should life be fair?
We clearly have no choice about how we come into this world. We have little choice early in life. But as we grow older, choices abound. I have long believed that while we have no control over the beginning of our life, the majority of us have the ability to influence the outcomes we attain. Fairness is a state of mind, and most often, an unhealthy state of mind. Our state in life cannot, or at least should not, be blamed on our parents, our teachers, or our society—it’s largely based on the choices we make, and the attitudes we adopt.
Life is full of examples of the uneducated, the mentally and physically challenged people born into war-torn areas, who could have complained about life being unfair, but who instead chose a different path. Regardless of the challenges they faced, they had the character to choose contribution over complaint.
I agree that challenges exist. I agree that many have an uphill battle due to these verity of the challenges they face. What I disagree with is the attempt to use fairness to solve all problems in the world. Rules and orders don’t create fairness, but people’s desire and determination can work around most life challenges.
It doesn’t matter whether you are born with a silver spoon, plastic spoon, or no spoon at all. A friend of mine came to this country from Africa in his late teens, barely spoke the language, drove a cab while working his way through college, and is now the president of a technology services firm. Stories such as this are all around us—they are not miracles, nor are they the rare exception. They do, however, demonstrate blindness to the mindset of the fairness.
1. What is the primary purpose of the text?| A．To promote “efforts over complaint”. |
| B．To stress the importance of fairness. |
| C．To share an inspiring story of a friend. |
| D．To prove that fairness is a state of mind. |
| A．Change fully. |
| B．Remain the same. |
| C．Exist in numbers. |
| D．Disappear completely. |
| A．Most of us can affect the results we achieve. |
| B．Our background determines our choices. |
| C．People’s desire and determination create unfairness. |
| D．We should depend on fairness to solve all problems. |
| A．Fairness Is Justice |
| B．Life Is Not Fair—Deal with It |
| C．Fairness Comes First |
| D．Cry for Fairness |
【推荐2】For several months, Cara has been working up the courage to approach her mom about what she saw on Instagram. Not long ago, the 11-year-old girl, like all the other kids in this story, discovered that her mom had been posting her photos for much of her life.“I’ve wanted to bring it up.It’s strange to see myself up there, and sometimes there are pictures of myself I don't like,”she said.
Like most other modern kids, Cara grew up in social media. While many kids may not yet have accounts themselves, their parents, schools, sports teams, and other organizations have been organizing online presence for them since birth.The shock of realizing that details about your life have been shared online without your permission or knowledge has become an important experience in the lives of many teenagers. Recently a parenting blogger (博主) wrote in an essay of The Washington Post that despite (尽管)her 14-year-old daughter’s horror of discovering that her mother had shared years of highly personal stories and information about her online, she simply could not stop posting them on her blog and social media. The writer said that promising her daughter that she would stop posting things about her publicly on the Internet “would mean shutting down an important part of myself, which isn't necessarily good for me or her”.
But it’s not just crazy mommy bloggers who construct their children’s online identity; plenty of average parents do the same. There’s even a special word for it: sharenting (晒娃成癖). Almost a quarter of children begin their digital lives when parents upload their photos to the Internet, according to a study conducted by the Internet-security (安全)firm AVG. The study also found that 92 percent of kids under the age of 2 already have their own unique digital identity.
1. How does Cara probably feel about her mom’s behavior?| A．It’s aggressive. | B．It’s appropriate. |
| C．It’s annoying. | D．It’s favorable. |
| A．It filled up her blog. | B．It showed off her success. |
| C．It recorded her stories. | D．It meant a lot to her. |
| A．A quarter of students. | B．Many ordinary parents. |
| C．Kids under the age of 2. | D．Some crazy bloggers. |
| A．Children’s New Trouble |
| B．Social Media |
| C．Kids’ Online Performance |
| D．Mommy Bloggers |
【推荐3】Do you remember all those years when scientists argued that smoking would kill us but the doubters insisted that we didn’t know for sure? That the evidence was not enough, the science uncertain? They even thought that the anti-smoking group was out to destroy our way of life and the government should stay out of the way. Lots of Americans believed that nonsense, and over three decades, some 10 million smokers went to early graves.
There are upsetting similarities today, as scientists try to awaken us to the growing threat of global warming. The latest was an expert group from the National Academy of Sciences, telling us that the Earth’s atmosphere is definitely warming and that the problem is largely man-made. The president of the National Academy, Bruce Alberts, added that “Science never has all the answers. But science does provide us with the best available guide to the future, and it is critical that our nation and the world base important policies on the best judgments that science can provide concerning the future consequences of present actions.”
Just as on smoking, voices now come from many quarters insisting that the science about global warming is incomplete, that it’s OK to keep pouring smoke into the air until we know for sure. This is a dangerous game: by the time 100 percent of the evidence is in, it may be too late. With the risks obvious and growing, a careful people would take out an insurance policy now.
Fortunately, the government is starting to pay attention. But it’s obvious that a majority of the president’s advisers still don’t take global warming seriously. Instead of a plan of action, they continue to ask for more research — a classic case of “paralysis by analysis”.
To serve as responsible keepers of the planet, we must press forward on deeper atmospheric and oceanic research. But research alone is inadequate. The legislative(立法的) action should be taken to protect the planet, and to protect ourselves.
1. What statement did lots of Americans agree with?| A．Smoking was closely connected with death. |
| B．People had the freedom to choose their own way of life. |
| C．The number of early deaths of smokers was small. |
| D．Anti-smoking people were usually talking nonsense. |
| A．A guide. | B．A judge. | C．A critic. | D．A protector. |
| A．Endless studies kill action. | B．Careful investigation reveals truth. |
| C．Adequate planning ensures success. | D．Extensive research helps decision-making. |
| A．Both of them are ignored by the government. |
| B．A lesson from the latter can be applied to the former. |
| C．The outcome of the latter worsens the former. |
| D．Both of them have turned from bad to worse. |
【推荐1】Growing up in Taiwan as the daughter of a calligrapher（书法家），one of my most treasured memories was my mother showing me the beauty, the shape and the form of Chinese characters. Ever since then, I was attracted by this amazing language.
But to an outsider, it seems to be as impenetrable as the Great Wall of China. Over the past few years, I've been wondering whether I can break down this wall, so that anyone who wants to understand and appreciate the beauty of this complex language could do so. I started thinking about how a new, fast method of learning Chinese might be useful.
At the age of five, 1 started to learn how to draw every single stroke（笔划）for each character in the correct order. I learned new characters every day during the next fifteen years. You only need 1 ,000 to understand the basic communication. The top 200 will allow you to read 40 percent of basic literature-enough to read road signs, restaurant menus, to understand the basic idea of the web pages or the newspapers. Today I'm going to start with 8 characters to show you how the method works.
Open your mouth as wide as possible until it's square. You get a mouth---口. This is a person going for a walk with two legs. Person---人.The shape of the fire is a person with two arms on both sides, as if she was yelling crazily, u Help! I'm on fire!" ---火. This is a tree---木.This is a mountain--山.The sun---日. The moon---月.The symbol of the door looks like a pair of car doors---门.These eight characters are the building blocks for you to create lots more characters.
1. What does the underlined word " impenetrable " in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Available to learn about. | B．Worthwhile to access. |
| C．Difficult to get across. | D．Important to understand. |
| A．To prove her ability to learn. | B．To help her mother with her career. |
| C．To get better grades in exams. | D．To enable more people to enjoy Chinese. |
| A．read restaurant menus | B．understand newspapers well |
| C．communicate with natives | D．enjoy basic literature |
| A．How the eight characters build other characters. |
| B．What other meanings the eight characters have. |
| C．Where the eight characters can be used in daily life. |
| D．Why the eight Chinese characters are formed in this way. |
【推荐2】From Mozart to Metallica, tons of people enjoy listening to various types of music while they paint, write, or draw.Many believe that music helps to boost creativity, but an international study conducted by English and Swedish researchers is challenging that notion.Psychologists from Lancaster University, the University of Gavle, and the University of Central Lancashire say that their findings indicate music actually stops creativity.
To come to their conclusions, researchers made participants complete verbal(语言的) insight problems designed to inspire their creativity while in a quiet room and then again while music played in the background.They found that background music “damaged” the participants' ability to complete tasks associated with verbal creativity.
The research team also tested background noises such as those often heard in a library, but found that such noises had no impact on subjects' creativity.The tasks were simple word games.For example, participants were given three words, such as dress, dial, and flower.Then, they were asked to find a single word associated with all three that could be combined to form a common phrase or word.The single word, in this case, would be “sun” (sundress, sunflower, ete).Participants completed the tasks in either a quiet room, or while exposed to three different types of music: music with unfamiliar lyrics, instrumental music or music with familiar lyrics.
They found strong evidence of damaging performance when playing background music in comparison to quiet background conditions.Also, as far as the library background noises having seemingly no effect, the study's authors believe that was the case because library noises create a “steady state” environment that doesn't disrupt concentration.
It's worth mentioning that even familiar music with well-known lyrics would damage participants' creativity, regardless of whether or not it inspired a positive reaction, or whether participants typically studied or created while listening to music.
1. What does the underlined word “notion” mean in the first paragraph?| A．concept | B．mistake | C．method | D．design |
| A．It is bad for the creativity. | B．It is good for the creativity. |
| C．It improves the creativity. | D．It destroys the creativity. |
| A．Instrumental music. | B．Music with familiar lyrics. |
| C．Music with unfamiliar lyrics. | D．Common noise in the library. |
| A．Never listen to music. | B．Listen to some strong music. |
| C．Don't listen to music while studying. | D．Only listen to Mozart while studying. |
【推荐3】The Internet of Thing (IoT) aims to get everything and everyone talking. Attaching sensors to “things”, such as cows, cars and refrigerator, and then assigning them unique IP addresses allow then to “talk” to the Internet. Of course, the IoT will involve much more than a handful of sensors. Networking company Cisco estimates that 50 billion Internet - connected devices and objects will be sending over date by 2020.
| Specific Benefits The IoT will allow people to track things and processes like never before. Airplane manufacturers will be able to continuously track the condition of airplane parts, allowing them to do preventive maintenance and avoid costly downtime. Consumers could install smart meters in their homes to monitor energy usage and observe energy price changes in real time. That would allow people to adjust their habits and use electrical appliances during lower-priced hours. |
| Some Fears Some critics fear that the IoT could end up being a fashion that people lose interest in over time. Having Twitter feeds on refrigerator doors may sound cool at first, but the attraction could fade as quickly as the excitement over last year’s smart-phone! Other critics are doubtful that companies making Internet - connected appliances will provide long-term software updates. If that happens, a refrigerator or washing machine that should last 10 years or more could last two or three due to software that’s outdated. |
| A Positive Example Early this year, owners of the Tesla Model S electric car received a recall notice alerting them to a charger plug, needing to be fixed. Amazingly, owners of the Model S sat back while the company performed an “over the air” wireless update. Customers confirmed the update by tapping on the car’s touchscreen console to see that the Model S was running the latest software version. No trip to the dealer was required! Perhaps Tesla’s remote fix is a sign of things to come. Someday soon, people’s lives might become a lot more efficient and convenient thanks to the IoT. |
| A．By establishing the IoT and launching a handful of sensors. |
| B．By connecting sensors with them and appointing them unique IP addresses. |
| C．By communicating with them all the time through the IoT. |
| D．By sending people to track them day and night and collect useful data. |
| A．People will lose interest in it as quickly as the thrill over last year’s smart-phone. |
| B．Refrigerators and washing machines will be replaced by other devices in a few years. |
| C．Whether related companies will provide long-term software updates or not. |
| D．The software provided by companies will be outdated easily and quickly. |
| A．just waited in the car while the maintenance is being done through wireless update |
| B．were required to go to the nearest 4s store to make some adjustments or repairs. |
| C．could definitely depend on the IoT to send them the charger plug to be fixed |
| D．had to confirm the update with the help of the equipment provided by the company |
