In recent years computer scientists have come up with several different ways of creating false videos of people using Artificial Intelligence (AI). These videos are usually called “deepfakes”. Some deepfakes work by putting the face of one person onto a different person in a video. Others work by taking an existing video of a person and changing it so that the person says or does something they didn’t say or do.
At first, creating deepfakes was complex. It required special knowledge, hundreds of pictures of the person who was being faked, and lots of time. Now it’s much simpler. There are websites and apps that allow almost anyone to create deepfakes. An app recently came out which allowed users to put their faces into famous movie scenes. The process takes about eight seconds, requires one picture, and can be done on a mobile phone. One group of computer scientists created a program that allowed them to edit the words coming out of someone’s mouth in a video just like you might edit a document on the computer.
However, the popularity of deepfakes may cause anxieties. It’s one thing to change the faces of famous actors.But what happens if someone puts out a fake video of a politician, for example, making it look like he broke the law? There’s also the problem of the time it takes to figure out that something is fake. Even if a video is proven to be fake, it could be too late.Millions of people might have already seen and believed it.On the other hand, what happens if a video is actually real, but people don’t trust it because they’re told it’s a deepfake?
Many deepfakes are so good that only another AI system can tell that they’re fake. Experts are working hard to create new AI tools that can identify faked videos. Many people are confident that people can defeat deepfakes soon. However, personally, it is very challenging because this technology has always fallen behind the deepfakes.
1. What does the author focus on in the first paragraph?| A．The way deepfakes work. | B．The way to create false videos. |
| C．The way deepfakes are named. | D．The way to use Artificial Intelligence. |
| A．By making comments. | B．By following time order. |
| C．By providing examples. | D．By explaining the difference. |
| A．Positive. | B．Indifferent. | C．Worried. | D．Critical. |
| A．To stress technology development. | B．To introduce deepfakes and the effects. |
| C．To recommend a new application. | D．To explain the importance of deepfakes. |
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【推荐1】In the past decade,the use of social media has grown in a way that no one could have guessed. It has turned some teenagers into celebrities(名人)and turned the famous into the infamous, overnight.
A key feature of social media, however, is its volatility. Trends come and go, disappearing almost as quickly as they appeared. So, what were the key social media trends of 2019?
Short video apps such as TikTok and its Chinese equivalent Douyin, took the world by storm The Telegraph reported that TikTok was ranked 8th on Apple's App Store in April. And Douyin had more than 300 million domestic monthly active users in June, CNBC said.
Why are these short videos-which are rarely longer than a few minutes--so popular? Jiang Yige, a Singapore-based analyst at FengHe Fund Management, has a theory. “Short videos are just right to fill in the little gaps in our busy schedules’," he told CNBC
These videos-apart from being very convenient-are important to teenagers because they allow them to express themselves, according to Teen Vogue
The sense of community that users of short video apps get is another appealing feature. Liza Koshy, a user of the US app Musically who has over 2 million followers, said that she was thrilled when anyone said that her video had “inspired” him. "It's really cool...because I think as short video creators that's what we all expect," she added.
Live streaming is another feature of our social media life that now seems as natural as sunrise It's a pretty neat idea: You can watch anyone, anywhere, live
However, China has taken live streaming to a whole new level. In China, more than 100 million viewers monthly watch a live streaming video. Forbes thought that a number of factors had led to the popularity of live streaming. Among them is viewers' ability to interact while remaining anonymous.
However, the boom in social media may be having side effects too. Fake news is one serious problem it arguably causes. Material shared on these platforms is often not checked for accuracy. The most basic content can be false and can sway users one way or another. We use social media all the time; that doesn't mean that we understand the influence it is having on us. We should be mindful of both the time we spend on it and its impact on our minds
1. The underlined word “volatility” in Paragraph 2 possibly means “being| A．changeable | B．steady | C．promising | D．violent |
| A．they are very convenient |
| B．they help people kill time |
| C．they provide a sense of community |
| D．they allow people to express themselves |
| A．The information from social media is highly reliable |
| B．When it comes to social media, people only know short videos. |
| C．People can't communicate with each other without social media |
| D．There is still much room for social media to make improvement |
| A．Rapid Development of Social Media |
| B．Key Social Media Trends of 2019 |
| C．Short Videos Taking the World by Storm |
| D．Live Streaming--the New Feature of Social Media |
【推荐2】Today companies have branches around the world. More than 11% of the US managers and workers work online either full-time or part-time, and that number is continuing growing. It is believed that it is a waste of time and money to fly around the world for face-to-face meeting. An effective solution to this problem is to use Web meetings.
A large group of presentations, training classes and meetings are done online without losing the face-to-face experience. Web meetings are online meetings where an organizer invites attendees(参会人员) to listen to or watch an online presentation by presenters. Besides, Web meetings can be recorded for later use or downloaded for playback.
Presenters can take surveys to study how to hold a successful meeting. Some Web meeting software programs can watch the users’ desktop behavior to see if they become not focused on the presentation and begin working on other documents. If so, the program can tell presenters when the listeners lose their attention, which will help the presenters know which parts of the meeting need improving.
Web meetings can work well because they’re connected by a server(服务器). Companies have two choices when it comes to these servers. They can either buy a special Web meeting server to hold their meetings at high speed, or they can pay for a Web meeting service center every time to let it help connect every attendee, whose speed is always worrying. The choice depends on how frequently the company holds Web meetings and the average number of people attending the meetings.
Web meetings are an excellent example of how technology is changing the way we do business. With all the technologies today, the traditional office might soon be a thing of the past.
1. What is the advantage of Web meetings?| A．They leave more people unemployed. |
| B．They save people much time and money. |
| C．They cause more traffic accidents every day. |
| D．They make people spend more time on computer. |
| A．Turning to the meeting presenter | B．Asking help from other attendees |
| C．Expecting next meeting | D．Downloading the meeting |
| A．Web meetings lose the face-to-face experience. |
| B．Some Web meeting programs help improve the meetings’ quality. |
| C．Web meetings improve the meetings’ atmosphere. |
| D．Companies must buy a special server to hold Web meetings. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Uninterested. | C．Negative. | D．Positive. |
【推荐3】Facebook says it is ending its facial recognition system that automatically identifies users in pictures and videos in the coming weeks. The company’s vice president of Artificial Intelligence, Jerome Pesenti, announced the change this week in a statement on the company’s website.
The move comes as the social media service faces accusations that it failed to take action to protect users even though its own research suggested its products can be harmful. In the past, Facebook also faced widespread criticism for not doing enough to protect the privacy (隐私) of its users.
“This change will represent one of the largest shifts in facial recognition usage in the technology’s history,” Pesenti said in his statement. As a result, “more than a billion people’s individual facial recognition templates (模板)” will be removed, the statement added. Facebook has said that more than a third of Facebook’s daily active users have given their permission to have their faces recognized by the social network’s system. That represents about 640 million people worldwide.
Facebook first started offering facial recognition about 10 years ago. But over time, it has made it easier for users to opt out of the system as it faced more pressure from courts and government officials.
Pesenti said the company still sees facial recognition technology as a powerful tool. But he noted that the situations where it can be helpful “need to be weighed against growing concerns about this technology as a whole.” He said examples of acceptable uses of the technology would be to confirm a person’s identity or prevent fraudulent (欺骗的) activities. He added that Facebook will continue working on facial recognition for such uses and will seek out the opinions of outside experts before deciding on how it will use the technology in the future.
Kristen Martin is a professor of technology ethics (伦理学) at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. She said that Facebook’s decision to shut down the system “is a good example of trying to make product decisions that are good for the users and the company”. She added that the move also proves the power of public and regulatory pressure, since the facial recognition system has long been the subject of strong criticism.
1. Why does Facebook face a lot of accusations?| A．It may restrict users’ access to ii. | B．It can reveal users’ false identities. |
| C．It fails to protect its users’ privacy. | D．It refuses to provide help for users. |
| A．Withdraw from. | B．Suffer from | C．Compete in. | D．Engage in. |
| A．It gets away from public pressure. | B．It should be closed on social media |
| C．It wins the strong support of the public. | D．It is useful but needs to be improved. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. | C．Negative. | D．Indifferent. |
【推荐1】There is a new kind of robot called Rubion which can smartly tell ripe (成熟的) strawberries, picking them without bruising them and putting them into its basket. It sounds impossible but it is true. Its appearance is not only an answer to the labor shortage in the agricultural industry, but it also allows growers to increase the quality of its produce, which in the end benefits the consumer.
It has been a fact that the labor shortage in the agricultural industry. But for Octinion Technology the focus is clearly on adding quality. “Thanks to robotics, we have so many possibilities, much more than a human could ever do. Harvest prediction, picking according to market needs, simply picking when the berries are ripe instead of when workers are available—these are just a few examples of what is possible now for a grower”, says Tom Coen, CEO of the Octinion Technology Group. “The consumer will also notice the difference, as strawberries will be fresher and show less bruising.”
Introducing robots into an industry where almost everything gets done by hand is more of a revolution (变革) than evolution. It needs close group action with all partners. Tom Coen says, “Not only have we been working together with growers and test centers across the world for the past few years, but breeders (培育者) have been active in being part of the technological developments.”
In 2022, a team of Belgian engineers started the development of the robot. In the meanwhile Octinion wasn’t the only company presenting an idea. Product Manager Laura Guillaume says it’s not a surprise that the company from Leuven is the first to actually present a commercial product. “By developing the robot from the beginning, we are able to make it practical in greenhouses or tunnels.” Octinion plans to develop harvesting robots for other crops in the future.
1. What does the underlined word “bruising” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Taking advantage of. | B．Losing track of. |
| C．Having a bad effect on. | D．Making no harm to. |
| A．Find a close partner. | B．Pick a skilled worker. |
| C．Make a market survey. | D．Fix a right harvest time. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Cautious. | C．Unclear. | D．Worried. |
| A．Robots Can Solve Labour Shortage | B．Robots Can Create Many Possibilities |
| C．Harvesting Methods Are Worth Improving | D．Modern Agriculture Needs New Equipment |
【推荐2】In 1960 the Aral Sea was one of the world’s largest inland water bodies, covering an area of approximately 68,000 square kilometers (26,000 square miles). By the year 2000 the area covered by the Aral Sea had become less than half its 1960 size, its volume reduced by 80 percent. By about 2010 all that will remain will be three shallow remnants.
What caused the Aral Sea to evaporate over the past 40 years? As recently as 1965, the Aral Sea received about 50 cubic kilometers (12 cubic miles) of fresh water per year. By the early 1980s this number had declined to nearly zero. The reason was that the waters of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya had been diverted to supply a major expansion of irrigated agriculture in this dry realm.
The intensive irrigation has greatly increased agricultural productivity, but not without significant costs. The deltas of the two major rivers have lost their wetlands, and wildlife has disappeared. The once thriving fishing industry has been eliminated, and the 24 species of fish that once inhabited the Aral Sea are no longer there. The shoreline is now tens of kilometers from the towns that were once fishing centers.
The shrinking sea has exposed millions of acres of former seabed to sun and wind. The surface is covered with salt and agrochemicals brought by the rivers. Strong winds routinely pick up thousands of tons of newly exposed materials every year and deposit them throughout the region. This process has not only contributed to a significant reduction in air quality for the region’s population, but has also appreciably reduced crop yields due to the deposits of salt-rich sediments on farmable land.
The shrinking Aral Sea has had a noticeable impact on climate. Without the moderating effect of a large water body, there are greater extremes of temperature, a shorter growing season, and reduced local precipitation. These changes have caused many farms to switch from growing cotton to growing rice, which demands even more diverted water.
1. Why have crop yields been reduced on the land surrounding the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya?| A．The Aral Sea no longer provides the land with fresh water for irrigation. |
| B．The farmers have stopped using chemical fertilizers. |
| C．The salt content of the soil has increased. |
| D．Erosion due to wind has increased. |
| A．forcefully |
| B．necessarily |
| C．unfortunately |
| D．regularly |
| A．Rice requires less water. |
| B．Rice is cheaper to grow. |
| C．Rice needs a shorter growing season. |
| D．Rice has less impact on climate. |
【推荐3】Like millions of boys and an increasing number of girls, David's dream was to become a professional football star. Now David is England’s most famous mid-field player and a world superstar. David achieved his dream but what about all the other children with the same dream?
Many countries have set up programs to encourage and cultivate young footballers, and this is where the football clubs go to access athletes and find stars of the future. In the UK the clubs send scouts around the country to discover talented children. They watch hundreds of matches played by school teams. When they spot young people with talent, they invite them to train with the club. If they are under sixteen, they still go to school but take part in club training in the evenings and play in the junior team at weekends. Those that are good enough then become youth trainees at the age of sixteen and join the club as a paid member of staff. During this time they receive football instruction and play for the youth team, but it is not an easy life. There is a lot of competitions for places on the team. The salary is low and the job includes cleaning the changing rooms, toilets and senior colleagues’ boots. The trainees also go to college one day a week where they study other characteristics of the football industry such as court maintenance and office administration.
After two years, only a few trainees are good enough to go on to the next stage. There lucky ones are offered a contract with a club and their life as a professional footballer begins. From this point the success of their career and how much they earn depend on their performance and how many matches their team wins. Perhaps, like David, one or two became great stars. However, football is such a fiercely competitive occupation that many players have to become amateur players or leave the profession to find other careers.
1. Many football programs have been set up with the purpose of ________.| A．attracting as many as sponsors | B．contributing more to football |
| C．developing gifted football stars | D．raising the awareness of football |
| A．Persons with top professional knowledge. | B．Persons employed to search for somebody. |
| C．Detectives whose task is to find out the truth. | D．Pioneers who are creative and talented. |
| A．Football trainers. | B．Amateur footballers. |
| C．Footballers with talented skills. | D．Children with football dreams. |
| A．Football might not be a good career choice. | B．Your dream will come true by working hard. |
| C．Football is too competitive to fight for. | D．Footballers’ success is a piece of luck. |
【推荐1】When Kristin Peck became CEO of Zoetis in January, the animal health company was growing rapidly, thanks in part to steady growth in spending on pets. Just a few weeks later, coronavirus lockdowns turned the global economy upside down. But they also got Americans to adopt pets in record numbers, enabling Zoetis and Peck to face their first big crisis with what you might call a tailwind.
Zoetis, which makes medicines and other products, was removed from Pfizer in 2013 and joined the Fortune 500 in 2019. (It' s now. No. 472.) It's the market-share leader in “companion” animal health, with 22% of the market, and in several livestock (家畜) categories too. With the coronavirus doing only minor damage so far to commercial livestock or pet spending, Zoetis's business has held up relatively well. The company' s stock is down roughly 5% this year, while the S&P 500 has fallen more than 9%.
The drug-maker has an “incredibly diversified business,” says James Tierney, chief investment officer of concentrated U.S. growth at AllianceBernstein. Its portfolio (产品组合） is split roughly 50/50 between companion and livestock, with about the same split between U.S. and international sales. And unlike many human drug companies, notes Tierney, it isn't dependent on blockbuster drugs (畅销药）. Zoetis' s best-selling product, dog itch medication Apoquel, generated less than 10% of its total sales of ＄6.3 billion in 2019. Another promising product is a new combination of flea, tick, and heartworm medicine for dogs, Simparica Trio - currently the only such combo (组合套餐) product available in the U.S.
Peck, who grew up around animals (“We had horses, four dogs, two cats, birds,” she recalls), was an executive at Pfizer before joining Zoetis. She's adjusting to the new reality in part by putting more effort into advertising for pet products and building veterinary telemedicine partnerships. Peck says the new pet owners of the coronavirus period “engage differently”： They're largely digital-first people, she says, and are more likely to heavily research products before buying.
Like pet spending itself, Zoetis isn't entirely recession-proof, and the company recently lowered its growth forecasts for the year. Its livestock business faċes short-term challenges, especially in beef and dairy, where supply-chain problems have caused hardships. But Peck says she doubts the coronavirus will affect the long-term trend toward eating more protein. And if difficult times lead consumers to focus on cheaper meats, Zoetis could benefit from products like Zoamix, an additive that takes the place of antibiotics (抗生素）in chicken feed - one more example of diversification feathering the company' s nest.
1. How was Zoetis' s business going this January?| A．It was disappointing. |
| B．It was developing very fast. |
| C．It turned Zoetis upside down. |
| D．It enabled Zoetis to join the Fortune 500. |
| A．To stress it is a blockbuster. |
| B．To explain its contribution to Zoetis. |
| C．To uncover the reason for its unsatisfactory sales. |
| D．To reveal Zoetis' s profits are from various sources. |
| A．They enjoy shopping for best-selling products. |
| B．They prefer to raise horses rather than keep birds. |
| C．They usually choose digital pets instead of real ones. |
| D．They do a lot of research online before buying something. |
| A．To reduce the cost of meat. | B．To make chicken feed tasty. |
| C．To serve as better antibiotics. | D．To increase protein in meat. |
【推荐2】A lot of us lose life’s tough battles by starting a frontal attack— when a touch of humor might well enable us to win. Consider the case of a young friend of mine, who was on his trapped way to work shortly after receiving an ultimatum(最后通牒) about the job. Although there was a good reason for Sam’s being late—serious illness at home—he realized that this by-now-familiar excuse wouldn’t work any longer. His supervisor was probably already pacing up and down preparing a dismissal speech.
Yes, the boss was. Sam entered the office at 9:35. The place was as quiet as a locker room; everyone was hard at work. Sam’s supervisor came up to him. Suddenly, Sam forced a grin and stretched out his hand. “How do you do!” he said, “I’m Sam Maynard. I’m applying for a job, which, I understand, became available just 35 minutes ago. Does the early bird get the worm?”
The room exploded in laughter, except that the supervisor had to clamp off a smile and walked back to his office. Sam Maynard had saved his job— with the only tool that could win, a laugh.
Humor is a most effective, yet frequently ignored, means of handling the difficult situations in our lives. It can be used for patching up differences, apologizing, saying “no”, criticizing, getting the other fellow to do what you want without his losing face. For some jobs, it’s the only tool that can succeed. It is a way to discuss subjects so sensitive that serious dialogue may start a quarrel. For example, many believe that comedians on television are doing more today for racial and religions tolerance than people in any other form.
1. Why was Sam late for his job?| A．Because he was seriously ill at home. | B．Because he received an ultimatum. |
| C．Because he was busy applying for a new job. | D．Because he was caught in a traffic jam. |
| A．try to hold back | B．pretend to set | C．send off | D．give out |
| A．Many lose life’s battles for they are always late. |
| B．Sam was supposed to come to his office at 8:30. |
| C．It wasn’t the first time that Sam came late for his work. |
| D．Humor is the most effective way of solving problems. |
| A．Sam Maynard saved his job with humor. | B．Humor is important in our lives. |
| C．Early bird can get the worm. | D．Humor can solve racial discriminations. |
The woodcutter told him that he had dropped his axe into water. God went down into the water and reappeared with a golden axe.
"Is this your axe?" God asked.
The woodcutter said "No."
God again went down and came up with a silver axe." Is this your axe?" God asked.
The woodcutter said "No."
God again went down and came up with a iron axe." Is this your axe?" God asked.
The woodcutter said "Yes."
God was pleased with the man's honesty and gave him all the three axes.
The woodcutter went home happily. One day while he was walking with his wife along the river, his wife fell into the river. W hen he began crying, God appeared and asked him, "Why are you crying?"
"My wife has fallen into water."
God went down into the water and came up with Jennifer Lopez.
"Is this your wife?" God asked him.
"Yes." he said.
God was furious(狂怒的),"YOU CHEAT !Now I am going to curse you."
The woodcutter quickly said, “Forgive me my lord. It is a misunderstanding. IF I say 'No' to Jennifer Lopez, you will come up with Catherine Zeta Jones, If I also say 'No' to her, you will finally come up
With my wife and I will say, 'Yes.' Then you will give all the three to me .I am a poor man .I will not be able to look after all the three. So that's why I've to say 'Yes' "
1. Which of the following best describes the author's tone in telling the story?
| A．Optimistic | B．Humoristic | C．Objective | D．Critical |
| A．foolish but honest | B．foolish and honest |
| C．smart but honest | D．smart and honest |
| A．They are the secret lovers of the woodcutter |
| B．They look much like the woodcutter's wife. |
| C．They are both rich women with a lot of gold and silver. |
| D．They are both popular with women, much worthy than his wife |
【推荐1】Tyler Skiuzacek’s father, Patrick, could not sleep through the night. It was 2007, and Patrick had just returned from a year in Iraq, where he served in the U. S. Army. Patrick Skluzacek was energetic and happy when he left for Iraq, Tyler says. But when he returned, he was unhappy and drinking alcohol too much. It turned out Patrick was suffering from sleep panic attacks. Patrick would wake up every night. His heart would beat too fast. He would sweat. The nighttime panic attacks prevented Patrick from feeling good the next day, because he was so tired.
Almost 10 years later, Tyler was in a position to help his father. He thought he could make a computer program that might help his father. So he entered a competition in Washington, D. C, trying to solve the problem Tyler’s father and other U. S. war veterans (老兵), were having. People called them”night terrors. ”The students had 36 hours to come up with a program. They called it myBivy—That name comes from bivouac, a military term for a safe place to sleep.
The application uses a smart watch and a smart phone together. The watch tracks the wearer’s heartbeat. It sends the data to the program on the smart phone. Research shows that a person’s heart rate will increase right before a night terror. So if the wearer’s heartbeat started to rise, myBivy would respond. The smart watch would vibrate and gently wake up the sleeping person. That was enough to prevent a night terror from happening.
Patrick wore the watch for two weeks to get used to it. Then, Tyler turned on the application. On the first night, the vibrations from the watch prevented 10 nightmares. Patrick said he had not slept that well in many years. Tyler and his team won the contest in Washington, D. C. The prize was $1,500. Then the group tried to raise more money from investors, and they were surprised when they took in over$25,000. By the spring of 2016, Tyler and his team were testing the app with volunteers, and hoped to make it available to the public soon.
1. What might be the cause of Patrick’s problem?| A．His experience in the war. | B．His drinking habit. |
| C．His family troubles. | D．His sleeping disorder. |
| A．the US government tries to help war veterans |
| B．people look down upon the night terrors |
| C．many other veterans suffer similar problems |
| D．myBivy was named after a great soldier |
| A．How effective the app is. | B．How to download the app. |
| C．How to design the app. | D．How the app works. |
| A．Valueless. | B．Promising. |
| C．Tough. | D．Controversial. |
【推荐2】Confucius, a famous teacher , was a politician and philosopher who lived in “Spring and Autumn Period”. During his lifetime, he planted the seeds for China’s transformation by teaching thousands of people. Today, he is thought to be one of the world’s greatest teachers.
Confucius grew up in a poor family. As he grew up, Confucius worked to help his mother earn money. When he wasn’t working, he would read. His favorite thing to do was to learn. His mother saw this and did her best to help him learn. One day, rich families noticed how smart he was and offered him jobs counting their money and keeping track of their crops.
Confucius did this until he was 30 years old, but he always wanted to do more. He didn’t like the way rulers treated their subjects. He wanted to find a way to help people who were less fortunate than he was. Later, he founded the philosophy “Confucianism”. Confucianism states that by educating yourself, loving your family, and respecting tradition you could become a better person. Confucius believed a person could achieve these things by practicing self-discipline. For the rest of his life, Confucius traveled and taught the people of China about self-discipline and the importance of education. He even opened China’s first school that taught both the poor and the wealthy as equals. Although he became very famous among China’s lower classes, the rulers of China never accepted his teachings. Eventually, his philosophy of self-discipline helped China unite under one ruler and finally find peace. Today, Confucius is celebrated all over the world for his philosophy of education, equality, and peace over war, money, and injustice.
1. What can we know about Confucius from the passage?| A．He was once a farmer guiding people farming. | B．He was born in a politician family. |
| C．He once acted as a math teacher. | D．He devoted himself to social change. |
| A．themes. | B．courses. | C．people. | D．tests. |
| A．Self-discipline. | B．Self-confidence. | C．Respect. | D．Equality. |
| A．Doubtful | B．Supportive | C．Disappointed | D．Hopeful |
【推荐3】The iPhone has been called a magical product because of its success over the years. However, now the iPhone seems to have lost its attraction.
Apple recently announced its financial results for the company’s first quarter of 2019, with a total income of $84.3 billion. It’s the company’s worst performance in about a decade. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, explained that the decline(下降) was mainly because of the weaker demand in China.
However, people believe that Apple itself is largely responsible for the decline. Gene Munster, from US research company, told CNN that “one- third of the issue” comes from the company’s move to sharply increase the price of its entire new products. This has made people less willing to change to the latest iPhones. For example, iPhone Xs Max, one of the company’s latest smartphones, costs $1,450 in the US before tax, and costs much more in other countries. Apple has also failed to introduce features that excite consumers in a forward-thinking technology market. The iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max are being criticized for lack of any real notable new software features, reported CNBC.
Meanwhile, Apple also faces challenges from smartphone makers in China such as Huawei and Xiaomi, which have introduced less expensive but still quality smartphones. In 2018, Huawei introduced a triple-lens(三镜头) camera on its P20 Pro. The triple-lens camera is a popular feature that the iPhone lacks.
“In the past few years, the technology in Apple’s phones has not had any big breakthroughs, while the technology in domestic(国内的) phones has gotten better and better,” Feng Yin, a 32-year-old engineer in China, told The New York Times. “The difference is getting smaller.”
It’s not just Chinese consumers that have developed belief in domestic smartphone brands. Gregory from Paris bought his eighth Huawei phone in 2018. He also successfully persuaded his 56-year-old aunt, Jankowski, to buy one. “I wasn’t really worried about the fact that it was a Chinese brand,” Jankowski told The New York Times about her Huawei phone. “We know that they make amazing technological products.”
1. What’s the reason for the sales fall of Apple according to Gene Munster?| A．The weaker demand in China. | B．Expensive new products. |
| C．Failing to introduce new features. | D．The challenges from Huawei. |
| A．Apple has lost its market in China. |
| B．The technology in Huawei has gone beyond Apple. |
| C．Many people complain that the iPhone updates too quickly. |
| D．More consumers begin to believe in Chinese smartphone brands. |
| A．Content. | B．Curious. |
| C．Worried. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．Markets Call for Reform. | B．Is Huawei Taking Off. |
| C．Price Determines Sales. | D．Is Apple Losing its Appeal. |
