Group buying websites are getting popular in China since people like to spend their money more wisely. Thus it is not surprising to see that the number of such websites is growing. However, consumers (消费者) are facing a problem — too much information. They have to surf many sites to know about the best offer. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a single place that combined (组合) all the information and presented it to the users so that they could easily make a better shopping decision? Ronald Li recognized this was a good business opportunity and he started to do some research. Ronald Li found that there was no such app in the market at that time. He decided to develop one himself.
Ronald Li knew that he had to step up the speed. The market is all about offering the right solution at the right time. He had to learn from other sites so as to develop one that provided great user experience. He had to put himself in the buyer’s shoes so as to know what they want. The process was not without difficulties. The most challenging one was the automatic (自动的) system that is required to actively search the information from the various group buying sites. Besides, Ronald Li was aware that some other people were starting to work on it. Eventually, he spent about two weeks on the development and had it done.
The app was then presented to Apple. It took a few days to get approved (获准). The app finally came into the market on 18 February. On 24 February, it reached the number one position in the list of Top Three iPhone Apps. In just three days, it has achieved over 30 thousand downloads.
1. What problem are consumers facing?| A．They spend too much money online. |
| B．They have to surf the Internet every day. |
| C．They don’t know which websites to trust. |
| D．They are puzzled by too much information. |
| A．To help people do smarter online shopping. |
| B．To make his company more popular in China. |
| C．To set up a better selling market on the Internet. |
| D．To attract people to buy more things with the app. |
| A．Market competition. | B．Financial pressure. |
| C．Automatic searching system. | D．Poor working experience. |
| A．The app was expensive. | B．The app updated slowly. |
| C．Ronald succeeded at last. | D．Ronald created 3 iPhone apps. |
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【推荐1】While reducing plastic waste is something most consumers wish to do, it is not an easy goal to achieve. That’s because the cheap and durable material is found in almost every household item – from dinnerware to drink bottles to even food wrappers. Now, an Indonesian-based company has come up with a delicious and nutritious solution to help reduce our dependence on this environmental hazard. Since single-use packaging is a large contributor to the problem, the creators decided to settle that problem first.
After researching on various material options, the company settled on seaweed. Unlike corn, commonly used for biodegradable（可生物降解的）containers, seaweed does not require resources like water, fertilizers, or large amounts of space. According to Evoware, as much as 40 tons of seaweed can be grown in an area the size of a baseball field. The marine algae（海藻类植物）also helps reduce ocean acidity by absorbing harmful green house gases like carbon dioxide. Since Indonesian farmers already harvest more seaweed than they can sell, it is not difficult for the company to find the material.
Evoware says the seaweed packaging contains no chemicals and is safe to consume. In addition to wrapping fast food items like burgers, it can also be used to house things like instant noodles seasoning and single-serve instant coffee. Consumers simply drop the entire packaging into the hot water and watch the odorless（没有气味的）, tasteless packet disappear, leaving behind no trace of its existence.
While replacing plastic with the seaweed products may seem like a no-brainer to most of us, it is a hard-sell in Indonesia. According to Christian, “The awareness, understanding, and sense of urgency to minimize the use of single-use plastic is still very low. This makes our bioplastic seem irrelevant（不相干的）and unnecessary.” Also a factor is the cost, which is higher the using plastic. However, Evoware believes they can reduce the price greatly once the company moves to full-scale production. Hopefully, Evoware will succeed in convincing Indonesians, and people worldwide, that their products will be beneficial to the protection of our beautiful planet.
1. What does the underlined word “hazard” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Protection. | B．Power. |
| C．Danger. | D．Contribution. |
| A．It is easy to acquire. |
| B．It can be planted in baseball field. |
| C．It is commonly used for containers. |
| D．It is popular with Indonesian farmers. |
| A．Things able to be wrapped in seaweed containers. |
| B．Components contained in seaweed containers. |
| C．Ways of using the seaweed packaging. |
| D．Advantages of the seaweed packaging. |
| A．They will bring in huge profits. |
| B．They remain a big challenge. |
| C．They will be accepted finally. |
| D．They will replace plastics completely. |
【推荐2】Intel Capital, a global investment company, has announced it’ll invest in Shubham Banerjee’s company, making the teenager the world’s youngest tech entrepreneur to receive venture capital funding.
Shubham Banerjee learned about Braille, the writing system used by the blind last December. To the middle schooler’s shock, he discovered the Braille printers cost thousands of dollars, so he decided to make his own. Using Lego pieces, he created a cheap Braille printer for his school’s science fair.
Now what started as a science fair project has transformed into a family-run startup: Braigo Labs, with mom Malini Banerjee the CEO, and dad Neil Banerjee on the board of directors. Neil also drives Shubham around and accompanies him to press events, interviews and meetings.
The funding from Intel will allow the family to hire engineers and designers, allowing Shubham to return his focus to school and easing the financial burden on the Banerjee family; Neil was planning to dipping into his own savings before Intel made its offer.
The investment also earns Shubham a place in history. He is two years younger than Nick Dickens, who was previously the world’s youngest tech entrepreneur to receive an investment in 2011.
Braigo includes software that Shubham created using Intel’s new Edison chip — a development platform to power devices built by early startups — and a printer that uses various motors and tools. Shubham published the code for the software on the Web, so other developers can use it, but the family has a patent for the printer. Intel engineers, including his dad, helped Shubham build the model.
Many have welcomed the prospect of an affordable Braille printer, which they say could give blind people better access to literature and improve Braille literacy rates. Others, however, expressed concerns, saying that the demand for Braille printers will drop.
“The number of potential sales are quite limited because there aren’t that many people who read Braille,” said Ike Presley, national project manager for the American Foundation for the Blind. “We don’t know what the demand will be for hard copy Braille 5 to 10 years from now.”
But whether or not the company survives, the experience is almost certainly something his parents will long hold onto.
“He would stay up until 2 a.m., and I would be like, ‘Give it up Shubham, just give it up,’” said Malini Banerjee. “He would keep building and breaking things and I would get so discouraged, asking, ‘Why is he wasting his time?’ But now I tell every mom, ‘Believe in your child.’”
1. What can we learn about Shubham’s company?| A．It is about to go bankrupt. |
| B．It is inspired by a Lego project. |
| C．It is burdened with media attention. |
| D．It is staffed mainly by the Banerjees. |
| A．He shares online the code for the software open-source. |
| B．He reinvents the writing system used by the blind people. |
| C．He is the youngest to get investment from a big company. |
| D．He launches a new reading news app for the blind people. |
| A．Braigo Labs’ future is not so promising. |
| B．People will read more materials in Braille. |
| C．It’s wise for Intel to invest in Braigo Labs. |
| D．More needs to be done to raise Braille literacy. |
| A．hesitant | B．demanding | C．supportive | D．courageous |
【推荐3】Wow，ladies! That is all I can say, I write this article with mixed emotions. Having Aiko the female robot around the house to help out could be either a blessing or a nightmare. If you are a working mother like me, then the idea of having a helping hand around would be a good thing. We working mothers dream about going home to find dinner on the table, a clean house and everything ready for the next day，that would be the perfect world.
Yet as always we women worry about being replaced，me included. Aiko has been created with special sensors (感应器) underneath her immediate“skin”cover. I believe her creator, Le Trung，has other motives(动机). Of course, he says it's not true. She doesn't complain, argue or talk back. She can carry on a conversation and help you with your math homework. She can tell you the weather outside and can speak in English and Japanese. She doesn't require any sleep nor does she complain about a headache or being tired. She can serve tea and give back massages. I'm sure some men out there would view her as the perfect woman or even“superwoman”. So with good reason I say having Aiko around could prove to be bad. As a woman and a wife，I worry about being replaced or even being compared to Aiko. How can you compete with someone or something so perfect like that?
Scientists have been trying to invent robots for a long time. There are many movies and books out there about robots. It looks like those crazy scientists are closer than we thought. Ladies, I think we are fighting a losing battle. So instead of trying to fight it，I guess we have no choice but to join them. Now where is my male robot? Hmm...I want him to look exactly like my Ken Barbie doll. Okay?
1. Le Trung created Aiko mainly to ________.| A．keep people company |
| B．teach people foreign languages |
| C．help children with their homework |
| D．help working mothers do housework |
| A．She is poorly designed. |
| B．She is perfectly made. |
| C．She works better than expectations. |
| D．She is especially made for housewives. |
| A．The robot could replace her. |
| B．The robot can do more than she does. |
| C．The robot makes a mess in the house. |
| D．The robot can speak human language. |
| A．To introduce a robot. |
| B．To argue against robotmaking. |
| C．To show her fights with robots. |
| D．To describe the daily life of a working mother. |
【推荐1】You’re rushing to school and a man ahead of you suddenly falls down. Do you stop to help? In a study of bystanders, it was found that some people look away or keep on walking rather than stop and get involved.
“People tend to decide that no action is needed,” says Ervin Staub, a psychologist at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, who studies the role of bystanders. “The first thoughts that come into your mind often stop you from offering help.”
Time and again, good and caring people fail to come to the assistance of others. They know they should act and however, for reasons they themselves don’t understand, people sometimes don’t respond. Why?
One thing we know is that the unclearer a situation is, the less likely people are to help. Let’s say you see something like vapors (水汽) coming out of a building. You ask yourself, “Is it steam (蒸汽) or smoke?” If you are not sure, you look to other people for a clue about how to react. If you see other people doing nothing, you think, “Of course, that’s just steam.” You don’t want it to be smoke, because then you would have to do something about it.
Another one is known as “the bystander effect”. This says that the more people there are observing an emergency, the less responsible each one of them personally feels. For example, if you are the only person in the world who can act to save someone in a dangerous situation, you are more likely to act. However, if you are one of 100,000 people who could save the situation, you would be happier if one of the other 99,999 people did it!
“If you notice trouble, force yourself to stop and judge the situation instead of walking away,” says Ervin Staub. Then try to involve other people; you don’t have to take on all the responsibility of being helpful. According to Staub, it is sometimes just a matter of turning to the person next to you and saying, “It looks like we should do something.” Once you take action, most people will follow you and also help.
1. According to Ervin Staub, when accidents happen, people’s first thoughts ________.| A．force them to give a hand | B．depend on others’ reaction |
| C．prevent them from helping | D．often lead to embarrassment |
| A．Many hands make light work. |
| B．More people, less responsibility. |
| C．The majority of people have the same idea. |
| D．People have a tendency to think twice before they act. |
| A．Call the ambulance as soon as you can. |
| B．Evaluate the situation and take action alone. |
| C．Stop and try to involve other people to help together. |
| D．Turn to others and ask them to take on the whole responsibility. |
| A．Stick to Your Decision. | B．Don’t Just Stand There. |
| C．It’s the Thought that Counts. | D．To Help or Not, it’s a Question. |
【推荐2】Roughly 2,000 years ago, Mount Vesuvius erupted, destroying the Roman city, Herculaneum. Now a group of scientists is working to figure out one of the great mysteries of that time—the scrolls of Herculaneum.
In 1752, workers digging in Herculaneum uncovered a home with over 600 scrolls. Most of the scrolls were made from papyrus-a paper-like material. The heat from the volcano had burned the scrolls so much that just touching them could make them fall apart. So scientists have been looking for ways to read the scrolls without opening them.
Brent Seales, a computer scientist at the University of Kentucky has been working on this for over 20 years. He uses a CT scanner to take 3D X-ray images. Then he uses a computer program to “unroll” the scroll, and gets pictures of what it looks like on the inside. In 2016, his team used this method to read a burned scroll found near the Dead Sea.
But the scrolls from Herculaneum are much harder. The ink is made from charcoal and water, and doesn’t show up well in CT scans. Still, Dr. Seales hoped to be able to find the writing on the scrolls by training an AI program to look for these patterns.
Though Dr. Seales was making progress, it was slowly going. Then Dr. Seales met with two businessmen. They had the idea of creating a contest for decoding the scrolls. The contest, called the Vesuvius Challenge, offered large prizes to people who met certain challenges in decoding the scrolls. About 1,500 people have taken part in the contest.
In August, Casey Handmer found a pattern that revealed where the ink had been on the scrolls. Soon afterward, Youssef Nader created an AI program that found a whole word: “πoρ
ραc”, which means “purple”. This was the first word ever read from these ancient scrolls. For their efforts, Mr. Handmer and Mr. Nader each won $10,000.
Now people are eagerly working to earn the contest’s $700,000 top prize, which is for decoding four longer sections of the scroll by December 31. The people behind the contest say that, with all the recent progress, it’s likely that someone will win this prize, too.
1. Why didn’t the scientists open the scrolls of Herculaneum?| A．The scrolls are too delicate. | B．There are no suitable tools. |
| C．The scrolls are poisonous. | D．The scientists lacked money. |
| A．Outdated CT scanner. | B．Limited scrolls for study. |
| C．Special composition of the ink. | D．Over-control from the businessmen. |
| A．Opening. | B．Understanding. | C．Hiding. | D．Destroying. |
| A．To compete for an academic award. | B．To uncover the history of Mount Vesuvius. |
| C．To cooperate with Dr. Seales in his research. | D．To win monetary prizes by decoding the scrolls. |
【推荐3】Would you like to stay at a beach home in Australia, a home on Egypt’s Red Sea, or a castle in France, all without spending a dollar? People swap (交换) their homes for a few days, a few weeks or longer. You move into someone else’s home, and they move into yours.
Many travelers say it’s a fantastic way to travel. In the movie The Holiday, Kate Winslet is very happy to find a wonderful Southern California home through a home exchange website.
At HomeExchange.com, paying $60 a year allows members to list their homes and swap them with other members for free. The website lists some 15, 000 homes around the world and includes pictures and detailed (详细的) descriptions, dates the owners are available (有空的) for an exchange, and the places members would like to travel.
“It’s a great way to travel—basically you stay at my house, I stay at yours, so there are no hotel bills—you save a lot of money on vacation,” said Ed Kushins.
That’s why Susana Parks is a big fan of home exchanges. She and her husband live in a beautiful Rodeo Drive home just a few blocks from Beverly Hills. And the couple is willing to let home exchangers, who they’ve never met, move in and have free use of their kitchen, library, swimming pool, even their new car.
“If we swap our home, we’re in their home too. So there is trust between us that we treat their home like our home and they treat our home like theirs.”
1. What is home exchange?| A．People sell their homes for money or other things. |
| B．People swap their homes that they are not satisfied with. |
| C．People swap their homes when they are on vacation. |
| D．People take care of others’ homes when they are out. |
| A．she can make money from it | B．she believes in other people |
| C．the website makes a promise to her | D．she wants people to know Beverly Hills |
| A．persuade us to trust others | B．introduce a new way to travel |
| C．tell us some tips on traveling | D．advertise for HomeExchange.com |
