About 500 years ago, the Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus proved the Earth was round. Now American author Thomas Friedman tells us the Earth is flat in his bestseller: The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century.

If he is not joking, then why is the world flat? Friedman owes it to technological forces. Because of the Internet and the World Wide Web, he believes geographical barriers are disappearing. Individuals and companies around the world can cooperate or compete on the same level.

Bill Gates explains the meaning of this transformation best. Thirty years ago, he tells Friedman, if you had to choose between being born a genius in Shanghai and an average person in Poughkeepsie (a city in southeast New York), you would have chosen Poughkeepsie because your chances of living a prosperous life were much greater there. "Now," Gates says, "I would rather be a genius born in China than an average guy born in Poughkeepsie." This shows that success today is determined more by ability than by location.

Globalization 3.0, as he calls it, is driven by ambitious individuals: freelancers (自由撰稿人) and creative new businesses all over the world, especially in India and China. They can compete not just for low-wage manufacturing but, increasingly, for the highest-end research and design work as well.

Big companies have played another important role in this globalization process. They move their factories from one country to another to cut costs. It's usual now for an engineer in China to be working for an American company. The Internet keeps them in constant touch with their American partners. People everywhere, from the US to China, have procedures of the same standard for getting their work done.

The Reuters news agency provides a good example. The company moved its operation offices from London and New York to India. The Indian employees have the necessary technical skills. But the salaries and office rents are less than one-fifth of what they would be in New York or London.

1．The fact that Bill Gates made a different choice shows that ______.

A．success is largely determined by where you live

B．a(chǎn) genius is sure to succeed

C．Shanghai has taken the place of New York now

D．one can succeed from anywhere as long as he is intelligent enough

2．Why is the world flat according to Friedman?

A．Because the Earth has changed 500 years later.

B．Because geniuses can be found everywhere all over the world .

C．Because great progress in science and technology makes the world seem smaller.

D．Because the 21st century makes travel easier.

3．Which of the following is NOT mentioned as one of the advantages of globalization?

A．Lower cost for factories                      B．Low-wage manufacturing

C．Cheap rents                                        D．Low-priced products

4．The main idea of the passage is that ______.

A．a(chǎn) genius plays a role in the advancement of science and technology

B．both cooperation and competition between businesses lead to globalization

C．China and India are catching up with the western countries

D．business competition helps to speed up globalization

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科目：高中英語 來源：訓練必修四英語北師版 北師版 題型：053

閱讀理解

　　The British Isles

　　To the west and off the European Continent, there are thousands of islands on the continental shelf(大陸架)．They are generally called the British Isles．Of all these isles, the largest one is called Great Britain．For convenience’s sake, it is often shortened to Britain．Still further the west of Great Britain is the second largest island known as Ireland．The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland(U．K．)is made up of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, and a number of smaller islands around them．The total area of the country is some 240 000 square kilometers with a population of about 57 million．

　　Great Britain runs nearly 1000 kilometers from south to north and extends, at the widest part, about 500 kilometers from west to east．Its area is some 230 000 square kilometers．Great Britain is traditionally divided into three parts, or countries：England in the south, Scotland in the north, and Wales in the southwest．There are discernible(可辨別的)differences between them even now．

　　England is the largest and most developed of all the three．Its area, about 130 000 square kilometers, takes up nearly 60％ of the whole island．Its population is more than 46 million which makes up 85％ of the country’s whole population．The importance of England is so great in Britain that some foreigners just say “England” when they mean Britain．The same is true of the custom of speaking of the British people as the English who are the majority in the United Kingdom．

　　Scotland is the second largest both in area and population．It has an area of about 78 760 square kilometers, less than 30％ of the whole island and with a population of 5 million, less than one tenth of the whole population．

　　Wales is the smallest of the three both in area and population．In area,20 700 square kilometers, it makes up less than 9％ of the total area while its population, 2.7 million, does not exceed 5％ of the whole．

(1)

The British Isles is made up of ________．

[　　]

A．

the European Continent and Great Britain

B．

the U．K．a(chǎn)nd the Republic of Ireland

C．

England, Scotland and Wales

D．

thousands of islands to the west and off the European Continent

(2)

Which of the following figures shows the correct position of Great Britain?

[　　]

A．

B．

C．

D．

(3)

From the third paragraph we can infer that Great Britain has a population of about ________ million．

[　　]

A．

54

B．

46

C．

60

D．

57

(4)

Which of the following figures shows the correct area of Great Britain?________

(5)

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

[　　]

A．

England is five times larger than Wales in area．

B．

England is five times larger than Scotland in area．

C．

Scotland is five times larger than Wales in area．

D．

The UK is five times larger than Wales in area．

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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

    Supermarkets are trying out new computers that make shopping carts more intelligent(具備智能的)．They will help shoppers find paper cups or toilet soap, and keep a record of the bill.

    The touch-screen devices(觸摸屏裝置) are on show at the Food Marketing Institute’s exhibition here this week, “These devices are able to create value and get you around the store quicker,” said Michael Alexander, manager of Springboard Retail Networks Inc., which makes a smart cart computer called the Concierge.

    Canadian stores will test the Concierge in July．A similar device, IBM’s “Shopping Buddy”, has recently been test-marketed at Stop & Shop stores in Massachusetts.

    Neither device tells you how many fat grams or calories are in your cart, but they will flash you with items on sale．The idea is to make it easier for people to buy, not to have second thoughts that maybe you should put something back on the shelf.

    “The whole model is driven by advertisers’ need to get in front of shoppers,” said Alexander．“They’re not watching 30-second TV ads anymore.”

    People can use a home computer to make their shopping lists．Once at the store, a shopper can use a preferred customer card to start a system(系統(tǒng)) that will organize the trip around the store．If you’re looking for toothpicks, you type in the word or pick it from a list, and a map will appear on the screen showing where you are and where you can find them.

    The device also keeps a record of what you buy．When you’re finished, the device figures out your bill．Then you go to the checker or place your card into a self-checkout stand and pay.

    The new computerized shopping assistants don’t come cheap．The Buddy devices will cost the average store about $160,000, and the Concierge will cost stores about $500 for each device.

53．The underlined word “they” (paragraph 1) refers to ______.

       A．supermarkets       B．shop assistants     C．shopping carts     D．shop managers

54．Which of the following is the correct order of shopping with computerized shopping carts?

       a．Start the system.                                 b．Make a shopping list.

       c．Find the things you want.                     d．Go to a self-checkout stand.

       A．a(chǎn)bdc                   B．bacd                   C．a(chǎn)cbd                   D．bcad

55．We can learn from the last paragraph that ______.

       A．intelligent shopping carts cost a large sum of money

      B．the Concierge is cheaper than the Buddy devices

      C．shop assistants with computer knowledge are well paid

      D．a(chǎn)verage stores prefer the Concierge to the Buddy devices

56．What might be the most suitable title for the text?

      A．New age for supermarkets                   

       B．Concierge and Shopping Buddy

      C．New computers make shopping carts smarter

       D．Touch-screen devices make shopping enjoyable

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科目：高中英語 來源：四川省成都樹德協(xié)進中學2010屆高三考前沖刺考試英語試題 題型：閱讀理解


Supermarkets are trying out new computers that make shopping carts more intelligent(具備智能的). They will help shoppers find paper cups or toilet soap, and keep a record of the bill.
The touch-screen devices(觸摸屏裝置) are on show at the Food Marketing Institute’s exhibition here this week, “These devices are able to create value and get you around the store quicker,” said Michael Alexander, manager of Springboard Retail Networks Inc., which makes a smart cart computer called the Concierge.
Canadian stores will test the Concierge in July. A similar device, IBM’s “Shopping Buddy”, has recently been test-marketed at Stop & Shop stores in Massachusetts.
Neither device tells you how many fat grams or calories are in your cart, but they will flash you with items on sale. The idea is to make it easier for people to buy, not to have second thoughts that maybe you should put something back on the shelf.
“The whole model is driven by advertisers’ need to get in front of shoppers,” said Alexander. “They’re not watching 30-second TV ads anymore.”
People can use a home computer to make their shopping lists. Once at the store, a shopper can use a preferred customer card to start a system(系統(tǒng)) that will organize the trip around the store. If you’re looking for toothpicks, you type in the word or pick it from a list, and a map will appear on the screen showing where you are and where you can find them.
The device also keeps a record of what you buy. When you’re finished, the device figures out your bill. Then you go to the checker or place your card into a self-checkout stand and pay.
The new computerized shopping assistants don’t come cheap. The Buddy devices will cost the average store about $160,000, and the Concierge will cost stores about $500 for each device.
1. The underlined word “they” (paragraph 1) refers to ______.
A. supermarkets  B. shop assistants    C. shopping carts           D. shop managers
2. Which of the following is the correct order of shopping with computerized shopping carts?
a. Start the system.                                               b. Make a shopping list.
c. Find the things you want.                                  d. Go to a self-checkout stand.
A. abdc                            B. bacd                        C. acbd                        D. bcad
3. We can learn from the last paragraph that ______.
A. intelligent shopping carts cost a large sum of money
B. the Concierge is cheaper than the Buddy devices
C. shop assistants with computer knowledge are well paid
D. average stores prefer the Concierge to the Buddy devices
4. What might be the most suitable title for the text?
A. New age for supermarkets                 
B. Concierge and Shopping Buddy
C. New computers make shopping carts smarter            
D. Touch-screen devices make shopping enjoyable

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科目：高中英語 來源：2014屆吉林松原油田高中高三上期10月調研英語卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

Bissel is a small village of the West Sahara. It lies next to a l.5-square-kilometer oasis（綠洲）, from where three days and nights are generally required to go out of the desert. However, before Ken Levin discovered it in 1926, none of the Bissel villagers had ever walked out of the desert. Reportedly, they were not unwilling to leave this barren land. Many had previously tried but failed, always somehow finding themselves back at the oasis after several days of trying to walk out.

When interviewed by Ken Levin, an expert at the British Royal College of Sciences, the villagers explained that no matter which direction they walked it always brought them back to the village.Why couldn’t the Bissel villagers walk out of the desert? Levin was very puzzled. He had, by himself, managed to walk north from the village and reach the nearest town in three and a half days. He decided to carry out an experiment to solve the mystery. He and a Bissel villager called Argutel, would walk out of the desert together. They prepared enough water for a half-a-month journey and two camels. But this time Ken Levin didn't bring his compass. Levin would follow Argutel.

Ten days later, they had walked for about 500 miles but were still in the desert. On the 11th morning, an oasis came into their view. They were back at Bissel. Levin now understood why the Bissel people couldn’t escape the desert. They had no knowledge of the North Star, which had for centuries provided sailors and other travelers with a point of direction. In the desert, if a person goes forward relying only on their senses, they will not be able to travel in a straight line. Rather they will travel in a very large circle and eventually track back to where they began. Levin explained to Argutel the function of the North Star and said, “As long as you rest in the daytime and walk towards the brightest star at night, you would be able to walk out of the desert.” Argutel did as he was told. Three days later, he came to the edge of the desert.

Now in the West Sahara, Bissel has become a bright pearl, where tens of thousands of tourists come every year. Argutel’s bronze statue stands in the center of the town. On its base are the words: __________________________________.

1.Ken Levin asked Argutel to walk to the north in order to ________.

A. prove that people could walk out of the desert see

B. how far away Bissel was to the edge of the desert

C. tell people not to walk in circles

D. show Argutel was a great person

2.According to the passage, Ken Levin ________.

A. knew Argutel before he came to the village

B. came to Bissel to do experiments on behalf of his college

C. became the first man to walk out of the desert from Bissel Village

D. taught Bissel villagers knowledge of the North Star when he first arrived

3.It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A. Ken Levin didn’t walk south because it would take more days

B. the use of a compass was necessary to walk out of the desert

C. tourism in Bissel has been greatly developed and improved

D. Argutel became the leader of Bissel after his return

4.Which of the following can most probably be found at the base of Argutel’s statue?

A. A new life starts from the fixed direction.

B. Where there is a will, there is a way.

C. A long journey starts with the first step.

D. Two heads are better than one.

 

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科目：高中英語 來源：2014屆江西南昌二中高二下期第二次月考英語卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

While most travelers aim to stay out of the hospital while on vacation, a growing number of medical tourists－people who combine treatment with travel － are crossing international borders for the purpose of getting medical services, which can range from a hip replacement to a tummy tuck. Widespread air travel, increasing healthcare costs in developed countries, long waiting lists and an ageing world population have all contributed to a global increase in medical tourism in the past decade. And Asia takes the lead in terms of world market share.

More than 89% of medical tourists travelled to Thailand, India or Singapore in 2010, with Bangkok and Singapore leading the pack. But the cost of hotel rooms and treatment are both far more expensive in Singapore than in the Thai capital, making Bangkok the most popular place for medical tourism in the world. Even after the serious floods of 2011, 19 million tourists visited Thailand in 2011, a 20% jump from 2010, with about 500,000 tourists travelling specifically for medical treatment.

Given Thailand’s reputation for outstanding service, it is not hard to see why Bangkok has quickly become the medical tourism centre of Asia. The Tourism Authority of Thailand(TAT), which began medical tourism in 2004, has a detailed medical tourism website that lists many of the most popular treatments available, including dental work, dermatology and cosmetic surgery, as well as listing reputed hospitals, making it easy for potential visitors to decide on a procedure. TAT has also recently partnered with Krungthai Bank, the national bank of Thailand, to offer tourists a card called the Miracle Thailand Card, which offers some medical and life insurance coverage in case of an accident.

“The hospitals in Bangkok are some of the highest quality in the world，meeting US standards，”said Steven Lash, CEO of a US-based medical travel company that sends tourists to Bangkok as well as to seven other countries, including Turkey and Mexico. "All of the tourists we have sent to these hospitals have given us excellent feedback (反饋) on their procedures and their experiences at the hospitals."

1. Medical tourism is so popular nowadays partly because_____.

A．a(chǎn)ged patients prefer to travel

B．a(chǎn)ir travel is cheaper than before

C．local hospitals lack advanced equipment

D．medical treatment is expensive in some countries

2.Why is Bangkok’s medical tourism ahead of Singapore’s?

A．Bangkok provides an excellent service at lower prices.

B．Medical tourists in Bangkok get high health insurance.

C．The local authority in Bangkok has a good reputation.

D．Bangkok has a detailed medical tourism website.

3.The author develops the third paragraph mainly by _________.

A．giving figures                          B．Presenting effects

C．using examples                         D．making comparisons

4.Steven Lash thinks Bangkok’s hospitals_______.

A．a(chǎn)re really excellent                      B．a(chǎn)re welcomed by Americans

C．a(chǎn)re famous mainly for their service          D．a(chǎn)re better than hospitals in the USA

5.What is the text mainly about?

A．The background of medical tourism.

B．The rise of medical tourism in Bangkok.

C．The advantages of medical tourism in Bangkok.

D．The comparison of medical tourism in Asian countries.

 

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