Apple iPad Mini Wi-Fi 16 GB - Black & Slate   $329 online    71 reviews  

    October 2012 - Apple - Handheld - 16 GB - iOS - Wi-Fi Only - 7.9 inch - With Camera - 10.9 ounces（1 pound =16 ounces）

With a touch screen and the ability to take an awesome 360-degree picture from the top of a mountain, its 7.9-inch display more than measures up to the complete iPad experience. View web pages. See where you are and what's around you using online maps. Flick（瀏覽） through your photos and watch videos in vivid detail. And wave hello to the family on a video call. With the same LED backlight technology and the same fast, fluid performance that the iPad is known for, the iPad Mini doesn't disappoint customers. And with automatic shake-resistant video, your videos are instantly ready to share.

 

 

         Apple iPad 2 Wi-Fi 16 GB – Black       $350 online     2,564 reviews

    March 2011 - Apple - Handheld - 16 GB - iOS - Wi-Fi Only - 9.7 inch - With Camera - 10 hour battery -1.32 pounds

    This device has two cameras, a dual-core（雙核） A5 chip, and the same battery life – all in a thinner, lighter Multi-Touch design. It makes surfing the Web, checking email, watching movies, and reading books feel natural. LED backlighting makes everything you see remarkably vivid and bright. With every turn of the device (even upside down), the display adjusts to fit. It has a wide, 178° viewing angle.

 

         Apple iPad 1 Wi-Fi 32 GB        $600 online     454 reviews       

May 2010 - Apple - Handheld - 32 GB - iOS - Wi-Fi Only - 9.7 inch - 1.5 pounds  

Apple iPad 1 Wi-Fi is a magical and revolutionary product and the best way to experience the web, email, photos, and video. Taking advantage of the large multi-touch screen and advanced capabilities of the iPad, you can do things that you can't do on any other device. The high-resolution（分辨率）, 9.7-inch LED-backlit display on the iPad is remarkably vivid. Thin and light and with a wide viewing angle, it automatically locates available Wi-Fi networks.

 

1.According to the advertisement, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. The Apple iPad 2 has a single core and 360-degree viewing angle.

B. The Apple iPad Mini can store as much information as the Apple iPad 2 can.

C. The Apple iPad Mini’s performance is disappointing compared to that of others.

D. The Apple iPad 1 is the oldest, the most expensive and the smallest of all three.

2.According to the advertisement, which one probably attracts most attention?

A. Apple iPad 2    B. Apple iPad Mini

C. Apple iPad 1   D. Dual-Core A5

3.We know from the advertisement that____________

A. we can’t voice chat with friends using the Apple iPad Mini.

B. we need to locate available Apple iPad 1Wi-Fi networks ourselves.

C. with the Apple iPad Mini, your videos always remain relatively smooth.

D. the Apple iPad 2 display only adjusts when the device is turned upside down.

 

Consumer electronics once again topped the list of the most wanted gifts this holiday season.
“Seventy-six percent of consumers who plan to buy holiday gifts say that they will spend money or buy at least one technology product; definitely a solid vote of confidence for technology.”
Steve Koenig is with the Consumer Electronics Association. He says the group’s latest research also shows that Americans this year are spending more on technology products. “Here in 2012, $252 on average——the technology spend for consumers this year.”
From tablet computers to smart phones, American shoppers have been lining up to get the newest and coolest electronic devices on the market. There are more choices today than ever before. "It's kind of hard to make a decision."
Tablet computers are one of the best-selling products this year. Brian Tong is Senior Editor of CNET.com. The website reports on tech news and examines the latest electronic products. He says the Apple iPad Mini is one of the most popular tablets. Its starting price is $329. One of Apple’s biggest competitors is the Google Nexus 7. It starts at $199.
“Its hardware is more powerful than what’s in the iPad Mini, but also it offers you a lot of things like maps that work better than Apple’s maps.
But Brian Tong says there is one reason why people may like the iPad Mini more than the Nexus 7. “If you just want to read books and surf the Internet, you don’t really need to get an iPad Mini, but if you want the largest robust group of apps (應(yīng)用軟件) that’s where the iPad and Apple’s ecosystem shines the most.”
Elman Chacon is with the electronics store Best Buy. He says another hot product this season is smart cameras. They connect to the Internet through WiFi. This makes it easy for users to email or upload photographs directly from the camera.
“You can literally take a picture and upload it into your Facebook in a matter of seconds. These things are pretty cool because they do a lot of things.”
Streaming media boxes also connect to the Internet. People are able to watch web content such as movies and YouTube videos on their televisions. Another popular item is wireless speaker systems. The newest ones work with any device that has Bluetooth technology, including smart phones, laptops and tablets.
【小題1】What does the underlined sentence mean in Paragraph 3?

A．Every technology product costs an average of $252.

B．Consumers are spending $252 more on technology products than last year.

C．Consumers should spend $252 on their technology products.

D．It is estimated that $252 on average might be spent on electronics by consumers in 2012.

【小題2】According to Brian Tong, why may people prefer the iPad Mini to the Google Nexus 7?

A．Because it is cheaper.

B．Because it has more functions.

C．Because you can read books and surf the Internet with it.

D．Because it offers you a lot of things like maps that work better than Apple’s maps.

【小題3】What does “Its hardware” in Paragraph 6 refer to?

A．The hardware of tablet computers.

B．The hardware of the Apple iPad.

C．The hardware of the Google Nexus 7.

D．The hardware of the iPad Mini.

【小題4】Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．People will spend most of their money on electronics.

B．Photos can be uploaded from the camera when connected to a computer.

C．A streaming media box is a box which can contain CDs.

D．Most people would like to buy electronics as gifts.

【小題5】Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?

A．Electronics: People’s Most Favorite Gifts this year

B．Which is More Popular, the Apple iPad Mini or the Google Nexus 7?

C．Latest Technology Products

D．More Electronics to Choose from

The past week was possibly the most eventful in the history of customer technology markets, or to be precise, the 7-inch (17.8-cm) tablet (平板電腦)market. Never before have three of the biggest players in the industry scheduled what could be truly historic product launches (上市）so close together.

Despite its name, the 7.9-inch iPad Mini is one of the largest among the mini-tablets. It's got all the aesthetics of its earlier 9.7-inch iPad and is unbelievably thin-just 7.2 mm, 23 percent thinner than the iPad.

Apple's iPad Mini

Release date: Nov 2,2012 (Wi-Fi version)

 Operating system: iOS 6

Size: 19.9 x 13.5 x 0.7 cm

Prices: $329 (16GB Wi-Fi), $429 (32GB Wi-Fi), $519 (64GB Wi-Fi), or $459 (16GB Data)

$559 (32GB Data), $659 (64GB Data)

Google may have been forced to cancel its Android event in New York City on Oct 29 due to the threat of hurricane Sandy, but that isn't stopping it from making same big announcements. For starters, Google has confirmed (證實）that the Nexus 10 will be running Android 4.2 out of the box, so get excited. It will also come equipped with a 10-inch display running at an impressive 2560x1600 resolution. On the inside, it'll have a A15 dual-core (雙核）processor running alongside 2GB of RAM (內(nèi)存)，so expect the Nexus 10 to be a speedy little tablet. Google's Nexus 10 Release date: Nov 13，2012 Operating system: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Size: 26.4 x 17.8x0.9 cm Prices: $399 (16GB), $449 (32GB)

Microsoft's Surface is a bold product with some great touches. It doesn't feature a camera and focuses on Office software, which suggests Microsoft is focusing this product on an executive toy. There's no 3G connection (only Wi-Fi) so owners won't have to worry about an extra contract.

The real delight, however, is Metro, the impressive navigation interface (導航界面).It is beautifully designed with brightly colored squares for navigation. Pre-orders for Surface in the US sold out over the weekend, so it would seem customers are excited.

Microsoft's Surface

Release date: Oct 26,2012

Operating system: Windows 8 RT

Size: 27.5 x 17.2 x 0.9 cm

Prices: $499 (32GB M-Fi)

1.What can be inferred from the first paragraph?

A.The three biggest companies made a new product together.

B.A technology has been introduced to tablet industry.

C.The three companies launched their new products nearly at the same time.

D.The tablet market, in October was out of control.

2.What is the 7.9-inch iPad Mini's major contribution to the customers?

A. Wi-Fi version         B. Operating system

C. Prices        D. Size

3.How many technologies will be introduced to the Nexus 10 according to Google?

A. 6   B. 5     C. 4   D. 3

4.Which tablet with 32GB Wi-Fi is the most expensive?

A. Microsoft's Surface.      B. Apple's iPad Mini.

C. Google's Nexus 10.        D. A15 dual-core processor.

 

Consumer electronics once again topped the list of the most wanted gifts this holiday season.

“Seventy-six percent of consumers who plan to buy holiday gifts say that they will spend money or buy at least one technology product; definitely a solid vote of confidence for technology.”

Steve Koenig is with the Consumer Electronics Association. He says the group’s latest research also shows that Americans this year are spending more on technology products. “Here in 2012, $252 on average——the technology spend for consumers this year.”

From tablet computers to smart phones, American shoppers have been lining up to get the newest and coolest electronic devices on the market. There are more choices today than ever before. "It's kind of hard to make a decision."

Tablet computers are one of the best-selling products this year. Brian Tong is Senior Editor of CNET.com. The website reports on tech news and examines the latest electronic products. He says the Apple iPad Mini is one of the most popular tablets. Its starting price is $329. One of Apple’s biggest competitors is the Google Nexus 7. It starts at $199.

“Its hardware is more powerful than what’s in the iPad Mini, but also it offers you a lot of things like maps that work better than Apple’s maps.

But Brian Tong says there is one reason why people may like the iPad Mini more than the Nexus 7. “If you just want to read books and surf the Internet, you don’t really need to get an iPad Mini, but if you want the largest robust group of apps (應(yīng)用軟件) that’s where the iPad and Apple’s ecosystem shines the most.”

Elman Chacon is with the electronics store Best Buy. He says another hot product this season is smart cameras. They connect to the Internet through WiFi. This makes it easy for users to email or upload photographs directly from the camera.

“You can literally take a picture and upload it into your Facebook in a matter of seconds. These things are pretty cool because they do a lot of things.”

Streaming media boxes also connect to the Internet. People are able to watch web content such as movies and YouTube videos on their televisions. Another popular item is wireless speaker systems. The newest ones work with any device that has Bluetooth technology, including smart phones, laptops and tablets.

1.What does the underlined sentence mean in Paragraph 3?

A．Every technology product costs an average of $252.

B．Consumers are spending $252 more on technology products than last year.

C．Consumers should spend $252 on their technology products.

D．It is estimated that $252 on average might be spent on electronics by consumers in 2012.

2.According to Brian Tong, why may people prefer the iPad Mini to the Google Nexus 7?

A．Because it is cheaper.

B．Because it has more functions.

C．Because you can read books and surf the Internet with it.

D．Because it offers you a lot of things like maps that work better than Apple’s maps.

3.What does “Its hardware” in Paragraph 6 refer to?

A．The hardware of tablet computers.

B．The hardware of the Apple iPad.

C．The hardware of the Google Nexus 7.

D．The hardware of the iPad Mini.

4.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．People will spend most of their money on electronics.

B．Photos can be uploaded from the camera when connected to a computer.

C．A streaming media box is a box which can contain CDs.

D．Most people would like to buy electronics as gifts.

5.Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?

A．Electronics: People’s Most Favorite Gifts this year

B．Which is More Popular, the Apple iPad Mini or the Google Nexus 7?

C．Latest Technology Products

D．More Electronics to Choose from

 

 

The name of Macau comes from the word Magao (A-Ma Temple), which were shrines (圣地) dedicated to Mazu, a holy sea goddess worshiped by Macau people. It was said that when the Portuguese people first came here in the middle of sixteenth century, one of the officers asked a fisherman the name of the land. The man misunderstood the officer’s question, and answered “Magao” – the name of A-Ma Temple in front them.

Many people wonder how Macau is spelled. Is it “Macao” or “Macau”? Both are actually correct. Macao is Portuguese, and this is the official spelling backed by Macau SAR Government. Macau is English, that’s how they spell it in the U.S. and other parts of the world. However, most publications use “Macau” as the preferred spelling.

Members of the Southern Song Dynasty and some 50,000 followers were the first recorded inhabitants (居民) of the area, seeking shelter in Macau from invading Mongols in 1277. They were able to defend their settlements and establish themselves there.

The Hoklo Boat people were the first to show commercial interest in Macau as a trading center for the southern provinces. During the Ming Dynasty (1368–1643), fishermen migrated to Macau from various parts of Guangdong and Fujian provinces and built the A-Ma Temple in which they prayed for safety on the sea.

Chinese fishermen have been living and working in the Pearl River Delta for more than four thousand years. The small peninsula and islands that came to be called Macau were first settled by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century.

In 1998, Chinese (Cantonese) was given official status and the same legal power as Portuguese, the official language. The Chinese government assumed sovereignty over Macau on December 20, 1999, ending 329 years of Portuguese rule.

1.We can learn from the text that the name “Macau”_________.

A. is named after a sea goddess         B. is first called by the Portuguese

 is only used in publications        D. is given by a fisherman

2.Which is the correct order of the things that happened in Macau?

a. Portuguese people first came to Macau.

b. The fishermen of Guangdong and Fujian migrated to Macau.

c. The first recorded inhabitants established themselves in Macau.

d. the A-Ma Temple was built in Macau.

A. c, b, d, a           B. d, c, b, a       b, c, a, d      D. a, c, b, d

3.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Both Chinese and Portuguese are official languages in Macau.

B. The A-Ma Temple was built in honour of a holy sea goddess.

 The inhabitants in Macau mainly made their living by fishing before the 16th century.

D. Macau didn’t belong to China until December 20, 1999.

4.Members of the Southern Song Dynasty went to Macau in order to ____.

A. show commercial interest in Macau      B. find a good place for fishing

 get away from their enemies            D. establish Macau SAR there