EBay will launch an online group gift-buying service today designed to make it easier for several people to chip in, buy and pay for gifts using their social-network and e-mail contacts.
EBay North America Vice President Christopher Payne says it is going to be a major step forward in social commerce, which is the still-small practice of selling products through social networks.Online retail experts aren't as certain, but eBay says the new tool makes it easier for friends and relatives to chip in (湊錢) for gifts because it eliminates the headache of collecting contributions.It can also be used for family members to pitch in to buy, say, an expensive child seat for a mother.
Anything on eBay that's available immediately, rather than up for bid, can be purchased this way starting today at groupgiftseBaycom.If members of an extended family wanted to buy a gift for one member, one person would choose a gift — or have one recommended by eBay — and invite family members to chip in using Facebook or e-mail.Those who wanted to join in would choose an amount to contribute (or agree to pay a requested amount) and pay using either PayPal or a credit card.They could also add a personal note.
If enough people don't chip in, the organizer can ask people to contribute more or choose a less expensive gift.
"I see myself using this most in cases when I typically might not buy someone what they want because of price," says Nitzan Shaer of Boston, who was part of an online test of the site.
EBay, with its 200 million products, millions of sellers and mobile commerce proficiency, is a logical place to pull together the products, groups of buyers and payment tools, Payne says.
At least 12 sites, such as FrumUs.com and eDivvy.com, facilitate (便于,利于) group purchases but don't sell products.Although a handful of retailers, including Victoria's Secret and 1-800-Flowers, sell products through Facebook, Payne says he expects social commerce will take off as rapidly as shopping using mobile devices.EBay did more than $600 million in sales on mobile devices last year and expects mobile sales to increase to $1.5 billion this year.
Although one in five consumers surveyed said they'd used Facebook for shopping in the past year, 88% said they would not be buying holiday gifts through a social network, mobile phone or smartphone.Of these, 26% were reluctant because of security or privacy concerns, and 20% were unclear about the benefits of using phones or Facebook to shop.
小題1:What procedure should be followed if your extended family intends to buy your grandpa an 80th birthday gift?
①Asking family members to contribute more money if enough members don’t chip in
②Choosing a gift at groupgifts.eBay.com
③Paying using PayPal or a credit card
④Contributing or agreeing to pay a requested amount of money via Facebook or e-mail
A.②-①-③-④B.①-③-②-④
C.②-④-①-③D.②-③-④-①
小題2:Where can we most probably read this text?
A.In a research paperB.In a travel magazine
C.In a microblogD.On a website
小題3:What does “it” mean in the 2nd paragraph?
A.The online group gift-buying service
B.People’s social-network and e-mail contacts
C.A major step forward in social commerce
D.The still-small practice of selling products through social networks
小題4:It can be inferred from the text that ______.
A.through eBay’s new tool, 200 million products on eBay are available to online shoppers
B.social commerce can eliminate the headache of collecting contributions
C.eBay’s new tool will gain mass adoption by online shoppers
D.with the help of eBay’s new tool, FrumUs.com and eDivvy.com will also sell products

小題1:C
小題1:D
小題1:A
小題1:C
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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Scientific discoveries have changed man’s life a great deal during the past century. First of all, they have greatly improved material well-being in several areas of life. In the field of medicine, cures for life threatening diseases have enabled people to live longer. In communication, the telephone and e-mail have made it possible for us to communicate with anyone in the world without leaving our homes or offices. Advances in transportation allow businessmen to fly across the ocean in the morning and return home the same evening. Space technology has put men on the moon. More efficient ways of using available resources, such as coal and solar power, have been explored.
Scientific discoveries have also changed man’s moral atmosphere. Ethical (倫理的) issues are raised by these discoveries. Should we keep a terminally ill person alive through drugs and machines or should we allow him to die in dignity? With advances in transportation had come the problem of pollution for nearly every major city in the world. If cities become uninhabitable, then such technical advances may come with too great a price to pay. Many people also question the wisdom of sending men to the moon when there are urgent problems that have not been solved on earth. During future years, increasing attention must be given to the moral as well as the practical applications of science.
小題1:Scientific discoveries have improved man’s life in several fields. Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage?
A.medicineB.communication and transportation
C.educationD.space technology
小題2: Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A.Scientific discoveries have only changed man’s moral atmosphere.
B.Scientific discoveries have only changed man’s material well-being.
C.Scientific discoveries have helped people find efficient ways of using available resources.
D.Men are sent to the moon because there are urgent problems that have not been solved on earth.
小題3:At the end of the passage the author says that increasing attention must be given to _________.
A.the moral applications of scienceB.the practical applications of science
C.urgent problems on the earthD.both A and B
小題4:The best title for the passage is __________.
A.Science discoveriesB.Science and daily life
C.Advances in transportationD.City pollution

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Surveys of American teenagers find that about half of them do not get enough sleep on school nights. They get an average of 60 to 90 minutes less than experts say they need.
Experts say teens are biologically programmed to go to sleep later and wake up later than other age groups. Yet many schools start classes as early as seven in the morning.
As a result,many students go to class feeling like Danny,16 years old. He plays two sports,lacrosse and football. He is an active teen—except in the morning. DANNY:“Getting up in the morning is pretty terrible. I’m just very out of it and tired. And through first and second period I can hardly stay awake.”
Michael Breus,a clinical psychologist with a specialty in sleep disorders says:“These aren’t a bunch of lazy kids—although,you know,teenagers can of course be lazy. These are children whose biological rhythms,more times than not,are off.”Teens,he says,need to sleep eight to nine hours or even nine to ten hours a night. He says sleepy teens can experience a form of depression that could have big effects on their general well-being. It can affect not just their ability in the classroom but also on the sports field and on the road because any tired driver is dangerous,especially a teenager with a lack of experience.
So what can schools do about sleepy students?The psychologist says one thing they can do is start classes later in the morning.
Eric Peterson,head of St.George’s School in the northeastern state of Rhode Island,says,“In the end,schools ought to do what’s the right thing for their students,first and foremost.”And he wanted to see if a 30-minute delay would make a difference. It did.
小題1:According to the passage,which of the following is the chief cause of sleepy teenagers?
A.Persona haibits.B.Early school hours.
C.Sports activities.D.Too much home work.
小題2:According to Michael Breus,         .
A.Teenagers are too lazy to get up early for school.
B.Teenagers should change their biological rhythms.
C.Lacking sleep can cause serious problems.
D.Sleepy teenagers shouldn’t drive to school.
小題3:What is Eric Peterson’s opinion on the issue?
A.Schools should try their best to help students.
B.Students should adjust to their school’s schedule.
C.Changing school schedule is their last choice.
D.Something has to change at the end of a school day.
小題4:What does the underlined word“It”in the last sentence might refer to?
A.St.George School.B.Rhode Island State.
C.Students in St.George School.D.30-minute delay of school day.
小題5:What can you infer might follow the passage immediately?
A.Some positive changes in St.George’s school.
B.Some complaints from teachers and parents.
C.Some tips on how to help students foremost.
D.Some unexpected outcome of the delay.

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

It is commonly believed among many Chinese that Westerners who take “Yes’,and “No” by their facial expressions are more straightforward than Chinese. Normally Westerners don * t have to adopt Chinese ways like sweeping the floor or constantly checking the clock to indicate to a guest that it’ s time to leave. They don’ t have to hesitate in saying “No” when they are not able to, or don’ t want to, offer help to a friend in need. There is no embarrassment attached to this behavior. But it is too simple to conclude that Westerners are more direct speakers than the Chinese.
There are many occasions when the way Westerners express themselves makes Chinese look more straightforward and honest. When I was a fresh international student,the director of our program once asked students in an e-mail what we thought about a young professor. I simply said ’ “She seems to know a lot but doesn* t know how to teach. ” And the director replied with “Thank you for being honest. ”
Only years later when I better understood the new culture,I realized why I had gone too far. If that question were asked now,the reply would have three paragraphs devoted to the qualities of the professor before the last line came out — ” There are some gaps in her teaching method. ” Still tough, but at least it wouldn't be considered rude.
Indeed, the reserved social norms and the deeply - rooted “face issue" make honest speaking risky in China ; Americans have their own ways of being polite. This results partly from political correctness. It also results from several generations of people who have been told they have done well even when they have failed. It may not be unfair to suggest that many Americans are oversensitive and obsessed with a perfect self image.
So,the next time you hear about indirect Chinese,it would be worth challenging the source and pointing out that the cultural comparisons are much more complex. But maybe you should do it in a roundabout way,to be polite.
小題1:The passage mainly aims to ?
A. tell us something about culture distinctions
B. remind us of the conflicts between cultures
C. ask us to take positive attitudes to Chinese cultures
D. keep us informed of the various communications
小題2:According to the passage, the young professor lacked   .
A. confidence in her job
B. teaching experience
C. interaction with her students
m
D.responsibility for her students
小題3:   The underlined words “obsessed with" (para.4) probably means   .
A.satisfied withB.proud ofC.a(chǎn)ddicted toD.stuck in
小題4:   It can be inferred from the passage that    .
A. the writer has a good knowledge of American culture
B. Americans are much more straightforward than Chinese
C. the new professor was very angry with the writer' s comments
D. different culture backgrounds make cultures comparison complicated

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

In the last few years the Internet has become a widespread phenomenon(現(xiàn)象) around the world. People have started to use the computers just like they used to watch TV. Whenever we get hungry, we simply order a pizza through the Internet and while we are waiting for the food, we can send an important business e-mail concerning some sales for tomorrow. It is, in fact, very comfortable to just simply sit down and have a chat with somebody from South Africa about fishing and get some important advice. Sometimes when you are sad and are feeling lonely, if you go on the Internet, you can find good entertainment that will keep you busy.
To make a long story short, we just don’t have the time to communicate with people in person anymore. Besides, there is so much information easy to get on the Internet that when we start surfing, we find it hard for us to get away from the computer. There are a lot of people who are addicted(沉溺于) to TV and watch it 5 to 7 hours a day, while recently addiction to the Internet has become a very serious problem. You might think that these kinds of things could never happen to you, but it is not really true. To prevent yourself from getting addicted, the most important thing is to make sure that you are not spending too much time in front of the screen. Although it might seem to be easy to pull yourself away from the Web, it is simply not the case. You might have to make an effort to place some limits(限制) on yourself.
小題1:The first paragraph of the text mainly tells us that       .
A.it is nice to have a Net friend from South Africa
B.the Internet can help us to do business
C.some people prefer surfing the Internet to watching TV
D.the Internet can make our life more convenient
小題2:To avoid getting addicted to the Internet, we should     .
A.watch TV more hours a day instead
B.limit our time in front of the screen
C.communicate with people face to face
D.entertain ourselves in other ways
小題3:From the passage, we can infer that the writer        .
A.has once been addicted to the Net
B.is completely against surfing the Net
C.knows how to surf the Net efficiently
D.thinks the Net brings bads and goods
小題4:The text is most probably taken from       .
A.a(chǎn) health bookB.a(chǎn) geography magazine
C.a(chǎn) life magazineD.a(chǎn) computer technology book

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Child labor — the employment of children in industry, often against their will — has been a problem for many years. Over a hundred years ago, Charles Dickens shocked many of his readers when he described the conditions under which young children worked in British factories. The conditions Dickens described continue almost unchanged today in many parts of the world. The only difference is that today employment of children is confined(limited)to small industries and family businesses, such as hotels, restaurants and particularly farms, rather than to large factories.
Girls suffer more from child labor practices than boys. Many of them are forced to start work when they are only ten years old. Although the work they are given to do is often light, it is often harmful to the health. Recently, children as young as six years were found to be working in Asian factories, and the children were working from eight to fourteen hours a day in overcrowded and unhealthy working conditions. Sometimes a whole family group is employed, with the payment going to a parent or older relative. The children not only receive nothing or very little for their long hours of work, but also they are prevented from attending school. Therefore, when they become older they are unable to do any other kind of work.
The solution to the problem of child labor is clearly better laws to protect young children, greater supervision(監(jiān)督)of industry and heavier fines for those who break the laws. Only in this way can young boys and girls be allowed to enjoy the most valuable time of their lives—childhood.
小題1:Which’s the main idea of the first paragraph?
A.Children are often willing to work in large factories.
B.Most children are working in British factories.
C.The poor working conditions of child labor in Dickens’ novel.
D.The working conditions for children are similar to those a hundred years ago.
小題2:Girls’ work is ____.
A.not harmful to the health though it is heavy
B.not harmful to the health because it is light
C.harmful to the health though it is light.
D.harmful to the health because it is heavy
小題3:Young children go to work ____.
A.because they are forced toB.in order to be skillful in a certain kind of work
C.in order to be paid wellD.in order to earn money for education
小題4:To solve the problem of child labor, the writer suggests the following BUT ____.
A.looking over factories more closely
B.raising their payment and improving the system of education
C.improving laws of protecting children’s interests
D.punishing lawbreakers with severer fines

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

This year 2,300 teenagers ( young people aged from 13-19 ) from all over the world will spend about ten months in U.S. homes. They will attend U.S. schools, meet U.S. teenagers, and form impressions (印象) of the real American teenagers. American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and have a new understanding of the rest of the world.
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George's family. In return, George's son, Mike, spent a year in Fred's home in America.
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months study, the language began to come to him. School was completely different from what he had expected — much harder. Students rose respectfully (尊敬地) when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
Family life, too, was different. The family's word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than one of the members. Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.
“Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it.”
At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. “I suppose I should criticize (批評(píng)) American schools.” he says. “It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two.”
小題1:The whole exchange program is mainly to ____.
A.help teenagers in other countries know the real America
B.send students in America to travel in Germany
C.let students learn something about other countries
D.have teenagers learn new languages
小題2:What did Fred and Mike agree on?
A.American food tasted better than German food.
B.German schools were harder than American schools.
C.Americans and Germans were both friendly.
D.There were more cars on the streets in America.
小題3: What is particular (特別的) in American schools?
A.There is some middle ground between the two teaching buildings.
B.There are a lot of after-school activities.
C.Students usually take 14 subjects in all.
D.Students go outside to enjoy themselves in a car.
小題4:What did Mike think after experiencing the American school life?
A.A better education should include something good from both America and Germany.
B.German schools trained students to be better citizens.
C.American schools were not as good as German schools.
D.The easy life in the American school was more helpful to students.

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

I had this exchange with my 6-year-old last week.
Him: Mom, we have to start buying Danimals.
Me: Why?
Him: So, I can bring it to |school for lunch.It's yogurt .
Me: Why do you want it so badly?
Him: Because Danimals i|s giving away five fantastic Caribbean vacations.
I had to explain that there was little chance that he would win a vacation.It's a strategy used to encourage kids to beg for artificially-colored (人工著色的) yogurt that costs a lot.
Marketing follows my kids —and yours—wherever they go .It comes via TV commercials. Store displays and websites are also constantly selling at our kids .But the most powerful means in kids" lives is the presence of licensed characters on every product imaginable.
Children can begin their day in character clothing.There's even character -themed wall paint available.A breakfast in a character bowl can be followed by a character toothbrush and character toothpaste(牙膏), character soap and shampoo, and a character wash cloth and towel .Then, they can put on character clothing and character shoes.Check that, character clock on the wall: Is it time for characier-shaped fruit snacks yet?
Surround kids with enough of the characters and they'll come to believe they need them.Most of us, of course, don't buy all those items.But say no to four products out of five and your home can still get filled with these tiny items encouraging brand loyalty (品牌忠誠)
At this time of year, parents buy licensed school supplies.With so much marketing around us, it can be tough to stop the tide.
"One thing that helps parents'is that they can talk to other parents about, this kind of thing," Linn suggested ."If you decide you want to buck this, it helps to find other people who will do the same thing .That way, if your child says."Everyone's doing it," you can really have a sense of whether everyone is." |
小題1:From the dialogue between the author and the son, we can infer that ____-
A.the son likes drinking yogurt a lot.
B.buying Danimals may win a free tour
C.the son's school encourages kids to eat yogurt
D.Danimals in the most popular yogurt among kids.
小題2:We can learn from th^ passage that     '
A.character bowls increase kids' appetite.
B.character-themed wall paint is expensive
C.household goods are becoming the target of advertisers.
D.Linn considered character-themed products a foolish marketing strategy.
小題3:The underlined word "buck" in the last paragraph probably means _____.
A.supportB.resistC.a(chǎn)dvertiseD.learn
小題4:What does the passage mainly tell us ? .
A.Marketing is affecting kids all the time.
B.Most kids now don't have a happy childhood,
C.Kids like buying licensed school supplies a lot.
D.Licensed character produce are doing great harm to kids.

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解


For many employers, Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites are already a threat (威脅) that cut into productivity.Now they have something else to worry about—the games hosted by these sites.
This new type of social gaming is called "asynchronous" gaming and allows people to play with their friends without having to be online at the same time.The low-intensity (低強(qiáng)度) engagement has made games such as FarmVille, Cafe World and Pet Society popular among employees who often log on during office hours.
"What we are seeing is that more and more people and organizations are recognizing the productivity lost so probably more chief information officers are blocking Facebook applications," Rebecca Wettemann of Nucleus Research said.
Boston-based Nucleus Research, which conducted a recent study into the effects of social networking sites on productivity, said nearly half of office employees in the United States access social networking sites at work, which leads to an average loss of 1.5 percent of total office productivity.
Facebook, which has 350 million users, says at least 20 percent of its members play games online.Sebastien de Halleux, CEO and co-founder of online game creator Playfish, said Asia is growing at a faster pace than other regions."We had no idea that it would spread so fast...when we had 100,000 users after one month, we thought it was the biggest success ever.Now with 60 million users we think this is only the beginning of something much bigger," he added.
Zynga's FarmVille, the best known game with over 70 million active users to date, allows players to own a virtual farm where they can grow crops and raise animals.
While companies try to limit access to social networking sites, not everyone sees the games as harmful.
61.We can learn that Pet Society is a game _____.
A.popular among employers             B.without having to be online
C.merely played during office hours      D.that can be played online at a different time
62.It can be inferred from the passage that ____.
A.Playfish is owned by Sebastien and Rebecca
B.Playfish has over 70 million active users to date
C.Asia will be the largest potential market for Playfish
D.Playing online games loses 1.5 percent of total office productivity
63.The best title of the passage would be ____.
A.Social Network Gaming             B.New Threat to Productivity
C.Social Networking Sites              D.Latest Survey on Productivity
64.What would most probably be discussed next after the last paragraph?
A.Opinions in favor of online games.
B.Measures to limit access to social networking sites.
       C.Suggestions on how to improve productivity.
D.More examples about the bad effects of online games.

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