A new system that scans customers’ fingerprints and subtracts（减去）the grocery bil

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A new system that scans customers’ fingerprints and subtracts（减去）the grocery bill from their bank accounts has taken supermarkets in Germany to use the new system. “Almost a quarter of our customers pay with their fingers,” said an employee at the headquarters. Edeka has tried the system at 70 of its supermarkets. It says it will introduce it at 200 others because customers like it.
“At first we thought that only the young who really keep up with the latest technology would be interested, but we were wrong,” said Stefan Sewoester from IT Werke. “Almost two-thirds of the people who use the system are 40 and older,” he said.
IT Werke, a computer company, is one of the pioneers of fingerprint payment software in Germany. It has helped about 150 shops, canteens and bars to put in the fingerprint scanning machines. Each costs about 2,000 euros.
To sign up for the service, customers must have their fingerprints taken and leave their addresses and banking details with the shop. The shop then takes the cost of goods directly out of the customer’s bank account.
“It is especially a good thing for elderly people. Now they do not have to remember their pin to pay with their bank cards, or to scratch around for their glasses or cash.” Sewoester said.
The stores benefit from the system too. It saves more than time in the check-out line. It also cuts out the hidden costs of accepting electronic card payments.
小题1:According to the passage, the fingerprint system______.

A．was invented by the Edeka supermarket chain

B．has caused payment revolution in Germany

C．is more popular with young people

D．is preferred by most American customers

小题2:To apply to pay with fingers, customers are required to do all of the following EXCEPT______.

A．have their fingerprints taken

B．leave their addresses

C．give the shop information about the bank accounts

D．have their phones connected with computers

小题3:Why do elderly people benefit much from the fingerprint machine?

A．They will spend less time on shopping..

B．They are not forgetful.

C．They don’t like to pay in cash

D．They always fail to find their bank cards.

答案

小题1:B
小题2:D
小题3:A

解析

文章讲述的是德国进行的一次通过指纹进行付钱的系统的革命。
小题1:推理题。根据第一段3,4行Edeka has tried the system at 70 of its supermarkets. It says it will introduce it at 200 others because customers like it.可知这种系统已经有了很大的影响。
小题2:细节题。根据文章第4段内容可知AB正确，C是常识，要付钱必须要有所购买物品的相关信息。
小题3:细节题。根据文章最后两行It saves more than time in the check-out line. It also cuts out the hidden costs of accepting electronic card payments.内容可知A正确。

举一反三

Scientist Says ‘No’ to Human Cloning
“I’ve never met a human worth cloning,” says cloning expert Mark Westhusin from his lab at Texas A&M University. “It’s a stupid endeavor.”
That’s an interesting choice of adjective, coming from a man who has spent millions of dollars trying to clone a 13-year-old dog named Missy. So far, he and his team have not succeeded, though they have cloned two cows and a cat.
They just might succeed in cloning Missy soon — or perhaps not for another five years.
Westhusin"s experience with cloning animals leaves him upset by all this talk of human cloning. In three years of work on the Missy project, using hundreds upon hundreds of dog"s eggs, the A&M team has produced only a dozen or so embryos carrying Missy"s DNA. None have survived the transfer to a surrogate（代孕的）mother. The wastage of eggs and the many spontaneously aborted(流产，发育不全) fetuses（胎）may be acceptable when you"re dealing with cats or bulls, he argues, but not with humans. “Cloning is incredibly inefficient, and also dangerous,” he says.
Even so, dog cloning is a commercial opportunity, with a nice research payoff. Ever since Dolly the sheep was cloned in 1997, Westhusin"s phone has been ringing with people calling in hopes of duplicating their cats and dogs, cattle and horses. “A lot of people want to clone pets, especially if the price is right,” says Westhusin. Cost is no obstacle for Missy"s mysterious billionaire owner; he"s put up $3.7 million so far to fund A&M"s research.
Contrary to some media reports, Missy is not dead. The owner wants a twin to carry on Missy"s fine qualities after she does die. The prototype（原型；雏形）is, by all accounts, athletic, good-natured and supersmart. Missy"s master does not expect an exact copy of her. He knows her clone may not have her temperament（气质、性情）. In a statement of purpose, Missy"s owner and the A&M team say they are “both looking forward to studying the ways that her clones differ from Missy.”
Besides cloning a great dog, the project may contribute insight into the old question of nature vs. nurture. It could also lead to the cloning of special rescue dogs and many endangered animals.
However, Westhusin is cautious about his work. He knows that even if he gets a dog pregnant, the offspring, should they survive, will face the problems shown at birth by other cloned animals: abnormalities like immature lungs and heart and weight problems~ “Why would you ever want to clone humans,” Westhusin asks, “when we"re not even close to getting it worked out in animals yet?”
小题1:By “stupid endeavor”, Westhusin means to say that ________.

A．human cloning is a foolish undertaking

B．animal cloning is absolutely impractical

C．human cloning should be done selectively

D．animal cloning is not worth the effort at all

小题2:What does the first paragraph tell us about Westhusin"s dog cloning project?

A．Its success is already in sight.

B．It is progressing smoothly.

C．It is doomed to utter failure.

D．Its outcome remains uncertain.

小题3:By cloning Missy, Mark Westhusin hopes to ________.

A．study the possibility of cloning humans

B．search for ways to modify its temperament

C．find out the differences between Missy and its clones

D．examine the reproductive system of the dog species

小题4:We learn from the passage that animal clones are likely to have ________.

A．a bad temper

B．defective（有缺陷的、有毛病的）organs

C．immune deficiency

D．an abnormal shape

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Just as some people think that certain numbers are lucky or unlucky, others believe that we can use numbers to understand our personalities, or predict what will happen to us in the future.
Numerology is a way of using numbers to describe a person’s character, and to make predictions about future life events. Numerologists use the numbers 1-9, 11 and 22 — also known as the “master” numbers — to help a person understand his or her personality, life goals, and destiny.
Numerologists consider your Life Path number to be the most significant because this number describes your character. To find this number, add together all the numbers in your date of birth. For example, a person born on April 25, 1985 would add the month (4), to the numbers of the date (2+5), plus the numbers of the birth year (1+9+8+5). In this case the total is 34, so this person’s life path number is 7(3+4). Numerologists believe that people with this number are peaceful and affectionate but can also be very reserved.
Your Expression number describes your talents and predicts how you should use these to fulfill your destiny in life. Numerologists assign a number between 1 and 9 to each of the letters in your name. These numbers are then added together in the same way as before to find your Expression number. Numerologists can also do calculations to predict when the most challenging periods of your life will be.
Numerologists also believe that the day a person is born is important. Each day of the month has a character description. People born on the fourth are said to be responsible, honest, and stubborn. People born on the fifteenth have very strong attachments to family and home. Those who celebrate their birthday on the thirtieth are artistic, creative, and imaginative, and often make good writers.
If we calculate the numerical value of our name and birth date, numerologists believe that we can learn more about our personalities. They also believe that we can predict our destinies, how our lives will progress, and what challenges we may face along the way. To the numerologist, numbers can be used in many more ways than we think.
小题1:If a person was born on November 8, 1995, what is his Life Path number?

A．7

B．8

C．9

D．11

小题2:To understand your abilities and how to use them in your life, you should calculate your ______.

A．Life Path number	B．Expression number
C．birthday	D．name and birth date

小题3:According to the passage, a person born on the fifteenth tends to be _______.

A．stubborn

B．home-loving

C．artistic

D．imaginative

小题4:According to the passage, numerologists believe that _________.

A．Life Path number can be used to predict a person’s most challenging life periods

B．Expression number is the most meaningful for people to learn a person’s character

C．numbers can help people better understand themselves

D．numbers can be used to change a person’s future

小题5:The function of the passage is __________.

A．to raise doubts about the usefulness of numerology

B．to persuade readers about the benefits of the practices it describes

C．to describe some of the numerological practices and their purpose

D．to tease those who take such beliefs seriously

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There are two methods by which hydrogen (氢) can be used to power cars. The first way is to use hydrogen to drive the engine, in much the same way as many cars use gas. The second method is to use the reaction of hydrogen with oxygen in a battery, making the car a kind of electric one.
The dream of producing hydrogen in the car while driving along by electrolyzing（电解）water is a long way off, so we are still at the period of batteries and filling the tank with hydrogen gas. This is the difficulty for potential car users and producers. There are only sixteen hydrogen filling stations in Los Angeles and none in 99% of other cities worldwide.
Indeed, some of the big name automobile producers have pulled out of the race to put the first practical hydrogen car on the streets. Ford and GM have announced that they are pulling out in America and so has Renault in France.
However, the Japanese companies are pressing on. In fact, Honda introduced its first hydrogen fuel cell car in 1999. They are now producing second generation hydrogen car known as the FCX Clarity. Guess where they are available for sale? In only one city because of its filling stations.
Honda thinks that they could go into full-scale production of the FCX Clarity by 2020 if the world is prepared for them by then.
Then there are hydrogen-powered buses in several European cities including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Hamburg, London, Luxembourg and Madrid. Lotus, the makers of London taxis, have announced that they propose to manufacture hydrogen-powered taxis in time for the London Olympics.
So, the hydrogen vehicle is out there and the numbers will be growing fairly soon. The buses go back to their bus station, where an electrolyzing machine changes water into fuel for them to fill up on and the same will be the case for many of London’s taxis.
Unfortunately, getting fuel is not the only difficulty for the average motorist, a number of these vehicles cost about $300,000 each.
小题1:According to the text, hydrogen-powered buses ________.

A．can easily be filled up with gas.

B．are likely to sell well in the future.

C．are mainly used in the United States

D．won’t be used in the London Olympics

小题2:What does the underlined word “them” in paragraph 5 refer to?

A．Japanese companies	B．Hydrogen buses
C．The FCX Clarity	D．Filling stations

小题3:Where are hydrogen cars currently available for sale?

A．In Barcelona

B．In Hamburg

C．In London

D．In Los Angeles

小题4:We can learn from the text that ________.

A．there are sixty hydrogen filling stations all over the world

B．hydrogen vehicles fueled by water will be very expensive

C．Honda will mass-produce the FCX Clarity by 2012

D．Honda produced its first hydrogen car in 1989

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These days we are all conditioned to accept newness, whatever it costs. Very soon, there is no doubt that Apple"s tablet (平板电脑) will seem as a vital tool of modern living to us as sewing machine did to our grandparents. At least, it will until someone produces an even smarter, thinner and more essential tablet, which, if recent history is any guide, will be in approximately six months" time. Turn your back for a moment and you find that every electronic item in your possession is as old as a tombstone. Why should you care if people laugh just because you use an old mobile phone? But try getting the thing repaired when it goes wrong. It"s like walking into a pub and asking for an orange juice. You will be made to feel like some sort of time-traveler from the 1970s. "Why not buy a new one?" you will get asked.
And so the mountain of electrical rubbish grows. An average British person was believed to get rid of quite a number of electronic goods in a lifetime. They weighed three tons, stood 7 feet high, and included five fridges, six microwaves, seven PCs, six TVs, 12 kettles, 35 mobile phones and so on. Even then, the calculation seemed to be conservative. Only 35 mobiles in a lifetime? The huge number of electronic items now regularly thrown away by British families is clearly one big problem. But this has other consequences. It contributes greatly to the uneasy feeling that modem technology is going by faster than we can keep up. By the time I"ve learnt how to use a tool it"s already broken or lost. I"ve lost count of the number of TV remote-controls that I"ve bought, mislaid and replaced without working out what most of the buttons did.
And the technology changes so unbelievably fast. It was less than years ago that I spotted an energetic businessman friend pulling what seemed to be either a large container or a small nuclear bomb on wheels through a railway station. I asked. "What have you got in there? Your money or your wife?" "Neither," he replied, with the satisfied look of a man who knew he was keeping pace with the latest technology, no matter how ridiculous he looked. "This is what everyone will have soon—even you. It"s called a mobile telephone."
I don"t feel sorry for the pace of change. On the contrary, I"m amazed by those high-tech designers who can somehow fit a camera, music-player, computer and phone into a plastic box no bigger than a packet of cigarette. If those geniuses could also find a way to keep the underground trains running on the first snowy day of winter, they would be making real progress for human beings. What I do regret, however, is that so many household items fall behind so soon. My parents bought a wooden wireless radio in 1947, the year they were married. In 1973, the year I went to university, it was still working. It sat in the kitchen like an old friend—which, in a way, it was. It certainly spoke to us more than we spoke to each other on some mornings. When my mum replaced it with a new-style radio that could also play cassette-tapes, I felt a real sense of loss.
Such is the over-excited change of 21st-century technology that there"s no time to satisfy our emotional needs. Even if Apple"s new products turn out to be the most significant tablets I very much doubt if they will resist this trend.
小题1:When you try getting an old mobile phone repaired, ____.

A．you are travelling through time	B．you are thought to be out of date
C．you will find everything wrong	D．you have got to buy a new one

小题2:Throwing away so much electronic rubbish makes the writer feel quite _____.

A．lost and upset	B．unbelievably fast
C．broken or lost	D．regularly wasteful

小题3:The example of the businessman implies that____.

A．the businessman mastered the latest technology

B．mobile phones used to be quite big just years ago

C．the businessman was a very ridiculous person

D．the writer failed to follow modern technology

小题4:The passage is organized in the pattern of ____.

A．time and events	B．comparison and contrast
C．cause and effect	D．examples and analysis

小题5:Which of the following is conveyed in the passage?

A．The fast pace of change brings us no good.

B．We have to keep up with new technology.

C．Household items should be upgraded quickly.

D．We should hold on for new technology to last.

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We must do what we can to protect the plants because plants are very important for living things. Life could not go on if there were no plants. This is because plants can make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals and man cannot make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals get their food by eating plants and other animals. Therefore animals and man need plants in order to live. This is why we find that there are so many plants around us.
If you look carefully at the plants around you, you will find that there are two kinds of plants: flowering plants and non-flowering plants. Flowering plants can make seeds. The seeds are protected by the fruits. Some fruits have one seed, some have two, three or four, and some have many seeds. But a few fruits have no seeds at all. An example of a fruit without seeds is the banana fruit. Most non-flowering plants do not grow from seeds. They grow from spores（胚芽）. Spores are very small. Some spores are so small and light that they can float in the air. We may say that spores are quite the same as seeds. When these spores are all on wet and shady places, they usually grow into new plants.
小题1:Plants can make food from______.

A．flower, water and air	B．water, sunlight and air
C．air, water and soil	D．air, sun and light

小题2:The main idea of the first paragraph is that ______.

A．plants are important for life

B．plants cannot grow without air

C．there are many plants in the world

D．we can not live without water

小题3:What can we infer（推断） from the passage？

A．Of all living things animals are most important

B．Spores are seeds

C．All fruits of flowering plants have seeds

D．Without plants, man will die out

小题4:This passage may be taken from______.

A．a medicine book	B．a novel
C．a science magazine	D．an experiment report

小题5:The underlined word “protected” in the passage can be replaced by ______.

A．damaged

B．polluted

C．prevented

D．guarded

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