Question

The iPhone, the iPad: each of Apple’s products sounds cool and has become a fad(一時的風尚). Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter “i” – and many other brands are following suit. The BBC’s iPlayer – which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet –adopted the title in 2008. A lovely bear – popular in the US and UK – that plays music and video is called “iTeddy”. A slimmed-down version of London’s Independent newspaper was launched last week under the name “i”.

In general, single-letter prefixes(前綴) have been popular since the 1990s, when terms such as e-mail and e-commerce first came into use. Most “i” products are targeted at young people and considering the major readers of Independent’s “i”, it’s no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name.

But it’s hard to see what’s so special about the letter “i”. Why not use “a”, “b”, or “c” instead? According to Tony Thorne, head of the Language Center at King’s College, London, “i” works because its meaning has become ambiguous. When Apple uses “i”, no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBC Magazines. “Even when Apple created the iPod, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition,” he said.

“However, thanks to Apple, the term is now linked with portability.” added Thorne.

Clearly the letter “i” also agrees with the idea that the Western World is centered on the individual. Each person believes they have their own needs, and we love personalized products for this reason.

Along with “Google” and “blog”, readers of BBC Magazines voted “i” as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade.

But as history shows, people grow tired of fads. From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was associated with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the trend inevitably disappeared.

1.People use iPlayer to ________.   

A．listen to music                          B．make a call

C．watch TV programs online                 D．read newspapers

2.We can infer that the Independent’s “i” is aimed at ________.

A．young readers      B．old readers        C．fashionable women  D．engineers

3.The underlined word “ambiguous” means “________”.

A．popular           B．uncertain          C．definite           D．unique

4.Nowadays, the “i” term often reminds people of the products which are ________.

A．portable                              B．environmentally friendly

C．advanced                             D．recyclable

5.The writer suggests that ________.

A．“i” products are often of high quality

B．iTeddy is a live bear

C．the letter “b” replaces the letter “i” to name the products

D．the popularity of “i” products may not last long

 

Answer 1

【答案】

1.C

2.A

3.B

4.A

5.D

【解析】

試題分析：本文講述的是現在社會上廣泛存在的以“i”開頭的時尚產品，分析了原因和發展的趨勢。

1.C 細節題。根據第一段2,3行The BBC’s iPlayer – which allows Web users to watch TV programs on the Internet –adopted the title in 2008.可知人們使用Iplay在網上看電視，故C正確。

2.A 細節題。根據第二段Most “i” products are targeted at young people and considering the major readers of Independent’s “i”, it’s no surprise that they’ve selected this fashionable name.

可知這樣的產品的目標人群是年輕人。故A正確。

3.B 推理題。根據本句“i” works because its meaning has become ambiguous. When Apple uses “i”, no one knows whether it means Internet, information, individual or interactive, Thorne told BBC Magazines. “Even when Apple created the iPod, it seems it didn’t have one clear definition,” he said.說明人們搞不清楚這里的“i”究竟指什么。該詞表示“不確定”；故B正確。

4.A 推理題。根據The iPhone, the iPad: each of Apple’s products說明這些產品都是可移動的產品，故A正確。

5.D 推理題。根據文章最后一段But as history shows, people grow tired of fads. From the 1900s to 1990s, products with “2000” in their names became fashionable as the year was associated with all things advanced and modern. However, as we entered the new century, the trend inevitably disappeared. 可知這樣的時尚經常很快就過時了。故I也會過時。故D正確。

考點：考查社會現象類短文閱讀

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