题干

   Technology is creating big changes in the music industry. Music lovers listen to and buy music on the Internet. They can watch live concerts of favorite artists online. And music makers, as well as music industry officials, use social media to increase the public’s interest.

Nick Sherwin is the founder of the band called Suburban Skies. He says today’s technology permits a band to control its own future. He said, “Social media is a wonderful thing. You can make use of it to reach the public. “ Sherwin says the Internet and social media have created possibilities for musicians. He says the new way to success is to give visitors more than one type of experience.” The most important thing is the content. You have to have songs and videos to show the audience. But I think it is extremely important to do shows, to build your brand, and to make you well known,” Sherwin said.

Music industry officials discussed the future of the business during an international conference (会议) in Los Angeles, California. They said musicians are choosing to perform live across the country, following the drop in CD sales in the United States. Rob Light is head of music with a creative artist agency (代理机构). He said, “ Most of the income for artists is now coming from the live marketplace.”

Along with the popularity of live music there has been a big increase in the number of music festivals. These events are advertised on social media. Pasquale Rotella leads Insomniac, a company that produces electronic dance music festivals in several countries. “Someone could make it in his bedroom and put it out there. People can gain fans online without anyone’s help. That has completely helped the growth of dance music,” said Rotella.

Bob Pitt man leads the radio organization — Clear Channel Communications. He says music lovers are still listening to the radio, although there are new ways of finding music. He says 70 percent of Americans say they discover new music from what they hear on the radio. But Rob Light says radio will soon be a thing of the past. However, Nick Sherwin is not worried. He just wants to reach everyone who likes his style of music with the help of the Internet.

【小题1】From Paragraph 2, we learn that Nick Sherwin __________ .
A.doesn’t have any good ways to reach the public
B.doesn’t believe his band has good content to draw attention
C.thinks social media can help make his band’s music well known
D.thinks everyone can become famous through making good use of the Internet【小题2】What Pasquale Rotella said in Paragraph 4 shows that __________ .
A.dance music has finally become popular
B.there is too much music for people nowadays
C.electronic dance music festivals are easy to hold
D.people can make their music heard easily nowadays【小题3】According to Rob Light, radio __________ .
A.will be out of date quite soon B. is no longer listened to today
B.will always be loved by some people     D. is the best tool to introduce new songs【小题4】What is the main idea of the passage?
A.People prefer to listen to music online nowadays.
B.Technology is greatly changing the music industry.
C.The number of live concerts has greatly increased.
D.CD sales in the United States have greatly dropped.
上一题 下一题 0.99难度 阅读理解 更新时间:2015-03-27 04:21:22

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同类题2

   Storing food is common in members of the crow family. A new study tested the birds outside for this naturally occurring behavior, which may have evolved(进化)specifically because it gives crows a survival advantage. Some crow species are known to naturally use tools to recover food. So the researchers tested whether the birds could store and recover a tool so they could use it to find their food after a gap of 17 hours — something we wouldn’t expect them to do naturally. But they were able to instantly select the tool out of a number of unnecessary items.

In another experiment, the researchers taught crows to select a token(礼品券)from a number of items so that they could then exchange it for food. Again, the birds then showed that they could plan for the future using this new behaviour. This is different from all of the previous studies in future planning, which have focused on naturally occurring behaviour. For example, we know that chimpanzees select, transport and save appropriate tools for future needs.

These studies have shown that animals can plan for the future — but they leave an important question open for debate. Are animals only able to plan to use abilities that have evolved to give them a specific advantage, or can they flexibly and intelligently apply planning behaviour across various actions? Most critics would say the former, as the animals were tested in naturally occurring behaviour.

But the new research provides the first evidence that animal species can plan for the future using behaviour that doesn’t typically occur in nature. This supports the view that at least some recognitive(认知的)abilities in animals don’t evolve just in response to specific problems. Instead, it suggests that animals can apply these behaviour flexibly across problems in a similar way to humans. We need to study how flexible behaviour evolved. Then we might be able to see how crows’ ability to plan for the future fits in with their broader cognitive powers.

【小题1】What’s the new finding about some crows according to Paragraph 1?
A.They can store food.B.They can use tools to recover food.
C.They can store and recover tools.D.They can select and store food.
【小题2】What are crows trained by researchers to do when given a token?
A.Reject it casually.B.Exchange it for food.
C.Save it as their food.D.Build a nest with it.
【小题3】What can we infer about the studies that animals can plan for the future?
A.They are debatable.B.They are disappointing.
C.They are logical.D.They are convincing.
【小题4】What can be learned about flexible behaviour in animals?
A.It develops only with age.B.It is unclear how it evolved.
C.No animals but crows benefit from it.D.It helps plan for the future.

同类题3

   Since 1964,colleges and universities in the U. S. have used Test of English as a Foreign Language,or TOEFL,to measure an international applicant's(申请人的)level of English. Universities in English-speaking European countries began using the International English Language Testing System,or IELTS,in 1989. These two tests have been the main choices for English ability testing in higher education admissions for international students until now.

In recent years,several companies have developed new English language tests that are low-cost and easy to use. And they aim to do more than just offer greater choices in the admissions process.

Founded in 2012, Duolingo creates software that teaches users many different languages, including English. In 2014, the company launched its own test of English language ability.

Jennifer Dewar works with Duolingo, helping to develop the test. She formerly worked as an admissions official at Washington University in St. Louis, Misouri. The school is one of hundreds of colleges, universities and other organizations in and outside the U. S. that now accept the test results for international admissions into their study programs.

Dewar says Duolingo created the test to lower the barriers to higher education for people worldwide, especially those in developing countries.

TOEFL and the IELTS cost about $ 300. They are given in a limited number of centers around the world. Some test-takers have to travel to take the tests, adding to the costs. Duolingo offers its test entirely over the Internet for $ 49. All test-takers need is access to a computer with a microphone,listening device and self-facing camera.

TOEFL,the IELTS and Duolingo measure a person's English reading,listening,speaking and writing abilities. But it takes about 45 minutes to complete a Duolingo test,compared to three or four hours for TOEFL or the IELTS. It is possible because Duolingo uses artificial intelligence(人工智能)to adapt to test-takers' abilities,using fewer questions to measure their skills.

【小题1】Why were TOEFL and the IELTS set up?
A.To make people understand English-speaking countries.
B.To help teachers to teach in colleges and universities in Europe.
C.To test an international applicant's level of English.
D.To help international applicants to improve their sEnglish.
【小题2】When did Duolingo begin to use its own test of English language ability?
A.In 1964.B.In 1989.
C.In 2012.D.In 2014.
【小题3】Compared to TOEFL and the IELTS, Duolingo _____________.
A.widely used in English tests
B.a less difficult test
C.affordable and convenient
D.a face-to-face test
【小题4】What is the author's purpose in writing the text?
A.To introduce Duolingo.
B.To instruct us how to pass English tests.
C.To introduce overseas studying.
D.To promote English teaching.

同类题4

   Driverless technology will soon enter another major global industry: shipping. Several companies recently announced plans to launch self-sailing ships to improve safety and efficiency.

One of them is the Norwegian chemical company Yara International. Yara has teamed up with another Norwegian company, Kongsberg, to build an autonomous goods ship expected to be launched next year.

Kongsberg developed the ship's electrical technology and autonomous control systems. The ship is fully electric to reduce air pollution. It is designed to carry goods containers normally transported by truck. This means the ship will also improve road safety by replacing about 40, 000 truck trips a year. The company plans to operate the ships by far-away control beginning sometime next year. By 2020, the ships should be loading and sailing themselves. While Yara's ships will be limited to Norway at first, the company plans to greatly expand its autonomous shipping operations in the coming years.

Another company putting a high priority(优先)to self-sailing ships is the world's largest mining company, Australia's BHP Billiton. The company's Vice President of Freight, Rashpal Bhai, recently spoke about the technology in a website post. Bhatti believes automation will be one of the biggest changes for shipping in the future. He said, "Autonomous ships offer important opportunities to improve safety and provide more effective results to the supply chain of the sea. "He added that self-sailing ships could become a reality within the next decade.

Rolls-Royce, the British automobile and engine manufacturer(制造商), is also developing unmanned(无人驾驶的)shipping technologies. Oskar Levander is the company's head of operations at sea. He said in a conference last year, "This is happening. It's not if, it's when. "

Levander said these autonomous ships could be controlled by far-away operators from anywhere. He added, "Because these ships will be designed to be unmanned, they can be built smaller, more efficient and environmentally friendly. "

【小题1】Why have several countries announced plans to produce self-sailing ships?
A.To save money.
B.To develop electrical technology in ships.
C.To compete in autonomous control systems.
D.To make shipping more effective and less risky.
【小题2】What do Oskar Levander's words suggest in Paragraph 4?
A.It is too early to make autonomous ships.
B.The supply chain of the sea will be busier.
C.People are more concerned about autonomous ships.
D.Unmanned shipping technologies are becoming more mature.
【小题3】What would be the best title for the text?
A.Automation in Sail
B.Self-sailing Ships in Use
C.Automation in Some Fields
D.Automation in Imagination

同类题5

The Square
Jack Dorsey, the co-inventor of Twitter, is promoting his latest invention called the Square. The square is a small plug-in attachment to your mobile phone that allows you to receive credit card payments.
The idea starting from Dorsey's friend Jim McKelvey who was unable to sell some glass work to a customer because he couldn't accept a particular card being used.
Accepting credit card payments for something you're selling isn't always easy, especially if you are mobile like a tradesman, or delivery service at a trade show.
This latest invention uses a small scanner that plugs into the audio input item on a mobile device. It reads information on a credit card when it is swiped(刷卡). The information is not stored on the device but sent over secure channels to banks. It basically makes any mobile phone a cash register for accepting card payments.
As a payer, you receive a receipt via email that can be instantly accessed securely online. You can also use a text message to authorize payment in real time. Retailers can create a payer account for their customers which speeds the payment process. For example, a cardholder can assign a photo to their card so their photo will appear on the phone for visual identity confirmation. Mobile devices with touch screens will also allow you to sign for goods.
There are no contracts, monthly fees, or hidden costs to accept card payments using Square and it is expected the plug-in attachment will also be free of charge.
As with Twitter, it's expected that Dorsey will direct the company based upon feedback from users. Square Inc. has offices in San Francisco, Saint Louis and New York and is currently beta testing the invention with retailers in the United States.
【小题1】Why is Jack Dorsey promoting his latest invention?
A.To test a plug-in attachment.
B.To identify a particular credit card.
C.To sell some glass work to a customer.
D.To allow people to receive credit card payments.
【小题2】What can we infer from Paragraph 4?
A.The service performs only on special mobile phones.
B.The latest invention is just a small scanner.
C.The Square contains information on a credit card.
D.It is safe for your information to be sent to banks.
【小题3】How can a cardholder receive a receipt?
A.By email online.
B.By oral message.
C.By a payer account.
D.Over safe channels to banks.
【小题4】What does the writer imply in the last paragraph?
A.The invention may be used in the future.
B.The Square has already put into use widely.
C.The invention hasn’t been tested these days.
D.The Square is popular among people in the US.