A world-famous Canadian author, Margaret Atwood, has created the world’s first long-distance signing device, the LongPen.

After many tiring book signings from city to city, Atwood thought there must be a better way to do them. She hired some technical experts and started her own company in 2004. Together they designed the LongPen. Here’s how it works: The author writes a personal message and signature on a computer tablet(手寫(xiě)板) using a special pen. On the receiving end, in another city, a robotic arm fitted with a regular pen signs the book. The author and fan can talk with each other via webcams(網(wǎng)絡(luò)攝像機(jī)) and computer screens.

Work on the LongPen began in Atwood’s basement(地下室). At first, they had no idea it would be as hard as it turned out to be. The device went through several versions, including one that actually had smoke coming out of it. The investing finally completed, test runs were made in Ottawa, and the LongPen was officially launched at the 2006 London Book Fair. From here, Atwood conducted two transatlantic book signings of her latest book for fans in Toronto and New York City.

The LongPen produces a unique signature each time because it copies the movement of the author in real time. It has several other potential applications. It could increase credit card security and allow people to sign contracts from another province. The video exchange between signer and receiver can be recorded on DVD for proof when legal documents are used.

“It’s really fun,” said the owner of a bookstore, who was present for one of the test runs. “Obviously you can’t shake hands with the author, but there are chances for a connection that you don’t get from a regular book signing.”

The response to the invention has not been all favorable. Atwood has received criticism from authors who think she is trying to end book tours. But she said, “It will be possible to go to places that you never got sent to before because the publishers couldn’t afford it.”

1.How does the LongPen work?

A. It copies the author’s signature and prints it on a book.

B. It signs a book while receiving the author’s signature.

C. The fan uses it to copy the author’s signature himself.

D. The webcam sends the author’s signature to another city.

2.What do we know about the invention of the LongPen?

A. The designers were well-prepared for the difficulty.

B. The basement caught fire by accident.

C. Some versions failed before its test run.

D. It has been completed but not put into use.

3.How could the LongPen be used in the future?

A. To allow author and fan to exchange videos

B. To improve credit card security.

C. To keep a record of the author’s ideas.

D. To draft legal documents.

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完形填空

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2.A. add B. fit C. lack D. involve

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14.A. hope B. honor C. pride D. pleasure

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科目:高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源:2015-2016學(xué)年吉林長(zhǎng)春外國(guó)語(yǔ)校高一下期末英語(yǔ)卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解

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1. 所續(xù)寫(xiě)短文的詞數(shù)應(yīng)為150左右;

2. 應(yīng)使用5個(gè)以上短文中標(biāo)有下劃線(xiàn)的關(guān)鍵詞語(yǔ);

3. 續(xù)寫(xiě)部分分為兩段,每段的開(kāi)頭語(yǔ)已為你寫(xiě)好;

4. 續(xù)寫(xiě)完成后,請(qǐng)用下劃線(xiàn)標(biāo)出你所使用的關(guān)鍵詞語(yǔ)。

Paragraph 1:

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Paragraph 2:

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完形填空

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14.A. hoped B. promised C. decided D. suggested

15.A. slightly B. hardly C. clearly D. properly

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17.A. introduce B. relate C. present D. compare

18.A. important B. natural C. strange D. ridiculous

19.A. weaken B. wound C. amuse D. cheer

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增加:在缺詞處加一個(gè)漏詞符號(hào)(∧),并在其下面寫(xiě)出該加的詞。

刪除:把多余的詞用斜線(xiàn)(\)劃掉。

修改:在錯(cuò)的詞下畫(huà)一橫線(xiàn),并在該詞下面寫(xiě)出修改后的詞。

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2.只允許修改10處,多者(從第11處起)不計(jì)分。

I was only 12 since we moved to California. I remembered that I enjoyed flying non-stop across a whole country and that I wasn’t very happy about leave my friends. But Dad think it would be good for us all to live in a suburb instead in the middle of a city. And Uncle Jeff, his brother, who’d been living in California for about 20 years, were always telling us how wonderful California it was. He said it would be easily for Dad to get a job driving a taxi, that had been Dad’s job in New York. Thus, we all agreed to try them for one year.

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In 1930, a young African American, Vivien T. Thomas, a professional carpenter, was hired as a lab assistant by a famous white doctor named Dr. Alfred Blalock. Although he _________went to college, he had an enormous _________to learn and explore the power of knowledge. Whenever Dr. Blalock left his office, young Thomas used to _________ study the medical books on the shelves of the office.

Thomas _________ a great interest in learning more and more about _________ when he started to assist Blalock during his practice of surgeries on dogs. _________ Dr. Blalock understood Thomas’s ability to help him perform a complicated surgery; he still did not _________ Thomas as a smart person because of the social _________ of prejudice towards African Americans.

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1.A. alwaysB. oftenC. occasionallyD. never

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3.A. secretlyB. publiclyC. nervouslyD. proudly

4.A. discoveredB. avoidedC. developedD. protected

5.A. literatureB. medicineC. politicsD. history

6.A. WhileB. WhenC. AsD. Because

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12.A. nextB. lastC. firstD. same

13.A. hardlyB. merelyC. luckilyD. mostly

14.A. createdB. searchedC. builtD. missed

15.A. overB. aboveC. withoutD. under

16.A. commonB. nobleC. blackD. poor

17.A. unitB. teamC. familyD. system

18.A. led toB. resulted from

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20.A. pioneeringB. surprisingC. interestingD. worrying

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