Despite the anxiety that Jones'Host-said by some to be the first digital novel-caused in 1993,publishers weren't too concerned that e-books would one day replace printed books.However,that attitude was changed suddenly in 2007 when Amazon's Kindle came onto the market,which led to e-book sales jumping up to 1,260%.Since then,e-books'popularity has continued to steadily rise.The publishing industry seemed to have lost all possible ability to regain its position.Will printed books eventually become a thing of the past? According to Mike Shatzkin,founder and CEO of the Idea Logical Company,printed books just for plain old reading will,in 10years from now,be unusual."Not so unusual that a kid will say,'Mommy,what's that?'but unusual enough that on the train you'll see one or two people reading something printed,while everyone else is reading off of a tablet."And Shatzkin believes that the demise of print is sure to happen,though such a day won't arrive for perhaps 50to 100or more years. Robert Stein,founder of the Institute for the Future of the Book,however,believes that books won't disappear entirely,at least not anytime soon."Print will exist,but it will be in a different field and will appeal to a very limited audience,as poetry does today.Like woodblock printing,hand-processed film and folk weaving ,printed pages may assume an artistic value,"he says.He imagines that future forms of books might be developed not by conventional publishers but by the gaming industry.He also predicts that the distinction between writer and reader will be made less obvious by a social reading experience in which authors and consumers can digitally interact with each other to discuss any passage,sentence or line. Is there anything we risk sacrificing,should print really disappear entirely?According to Maryanne Wolf,director of the Center for Reading and Language Research at Tufts University,electronic reading can negatively affect the way the brain responds to text,including reading comprehension,focus and the ability to... How did publishers feel about the rising e-book sales inspired by the Kindle? A) Worried. B) Excited. C) Curious. D) Skeptical.
A
(Question)
Many people enjoy an adventure story. Others like mysteries that lead the reader to an exciting discovery. The story of the young British naturalist Charles Darwin combines both of these. That is why the author and illustrator Rosalyn Schanzer chose to write the children's book "What Darwin Saw". The book was published just in time for the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth on February 12, 1809. Rosalyn Schanzer carefully gathered Darwin's thoughts and observations from his diaries, letters and books. Many of the words in the book are Darwin's own. She also traveled to the Galapagos Islands and South America. She researched some of the places Darwin had visited on his trip on the ship, the Beagle in the 1830s. She took thousands of pictures, which helped her create the book's beautiful and color1ful drawings. These pictures show young readers what led Darwin to form his great discovery: the evolution of species through natural selection. "What Darwin Saw" tells of the adventures of a young man who traveled around the world as a scientist. The voyage of the Beagle took Charles Darwin to South America, where he rode horses with cowboys and met Native Americans in Argentina. He reported the eruption of the Osorno Volcano and experienced an earthquake in Chile. Darwin's observations showed him that environments can change very quickly and a great deal over time. Rosalyn Schanzer brings to life the clues that suggested to Darwin that living things evolve, or change, over time. She illustrates the unusual tortoises, birds and lizards that Darwin studied in the Galapagos Islands. She shows how Darwin came to understand that these island animals had differences, developed over time, that helped them survive. And she explains the theory of evolution through natural selection in a way that both children and adults will enjoy. "What Darwin Saw" mainly focuses on _ . A) how Darwin made his voyage to South America B) what led Darwin to form the theory of evolution C) when Darwin left home and began his expedition D) where Darwin explored the living things in nature
(Answer)
B
Ques: I have never understood why so many people visit Rome from late spring to early autumn, when traffic, heat and stressed shopkeepers and waiters lead to the lower tone of the city. Things improve a little in March, April, October and November. But connoisseurs know that winter is the best time to go there. In winter, the low-flying sun turns Rome into a wonderful stage set. There are days in winter when the sky is kind of blue. And there are also days when you find that you have beautiful sights all to yourself. Perhaps the only period you might want to avoid is the two weeks before Christmas. Italians often leave their shopping late, and traffic in the city is often heavy. But this can also be a good time to come if you are more interested in culture than in fashion shops; if you stay somewhere central, you can beat the traffic by walking everywhere. Christmas in Rome is a low-key family event. One of the nice things is the way the city keeps going. Although museums and shops are closed, many bars and restaurants stay open, and public transport continues to run. If you are lucky with the weather, it's in January and February that Rome is at its best. Late February can be especially attractive. One sometimes forgets what a difference that extra hour of daylight makes compared with mid-December. And there are always a few days of proper sunshine, when you can picnic in Villa Borghese and Pompeii. We know that during the two weeks before Christmas, _ . A) many foreign people go to Rome for shopping B) travelers in Italy can enjoy Italian culture C) people can have a good time in fashion shops in Rome D) travelers usually have to go to visit places on foot in Italy
Ans: B
Ques: Two thirds of women prefer working for male bosses because they are better managers and less likely to lose their temper, a study has suggested. Many female employees also like having a man in charge because they can "more authoritative " and "more straight-forward" than _ . Women consider men "tougher", "better at delegation " and also more likely to regularly dish out praise. And men were also rated as being better decision-makers and having more grasp of the business overall than women do. It also shows that four out of ten women who have female bosses believe they could do a better job than their immediate superior. The study of 2,000 women in full or part-time employment asked whether they would prefer to have a man or woman as their immediate line manager. About 63 percent expressed a male preference, while only 37 percent choose a woman. The results also revealed one in six women who currently work under a woman is experiencing "underlying tension" between themselves and their boss. There are a number of reasons for the male preference including a feeling that female managers felt threatened by other women at work. A failure to leave personal problems at home was also cited . Other issues included a lack of flexibility over leaving early or starting late. But despite the worries, female bosses did score highly on the more personal side of the manager-employee relationship. They were thought of as being approachable, more trustworthy and more compassionate in a member of staff's time of need. Compared to female employers, male bosses _ A) generally have a poor sense of business B) are not good at managing their company C) seldom praise their staff members openly D) are more likely to keep their temper under control
Ans:
D