中國網(wǎng)站品牌欄目（頻道）
C
San Francisco has its cable cars. Seattle has its Space Needle. And, Longview has its squirrel bridge. The bridge, which has attracted international attention, is now a local landmark.
The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in 1963 by a local builder, Amos Peters, to give squirrels a way to cross the busy road without getting flattened by passing cars.
The original bridge was built over Olympia Way on the west edge of the library grounds. Before the bridge was built, squirrels had to avoid traffic to and from the Park Plaza office building where office staff put out a nutty feast for the squirrels. Many times, Peters and others who worked in and near Park Plaza witnessed squirrels being run over.
One day Peters found a dead squirrel with a nut still in its mouth, and that day’s coffee break discussion turned into squirrel safety. The group of businessmen cooked up the squirrel bridge idea and formed a committee to ask the blessing of the City Council(市政會).The Council approved, and Councilwoman Bess LaRiviere named the bridge “Nutty Narrows.”
After architects designed the bridge, Amos Peters and Bill Hutch started Construction, They built the 60-foot bridge from aluminum and lengths of fire hose(消防水帶). It cost 1,000.
It didn’t take long before reports of squirrels using the bridge started. Squirrels were even seen guiding their young and teaching them the ropes. The story was picked up by the media, and Nutty Narrows became know in newspapers all over the world.
In 1983, after 20 years of use, Peters took down the worn-out bridge. Repairs were made and crosspieces were replaced. The faded sign was repainted and in July 1983, hundreds of animal lovers attended the completion ceremony of the new bridge.
Peters died in 1984, and a ten-foot wooden squirrel sculpture was placed near the bridge in memory of its builder and his devotion to the project.
67. The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in order to ________.
A. offer squirrels a place to eat nuts B. set up a local landmark C. help improve traffic D. protect squirrels
68. What happened over the coffee break discussion?
A. The committee got the Council’s blessing. B. The squirrel bridge idea was born C. A councilwoman named the bridge D. A squirrel was found dead.
69. What does the underlined phrase “teaching them the ropes” probably means in the text?
A. passing them a rope B. Directing them to store food for winter C. Teaching them a lesson D. Showing them how to use the bridge.
70. Which of the following is true of the squirrel bridge?
A. It was replaced by a longer one. B. It was built from wood and metal C. it was rebuilt after years of use D. It was designed by Bill Hutch.
71. What can we learn about Amos Peters?
A. He is remembered for his love of animals. B. He donated $1,000 to build the bridge C. He was a member of the City Council D. He was awarded a medal for building the bridge.
D
For those who are tired doing the laundry, Samsung has found an answer: a washing machine that can tell you when your laundry is done via a smartphone app(application).
Strange though it may seem — “my wife already does that” was a common response among attendees viewing the device when it was introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week — Samsung is just one of many appliance makers racing to install (安裝) a large number of internet-connected features in machines in an effort to make them “smart”.
Last year, it was a refrigerator that tweeted. This year, it’s Wi-Fi-enabled laundry machines and fridges that can tell you when your groceries are going bad.
The washers and dryers, available starting in the spring, connect to any smartphone through a downloadable application. The phone can then be used as a remote control, so the machines can be turned on and off while their owners is at work or on the bus.
Samsung says it’s not just something new — the app connection actually has some practical uses.
“If you started to dry clothes in the morning and forgot to take them out, you can go to your phone and restart your dryer for the time when come home, so your clothes are refreshed and ready to go,” said spokesperson Amy Schmidt.
The company also says that with electricity rate(電價)varying depending on the time of day, more control over when the machines are used can help save money.
Perhaps, but what they will probably really accomplish is what all good technologies do —enable laziness. Rather than getting up to check on whether the laundry is done, users will instead monitor it on their phones while watching TV.
72. What can be inferred from the common response of the attendees at the CES?
A. The machine will be a big success. B. their wives like doing the laundry. C. The machine is unrelated to their life. D. This kind of technology is familiar to them.
73. What can we learn about the new laundry machines?
A. They can tell you when your clothes need washing B. They can be controlled with a smartphone C. They are difficult to operate D. They are sold at a low price
74. We can conclude form Samsung’s statements that ___________.
A. the app connection makes life easier B. it is better to dry clothes in the morning C. smartphone can shorten the drying time D. we should refresh clothes back at home
75. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
A. The laundry should be frequently checked B. Lazy people like using such machines C. Good technologies also cause problems D. Television may help do the laundry.
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