“High tech” and “state of the art” are two expressions that describe very modern technology. First, High tech is just a shorter way of saying “high technology”, and “high technology” describes any invention, system or device that uses the most sophisticated modern research, engineering and materials.
What kind of things are high tech? A computer is high tech. So is a communications satellite. A modern manufacturing system is surely high tech. The opposite of high tech is low tech. As you might imagine, low tech describes technology that is traditional, simple and easy to operate. A wooden plow pulled by oxen is low tech, so is a hand pump. High tech becomes a popular expression in the United States during the 1980s. Because of improvements in technology, people could buy many new kinds of products in American stores, such as home computers, microwave ovens for cooking quickly, and modern music systems that used a digital electronic system for recording sounds. The companies that made these products were proud of their goods. They wanted everyone to know that their products were as modern as possible. So in all kinds of advertising, companies described their products as being high tech. Soon everyone knew the expression.
On the other hand, the “state of the art” phrase describes the very newest and best products, method, technique, or material. Since it is based on the very latest information, it is always the newest possible item in its category in research, business or industry. A state-of-the-art TV set, for example, uses the most modern electronic design and parts. It is the best that one can buy.
State of the art is not a new expression. Engineers used it for years to describe the best and most modern way of doing something. Millions of Americans, however, began to use the expression in the late 1970s during the computer revolution. New inventions like the transistor and the microprocessor made computers smaller and less costly. Bright young computer experts began to design and build their own computers at home. Every computer company claimed that its computers were the state of the art. Computer technology changed so fast, however, that a state-of-the-art computer was out of date almost the next day. Thus the expression of “state of the art” became as common and popular as the constantly changing computer themselves. Now, advertising for all kind of the newest products claims that they are the state of the art.
1. According to the passage, which one is NOT high tech?
2. Computers become smaller and costly because ________.
3. What does the word “category” (Para. 3) mean?
4. From the text, we can infer that ________.
5. What is the main idea of the passage?
问题1选项
A.small powerful home computers
B.a wooden plow pulled by oxen
C.low cost microwave ovens for cooking quickly
D.modern music systems that used a digital electronic system for recording sounds
问题2选项
A.of new inventions like the microprocessor
B.of computer revolution
C.bright young computer experts began to design and build their own computers at home
D.they used the most modern electronic design and parts
问题3选项
A.strategy
B.classification
C.therapy
D.processor
问题4选项
A.high tech and state of the art are contradictory and exclusive
B.low tech will be eliminated in a couple of decades
C.computer technology changed so fast, however, a computer was out of date almost the next day
D.state of the art will constantly change because of the fast development of technology
问题5选项
A.the impact of the fast development of technology
B.the necessity of breaking away from outdated inventions, system and device
C.the difference between high tech and state of the art
D.the importance of technology-oriented awareness
第1题:B
第2题:A
第3题:B
第4题:D
第5题:C
第1题:
【选项释义】
According to the passage, which one is NOT high tech? 根据文章内容，以下哪一个不是高科技？
A. small powerful home computers A. 体积小但功能强大的家用电脑
B. a wooden plow pulled by oxen B. 靠牛拉动的木犁
C. low cost microwave ovens for cooking quickly C. 用于快速烹饪的低成本微波炉
D. modern music systems that used a digital electronic system for recording sounds D. 使用数字电子系统记录声音的现代音乐系统
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干内容可定位到文中第二段第六句“As you might imagine, low tech describes technology that is traditional, simple and easy to operate. A wooden plow pulled by oxen is low tech（正如你所想象的，low tech指的是传统的、简单的、容易操作的技术。用牛拉的木犁是低科技）”，由此可知选项B符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A、C、D选项都是现代高科技产品，属于反向干扰，故排除。
第2题:
【选项释义】
Computers become smaller and less costly because ________. 电脑变得越来越小和越来越便宜是因为________。
A. of new inventions like the microprocessor A. 像微处理器这样的新发明
B. of computer revolution B. 计算机革命
C. bright young computer experts began to design and build their own computers at home C. 聪明的年轻计算机专家开始在家里设计和制造自己的计算机
D. they used the most modern electronic design and parts D. 他们使用了最现代化的电子设计和零件
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干内容可定位到文中第四段第四句“New inventions like the transistor and the microprocessor made computers smaller and less costly（像晶体管和微处理器这样的新发明使计算机变得更小，成本更低）”，由此可知选项A符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
B、C、D选项均不是使电脑变小和便宜的原因。
第3题:
【选项释义】
What does the word “category” (Para. 3) mean? 第三段中，单词“category”是什么意思？
A. strategy A. 策略，战略
B. classification B. 类别
C. therapy C. 治疗
D. processor D. 处理器
【考查点】词汇推断题。
【解题思路】根据题干内容可定位到文中第三段第二句“it is always the newest possible item in its category in research, business or industry”，句中提到科研、商业和产业总是使用最新的项目，这三者属于三个不同的领域和范围，由此可知单词category是表达领域、范围的意思，选项B符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A、C、D选项均没有表达出相关的语义。
第4题:
【选项释义】
From the text, we can infer that ________. 从本文中，我们可以推断________。
A. high tech and state of the art are contradictory and exclusive A. 高科技和尖端技术水平是相互矛盾和相互排斥的
B. low tech will be eliminated in a couple of decades B. 低技术将在几十年内被淘汰
C. computer technology changed so fast, however, a computer was out of date almost the next day C. 然而，计算机技术变化如此之快，计算机几乎在第二天就过时了
D. state of the art will constantly change because of the fast development of technology D. 由于技术的快速发展，尖端技术水平将不断变化
【考查点】判断推理题。
【解题思路】文章第三段提到state of the art是指最新、最好的产品、技术和材料等，它是基于最新的信息产生的，而信息和技术更新，必然会出现更先进的技术水平。由此可以推断出随着信息技术的快速发展，尖端技术水平将不断变化，选项D符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A选项由文章内容可知，无论是high tech还是state of the art都是指现代先进的高科技产品、系统、材料和方法，两者具有相同点，并不存在矛盾，属于反向干扰，故排除；
B选项在文中没有提及，属于无中生有，故排除；
C选项根据文中第四段提到的“计算机技术变化如此之快，以至于最先进的计算机几乎在第二天就过时了”可知，a state-of-the-art computer（最先进的电脑）与选项a computer（电脑）存在概念上的不同，属于偷换概念，故排除。
第5题:
【选项释义】
What is the main idea of the passage? 这篇文章的主旨是什么？
A. the impact of the fast development of technology A. 技术快速发展的影响
B. the necessity of breaking away from outdated inventions, system and device B. 摆脱过时的发明、系统和装置的必要性
C. the difference between high tech and state of the art C. 高科技和高端技术之间的区别
D. the importance of technology-oriented awareness D. 技术导向意识的重要性
【考查点】主旨大意题。
【解题思路】纵观全文，文章一开头就说“高科技和高端技术是形容现代科技的两种表达”，随后在第一、二段介绍了高科技的概念以及有哪些高科技产品；第三、四段介绍了高端技术的概念以及随着科技的发展，尖端技术水平不断变化。由此可见，选项C符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A、B、D选项在文中均没有体现，属于无中生有，故排除。
