NEW YORK（Reuters）­—The Internet and advances in technology are transforming fashion, making it easier for designers to create collections and less expensive for them to show and sell their work, experts say．

Instead of spending tens of thousands of dollars on a runway（T形臺）show at New York Fashion Week, some designers presented collections for spring and summer 2010 online, while others are expanding the reach of their brand by making it easier for shoppers to buy their clothes online．

Designer Norma Kamali and Polo Ralph Lauren Corp both have applications for Apple Inc's iPhone that allows shoppers to buy clothes from their phone．"This is the technology that's changing our lives," said Kamali, who displayed her spring and summer 2010 collection as well as exclusive lines （專賣品） for eBay Inc and Walmart．com at the Apple store in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood．

Kamali's iPhone application has a "Try Before You Buy" option, which allows clothes to be sent overnight to a customer, who provides her credit card information, so she can try them on at home before deciding to buy．

Menswear designer Miguel Antoinne and womenswear designer Marc Bouwer both put on virtual fashion shows, while models at fashion designer Vivienne Tam's show carried a laptop computer adorned（裝飾）with a Tam design．

Mazdack Rassi, co-founder and creative director of Milk Studios, a downtown space that showed about 70 collections during New York Fashion Week, and was considering projecting shows on the side of a building so people at nearby park could watch．

With cable TV and the Internet, designers know that their shows can be seen by many more people than just the editors and media who attend．

Designers are finding that technology can also help the actual design work by allowing artists to explore new ideas and processes．

But Simon Collins, the dean of fashion at Parsons----the new school for design, said even though technology is helpful, there is still no substitute for talent and hard work．"Absolutely, there'll be people out there that have successful businesses that don't know the first thing about draping（剪裁） and construction, just think it up, put it on the computer, fire it off the factory and it works," Collins said．"But they're the exception, not the rule."

71. According to the passage, one advantage of the Internet is that it allows the designers to_________．

A. share their collections with other designers

B. receive information about the popular fashion trend

C. display their work at a lower cost

D. inform the editors and media of their collections

72. Which of the following is TRUE about Kamali?

A. She's against buying clothes online．

B. She's aware of the importance of the Internet．

C. She thinks New York Fashion Week will attract fewer and fewer people．

D. She's considering holding a show on the side of a building．

73. We can infer from the passage that ____________．

A. designers are finding various ways to make their shows known to the public

B. it's dangerous to do online shopping

C. few people pay attention to virtual fashion shows

D. it's difficult to become a well-known designer

74. According to the last paragraph, we know that Collins ____________．

A. is a successful businessman

B. does not agree that technology is helpful in designing works

C. does not understand the fashion of actual design work

D. pays more attention to people's natural gift and hard work

75. The purpose of the writing is to ____________．

A. stress the role of technology in fashion

B. celebrate the success of New York Fashion Week

C. introduce the activities in New York Fashion Week

D. advertise New York Fashion Week

Three months ago, the two companies were involved in a copyright dispute. On December 12, Tudou charged Youku.com with illegally airing the entertainment series, Kangxi is coming. Tudou was the only company which had rights to the series. In response, Youku filed a lawsuit（訴訟） against Tudou, claiming the company was broadcasting more than 50 Youku-owned TV series.
According to analysts, the deal came out of the market battle between the two companies. Each spent so much money buying licensed content that they ended up in the red last year. “Funding pressures are the main reason for the deal,” said Shi Jialong, a Hong Kong-based analyst with CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets. “After the merger, there might be a fall in copyright purchase prices, which is good for the industry in the short term.”
The new company will face competition from Web portals(門戶網(wǎng)站) providing similar services. Youku owned 21.8 percent of Chin’s online video market in the last quarter of last year and Tudou 13.7 percent, but Sohu.com followed close on the heels with 13.3 percent, according to domestic research company Analysys International.
Some analysts do not feel the deal will secure the market for Youku Tudou. Shi Yu, CEO of media company KU6, said the merger was unlikely to have a “one plus one more than two” effect. In his opinion, video-hosting sites need to find new ways of generation profit to succeed in the market.

1. 1.

   The main reason for Youku.com Inc and Tudou Holdings Ltd to merge is that           .

   1. A.
      the two companies were in great demand of money
   2. B.
      they were charge with illegally airing the entertainment series
   3. C.
      the two companies created the country’s largest company
   4. D.
      they intended to cut down the prices of copyrights
2. 2.

   The underlined words “in the red” in the third paragraph mean “         ”.

   1. A.
      in a big fight
   2. B.
      in a great trouble
   3. C.
      at a loss
   4. D.
      at a distance
3. 3.

   What do the last two paragraphs imply?

   1. A.
      Shi Yu doesn’t think it a good idea for the two companies to merge.
   2. B.
      The merger is really a win-win deal for the companies involved.
   3. C.
      The merger may not promise a bright future for Youku Tudou.
   4. D.
      The new company will be more competitive after the merger.
4. 4.

   Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

   1. A.
      The merge will benefit the online video industry to some degree.
   2. B.
      The two companies spent lots of money building video-hosting sites.
   3. C.
      Youku Tudou Inc currently controls half of the online video market in China.
   4. D.
      The new company has taken charged of all the entertainment series.

House buyers have three main choices: building from the ground up, moving into an old house or buying a new one. All the three are very different and should be considered carefully. Your budget will probably have the biggest effect on your choice. Comparing the three will help you make a good decision.
New houses are untouched and fresh, which means they can suit your personality and you know exactly where all of the materials come from. New houses won’t hold many unpleasant surprises, such as weak foundations, or other damaged areas. Most of these modern houses are also far more eco-friendly, with future decoration being just as easy to make and do as you like. Buying new houses is also a great way to save money, and you may find its benefit with the price going up in the future.
Some buildings, such as those that are rare or in certain areas, are of value over the years. Sometimes it is the history that draws more buyers into older houses. A famous person may have lived there, or an important event may have taken place in the house. This may not add any value to the house, but it can add to the attraction. There may be more repairs which will need to be done in the old houses,so before you think you’ve found a great bargain, be sure to get a careful inspection.
There are those who prefer building from the ground up. Building your own house can be a very rewarding, tiring, and expensive experience. While people have many expectations of planning and building their own houses, one thing is sure: it will take a while. There are always difficulties during construction, so you always find the construction time will be longer than your plan, not to mention the budget. Time can add up as well as materials and costs. Building is a good choice for those who are able and qualified.
【小題1】In Paragraph 2, the writer mainly tells readers _____.

House buyers have three main choices: building from the ground up, moving into an old house or buying a new one. All the three are very different and should be considered carefully. Your budget will probably have the biggest effect on your choice. Comparing the three will help you make a good decision.

New houses are untouched and fresh, which means they can suit your personality and you know exactly where all of the materials come from. New houses won’t hold many unpleasant surprises, such as weak foundations, or other damaged areas. Most of these modern houses are also far more eco-friendly, with future decoration being just as easy to make and do as you like. Buying new houses is also a great way to save money, and you may find its benefit with the price going up in the future.

Some buildings, such as those that are rare or in certain areas, are of value over the years. Sometimes it is the history that draws more buyers into older houses. A famous person may have lived there, or an important event may have taken place in the house. This may not add any value to the house, but it can add to the attraction. There may be more repairs which will need to be done in the old houses,so before you think you’ve found a great bargain, be sure to get a careful inspection.

There are those who prefer building from the ground up. Building your own house can be a very rewarding, tiring, and expensive experience. While people have many expectations of planning and building their own houses, one thing is sure: it will take a while. There are always difficulties during construction, so you always find the construction time will be longer than your plan, not to mention the budget. Time can add up as well as materials and costs. Building is a good choice for those who are able and qualified.

1.In Paragraph 2, the writer mainly tells readers _____.

A．How to choose a good new house.

B．The benefits of buying a new house

C．Things to consider when they buy a house.

D．How to save money when they buy a new house.

2.What does the writer suggest people do when they are buying an old house?

A．Check whether the price is low

B．Check whether it is a rare house

C．Check carefully whether lots of repairs are needed

D．Check whether a famous person has lived in it

3.The writer seems to believe that building a house of one’s own is ____.

A．easy                                 B．costly

C．interesting                            D．impossible

4.What is the writer’s purpose in writing this passage?

A．To encourage readers to build a house of their own

B．To explain why it is hard to decide what house to buy

C．To tell readers how to find a great bargain when they are buying a house

D．To help readers make a better decision when they are buying a house

Parking has long been a major headache for drivers in Shanghai. The Transportation Department is mapping out a new plan for the city’s parking system. There are one million cars on the road in Shanghai but only enough public parking space to provide room for 15 percent of these vehicles. It is no wonder that local drivers get so worried trying to find a place to park.

The city is seeing a rise in private car owners. In March, the city sent out 2,000 private car licenses, the highest number of licenses ever sent out in a month. And prices rose to 14,600 yuan, 500 more than in February. Industry experts say this suggests that local people have a strong, active interest in buying cars.

By the year 2020, the number of automobiles in Shanghai will probably reach two million. If one parking lot is for each car, then a lot of parking space should be built for these vehicles.

Downtown Shanghai is most short of parking space. However, experts point out that simply building more parking lots in downtown areas is not practical and doesn’t provide an ideal solution. The idea of “ Park & Ride” system has been suggested. This means that drivers can leave their vehicles in car parks nearby subway or bus stations and ride public transport to go downtown. Based on this idea, the city will limit the number of parking lots in downtown areas and demand higher parking fees but build more parking areas near main subway and bus stops.

The underlined phrase “mapping out” in the first paragraph means __________.

A. making       B. arguing              C. commanding           D. requesting

About __________ drivers can find places to park their cars in Shanghai now.

A. 850,000      B. 1,000,000            C. 150,000          D. 2,000,000

What can we infer from the second paragraph?

A. The city sent out more private licenses in February.

B. Less and less people bought cars in March.

C. The city sent out less private licenses in March.

D. More and more people are going to buy cars.

According to the idea of a “ Park & Ride ” system, the city will __________.

A. send out more private car licenses

B. build more parking lots near bus stops

C. encourage people to buy more cars

D. build more parking areas downtown