Ⅲ .阅读理解

A

When you have a question about something, where do you go? For many people the answer is simple. They go online to a search engine like Google or Yahoo. But what about people in rural or underdeveloped areas who may have no way to get on the Internet? Luckily, Rose Shuman, a business and international development consultant in California, has found a way for them. Her amazing solution is “Question Box”．

Question Box is a service that provides answers—free of charge—for people who cannot search the Internet directly. They might not be able to read, or they simply have no access.

Question Box began two years ago in India. People use a metal call box with a pushtotalk button to connect to a live operator, as Rose Shuman explains, “You just push a button, a big green button, and that will connect you directly to our operators who are sitting in front of computers, and speak your language. And you can ask them any sort of question you want, and they'll look it up in English or in Hindi, or whatever the main language is, and translate the answer right back for you.”

The service is currently offered in two villages. The latest version of the box uses mobile phone technology and solar panels in case the electrical power fails. Rose Shuman says the aim was to make the box as easy as possible for users.

“Rather than try to bring a lot of infrastructure to them and expect them to learn how to use the Internet, the idea was to make a technology that even Grandma could use, figuring that Grandma could probably walk up to a box and push a button,” added Shuman.

In April, Question Box expanded to Uganda. Forty community workers with mobile phones connect villagers to call center operators in Kampala. The community workers go around telling people about the service. They wear Tshirts that say “Ask Me.”

But Internet service in Uganda proved slow and undependable. So Question Box teamed up with a local technology company to store information on a local server. That way, the researchers in Kampala can quickly search the database for answers when users ask about current events and many other subjects.

Rose Shuman continued, “When was Mahatma Gandhi born and how long is the Nile River? What's the tallest mountain? The funniest one I think we got was, ‘Did the pyramids ever move to another place？’， which we found pretty funny. But we did look it up, and they haven't moved.”

1. According to the passage, “Question Box” is a service intended to______.

A. help improve the living standard of the people in poor areas

B. promote the computer technology

C. provide answers raised by the people who have no access to the Internet

D. enrich the local people's life

2. Which of the following is true about Question Box according to the passage?

A. Uganda is the original place where the service started.

B. Some modern technologies have been used for improving the service.

C. Question Box won't be able to work if there is no electrical power.

D. It was impossible for a grandma to use Question Box.

3. We can learn from the passage that in Uganda ______.

A. forty call center operators helped make Question Box known to villagers

B. it was very convenient for villagers to have access to Internet service

C. users are very interested in current events

D. a local technology company cooperate with Question Box

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. All the questions asked by people are pretty funny.

B. Workers of Question Box know the answer to any question.

C. Question Box always tries to answer the questions, no matter how strange.

D. Those who asked questions wanted to make progress in their studies.

5. What attitude does the writer hold towards “Question Box” according to the passage?

A. Indefinite.        B. Negative.     C. Supportive.        D. Indifferent.

答案及解析：

1. C.根据第二段可知。

2. B.C选项可以根据第四段The latest version of the box uses mobile phone technology and solar panels in case the electrical power fail.判断，A选项根据第三段的第一句Question Box began two years ago in India.判断，D选项根据第五段“the idea was to make a technology that even Grandma could use”判断。

3. D. 根据倒数第二段的第二句可知。

4. C.A、B选项太绝对，D选项不能根据文章推断出来，C选项根据最后一句可知。

5. C.根据第一段最后两句中的Luckily...amazing...等词可以看出作者的态度是很赞同和支持这项服务的。