A
The iPhone，the iPad: each of Apple's products sounds cool and has become a fad(一度时髦的风尚)．Apple has cleverly taken advantage of the power of the letter “i”－and many other brands are following suit.The BBC's iPlayer－which allows web users to watch TV programs on the Internet－adopted the title in 2008.A lovely bear－popular in the US and the UK－that plays music and video is called “iTeddy”．A slimmeddown version of The Independent newspaper was launched last week under the name “i”．
In general，singleletter prefixes have been popular since the 1990s，when terms such as email and ecommerce first came into use.
Most “i”products are aimed at young people and considering the major readers of The Independent's “i”，it's no surprise that they've selected this fashionable name.
But it's hard to see what's so special about the letter “i”．Why not use “a”，“b”，or “c” instead? According to Tony Thorne，former head of the Language Center at King's College London，“i” works because its meaning has become ambiguous.When Apple uses “i”，no one knows whether it means Internet，information，individual or interactive，Thorne told BBC Magazines.“Even when Apple created the iPod，it seems it didn't have one clear definition，” he says.
“However，thanks to Apple，the term is now associated with portability(轻便)．” Adds Thorne.
Clearly the letter “i” also agrees with the idea that the Western world is centered on the individual.Each person believes they have their own needs，and we love personalized products for this reason.
Along with “Google”and “blog”，readers of BBC Magazines voted “i”as one of the top 20 words that have come to define the last decade.
But as history shows，people grow tired of fads.From the 1900s to 1990s，products with “2000”in their names became fashionable as the year was associated with all things advanced and modern.However，as we entered the new century，the trend unavoidably disappeared.
1．People use iPlayer to________.
A．listen to music
B．make a call
C．watch TV programs online
D．read newspapers
2．We can infer that The Independent's “i”is aimed at________.
A．young readers
B．old readers
C．fashionable women
D．engineers
3．Nowadays，the “i”term often reminds people of the products which are________.
A．portable
B．environmentally friendly
C．advanced
D．recyclable
4．The writer suggests that________.
A．“i”products are often of high quality
B．iTeddy is a living bear
C．the letter “b” replaces the letter “i” to name the products
D．the popularity of “i”products may not last long
【答案与解析】
1．C 细节理解题。由第一段中的“…which allows web users to watch TV programs on the Internet…”可知，iPlayer是“网上看电视节目”的播放器。
2．A 细节理解题。由文章第三段中的“…are aimed at young people…”可知，“i”产品主要针对年轻人，The Independent's“i”也不例外。
3．A 细节理解题。由倒数第四段第一句“However，thanks to Apple，the term is now associated with portability(轻便)”，可知A项正确。
4．D 推理判断题。由文章最后一段可知，流行的东西会随时间消失，“i”产品也一样。
