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【4ever4※借放】口试背诵篇目 U4 More Reading The rise of chain stores in ChinaDuring the last few years, the number of chain stores has greatly increased in big cities in China. Nowadays, within a short walk along a busy street, you are likely to find a chain store of some kind---a fast-food restaurant, a bakery or a convenience store.Chain stores have become part of people’s daily lives. They may pop into a Bread Talk to buy a sweet roll for breakfast on their way to work. They may visit a Lianhua Supermarket in the evening to buy some food for dinner. For a birthday, they might celebrate with friends at a Little Sheep Hotpot Restaurant. At the weekend they may go to Gome Appliances to buy a DVD or MP3 player. Chain stores have become so popular that some people include them as a factor when deciding where to live.Why have chain stores grown so fast in number and influence? Meeting the customers’ needs is the answer. Opened in convenient locations, the stores are usually next door to people’s homes and close to bus stops or underground stations. They offer a wide range of products in a clean, well-lit and relaxing environment. Every store in a chain operates in the same way as the others do. That way , everyone knows what to expect in case, they shop there. The prices are reasonable too.It seems that chain stores are a welcome development in China. They are certainly a new price changing people’s way of life.U5 Reading Virtual realityOnly 50 years ago, computers were bigger than people. Today, people can carry their laptops with them anywhere they go. Soon we may be able to step inside a computer world thanks to the magic of virtual reality.What is virtual reality, or VR? If something is virtual, then it is created by computer technology and appears as if it were real. Virtual reality is a computer system with a special headset. When you put on the headset, you look at two tiny television screens. They are so close to your eyes that your mind will see the image as one picture, and you will believe that you have entered a different world. In many systems, you also wear a special data glove. With this glove you can reach out and touch things in artificial world.The first VR game, already sold around the world, enable you to drive a sports car, fly a plane, or fight an enemy. In the future, it may be difficult to distinguish the virtual world of the games from the real world outside.However, VR is not just for entertainment. One day, delighted children will be able to learn geography by observing exciting foreign countries with out having to leave their classroom. They will be thrilled to learn history by visiting the pyramids of Egypt, or by hand-feeding friendly dinosaurs.In addition, businesses will be able to use VR for many tasks. Car designed using computers can be tested as virtual machines first, before they are manufactured in metal. Architects will be able to make virtual buildings, which they can walk around and inspect before constructing. VR can help us in hundreds of ways.Despite this, concerned critics have warned that there could be dangers in this powerful new medium. Will we have VR games in which people can commit virtual crimes? After people get used to VR, will they want to return to reality? Will we forget how to live and work with real people?
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