Consumer electronics once again topped the list of the most wanted gifts this holiday season.
“Seventy-six percent of consumers who plan to buy holiday gifts say that they will spend money or buy at least one technology product; definitely a solid vote of confidence for technology.”
Steve Koenig is with the Consumer Electronics Association. He says the group’s latest research also shows that Americans this year are spending more on technology products. “Here in 2012, $252 on average——the technology spend for consumers this year.”
From tablet computers to smart phones, American shoppers have been lining up to get the newest and coolest electronic devices on the market. There are more choices today than ever before. "It's kind of hard to make a decision."
Tablet computers are one of the best-selling products this year. Brian Tong is Senior Editor of CNET.com. The website reports on tech news and examines the latest electronic products. He says the Apple iPad Mini is one of the most popular tablets. Its starting price is $329. One of Apple’s biggest competitors is the Google Nexus 7. It starts at $199.
“Its hardware is more powerful than what’s in the iPad Mini, but also it offers you a lot of things like maps that work better than Apple’s maps.
But Brian Tong says there is one reason why people may like the iPad Mini more than the Nexus 7. “If you just want to read books and surf the Internet, you don’t really need to get an iPad Mini, but if you want the largest robust group of apps (应用软件) that’s where the iPad and Apple’s ecosystem shines the most.”
Elman Chacon is with the electronics store Best Buy. He says another hot product this season is smart cameras. They connect to the Internet through WiFi. This makes it easy for users to email or upload photographs directly from the camera.
“You can literally take a picture and upload it into your Facebook in a matter of seconds. These things are pretty cool because they do a lot of things.”
Streaming media boxes also connect to the Internet. People are able to watch web content such as movies and YouTube videos on their televisions. Another popular item is wireless speaker systems. The newest ones work with any device that has Bluetooth technology, including smart phones, laptops and tablets.
What does the underlined sentence mean in Paragraph 3?

A．Every technology product costs an average of $252.

B．Consumers are spending $252 more on technology products than last year.

C．Consumers should spend $252 on their technology products.

D．It is estimated that $252 on average might be spent on electronics by consumers in 2012.

According to Brian Tong, why may people prefer the iPad Mini to the Google Nexus 7?

A．Because it is cheaper.

B．Because it has more functions.

C．Because you can read books and surf the Internet with it.

D．Because it offers you a lot of things like maps that work better than Apple’s maps.

What does “Its hardware” in Paragraph 6 refer to?

A．The hardware of tablet computers.

B．The hardware of the Apple iPad.

C．The hardware of the Google Nexus 7.

D．The hardware of the iPad Mini.

Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．People will spend most of their money on electronics.

B．Photos can be uploaded from the camera when connected to a computer.

C．A streaming media box is a box which can contain CDs.

D．Most people would like to buy electronics as gifts.

Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?

A．Electronics: People’s Most Favorite Gifts this year

B．Which is More Popular, the Apple iPad Mini or the Google Nexus 7?

C．Latest Technology Products

D．More Electronics to Choose from