阅读理解。
When you have a question about something, where do you go? For many people the answer is simple as
they can 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?
A business and international development professor in California, Rose Shuman, found an answer for them:
Question Box. Question Box is a service that provides answers-free of charge-for people who cannot search
the Internet directly. The users of Questions Box might be those who might not be able to read, or simply have
no access to the Internet.
Question Box began three years ago in India. People used a metal call box with a push-to-talk button to
connect a live operator. Rose Schuman explained," You just need to push a big green button on the box which
will connect you directly to our operators who are sitting in front of computers, and speak your language. 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 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,"It is very efficient (效率高的). Rather than try to bring a lot of difficulties to them and
expect them to spend a lot of time to learn how to use the Internet, the idea was to make a technology tha
t even Grandma could use."
In April 2009, Question Box was introduced to Uganda. Forty community workers with mobile phones
connected villagers to call center operators in Kampala. The community workers went around telling people
about the service. They wore T-shirts that said"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 could quickly search the database for answers.
1. The best title for the passage is _____.
A. Question Box-taking the place of the Internet
B. Needing an answer?-asking Question Box
C. Question Box-a great invention in the world
D. Rose Shuman-a professor helping the poor
2. In Rose Schuman's opinion, the greatest advantage of Question Box is that _____.
A. it is the most advanced in the world
B. it is more convenient to carry
C. it saves much more energy
D. it is much easier to use
3. The underlined word "them" in the fourth paragraph refers to _____.
A. the users
B. the operators
C. the researchers
D. Question Box workers
4. What can we know from the passage?
A. Question Box costs the users much less than the Internet.
B. Question Box operators can look for information in any language.
C. Question Box is more efficient in solving problems in underdeveloped areas.
D. Question Box can work without the help of the Internet in Uganda.
