Bragging about your fancy new cell phone is a fleeting pleasure; after all, today's coolest models tend to be next month's paperweights. By contrast, the half-life of a cordless phone for the home is measured in years. So if you really want to be ahead of the tech curve, forget the cell-phone wars and check out the new 5.8-GHz cordless phones.

　　Named after the frequency of the radio wave (measured in billions of cycles per second) that carries the signal between the handset and the base station, 5.8-GHz phones promise more clarity because there are fewer devices that operate on the same frequency and thus fewer to cause interference. If you have a cordless phone that is a couple of years old or even a new one that costs less than $50, chances are it is a 900-MHz model that is highly susceptible to static or buzzing from baby monitors, wireless speaker systems and your neighbors' 900-MHz phones. The newer 2.4-GHz units, introduced as an improvement over the 900-MHz models, do get less static, but wireless home networks and microwave ovens can still trigger a snap-crackle-pop effect. Not so the 5.8 GHz. So far, only a few companies sell the new models, and they don't come cheap. Uniden's TRU5865 costs $149, while the Vtech 5831 is $179. I preferred the Uniden because it was static free both inside my apartment and up to a block away. Its compact design hides the antenna inside the handset, and the glowing orange keys and display look sharp. The VTech got equally clear reception indoors, but I could stray only a few buildings down the block before buzzing set in.

　　But is it really worth an extra $100 (or more) to step up to 5.8 GHz? Maybe. When I tried out the Panasonic KX-TC1481B, a $39 900-MHz model, I could hear other conversations and even music coming through the phone. I got much clearer reception with the Motorola MA351, a $60 2.4-GHz model--except when I turned on my microwave oven and was assaulted by weird vibrating noises coming through the handset. Still, the Motorola is a decent option at a fair price.

　　No matter which kind of phone you're considering, a few other factors are worth keeping in mind. First, ask about battery life. While I liked the reception best on the Uniden, for example, it can go only four hours between charges vs. eight on the Vtech.

　　Next, find out if the phone is analog or digital. Both 5.8-MHz phones are digital, but that's not always the case with the models that use other frequencies, and this makes them an easier target for eavesdroppers. The best digitals use digital spread-spectrum (DDS) technology, which sends the signal down a broad range of frequencies to ensure that it gets through.

　　Finally, shop at a store that offers a money-back guarantee. That way you can torture test the phone for a few days. Then, once you're certain everything's O.K., go ahead and start bragging about it to all your friends.

1. How does the author introduce the topic?
　　[A]Explaining a phenomenon.
　　[B]Justifying an assumption.
　　[C]Posing a contrast.
　　[D]Making a comparison.

2. Which of the following can be an advantage of Vtech over Uniden?
　　[A]A longer battery life.
　　[B]Free of static interference.
　　[C]Fashionable outlook.
　　[D]Compact design.

3. The expression “susceptible to”(Line 5, Paragraph 2) most probably means __________.
　　[A]relevant with
　　[B]adaptable to
　　[C]immune from
　　[D]sensitive to

4. What is the most distinctive feature of 5.8-GHz phones?
　　[A]Fairer price.
　　[B]Higher clarity.
　　[C]More attractive model.
　　[D]No easier target for eavesdroppers.

5. Which of the following is true according to the text?
　　[A]It is worthwhile to buy any of 5.8-GHz phones.
　　[B]Battery life determines your selection of the phone.
　　[C]The earlier you bought the phone, the more static interference you got.
　　[D]5.8-GHz phones are becoming popular with consumers.

　　答案：CADBC

　　篇章剖析

　　本文是一篇说明文，详细介绍了新一代无绳电话的性能以及购买时应注意的事项。第一段指出无绳电话比手机的实用性强；第二段指出新一代无绳电话比以前的无绳电话产品的清晰度以及抗静电干扰性要强的多，并且对两款新一代无绳电话产品进行了比较；第三段指出值得购买新一代产品；第四段、五段和六段指出如何进行产品挑选。

　　词汇注释

　　cordless[5kC:dlIs]adj.不用电线的

　　chic[Fi:k,FIk]n.别致的款式(尤指妇女的服饰)

　　eliminate[I5lImIneIt]vt.排除, 消除

　　static[5stAtIk]adj.静态的, 静力的; n. 静电噪声

　　brag[brA^]v.吹牛

　　cell phone n.手机

　　fleeting adj.飞逝的；短暂的

　　paperweight[5peIpEweIt]n.纸镇, 书镇

　　half-life n.（事物衰落前的）使用（或流行）期

　　curve[k\:v]n.曲线, 弯曲, [棒球]曲线球, [统]曲线图表

　　check out v.付帐后离开, ,检验, 合格, 及格

　　gHz abbr. gigahertz千兆赫兹

　　handset[5hAndset]n.电话听筒, 手机, 手持机

　　base station n.基地台

　　MHZ 兆赫(兹)

　　susceptible[sE5septIb(E)l]adj.易受影响的, 易感动的, 容许...的

　　buzz[bQz]v.作嗡嗡声, 嗡嗡作响, 逼近

　　trigger[5trI^E(r)]vt.引发, 引起, 触发

　　compact[5kRmpAkt]adj.紧凑的, 紧密的, 简洁的

　　stray[streI]v.迷路, 偏离

　　set in v.开始, 到来, 上涨, 插入, 嵌入，开始, 涨潮

　　step up to 接进, 走进

　　assault[E5sC:lt]v.袭击

　　analog[5AnElR^; (?@) 5AnElC:^]n.类似物, 相似体

　　eavesdropper[ `i:vz9drCpE(r) ]n.偷听者

　　money-back adj.（消费者如对所购产品不满）有权获得退款的

　　torture[5tC:tFE(r)]v.破坏性试验

　　难句突破

　　If you have a cordless phone that is a couple of years old or even a new one that costs less than $50, chances are it is a 900-MHz model that is highly susceptible to static or buzzing from baby monitors, wireless speaker systems and your neighbors' 900-MHz phones.

　　主体句式：chances are …

　　结构分析：本句是一个条件从句。在从句中，两个that引导的都是定语从句，分别修饰phone 和a new one，其中one指代的也是phone；主句句形是chances are，这是一个固定用法，意思是it is most probable；主句中that引导的是定语从句，其中susceptible to的意思是“易受影响的”。

　　句子译文：如果你家的无绳电话是你两、三年前购买的，或者是你花了不超过50美元的价格新买的，那么你这部电话很可能是900兆赫的。这款电话极易受静电的干扰，婴儿监控器、无线扬声器系统以及邻居家的900兆赫款电话都能使它发出嗡嗡声。

　　题目分析

　　1. 答案为C，属事实细节题。文章开头就手机和无绳电话的实用性进行了对比，意在指出