In an age where more people live on their own and it’s normal to meet total strangers in a bar for a date, it can be reassuring（可靠的）to be checked up on.

Kitestring, which is considered an “overprotective mom”, was invented by Stephan Boyer, in San Francisco to keep his girlfriend safe. The 23-year old MIT computer science graduate said: 'My girlfriend, who lives in a dangerous neighbourhood in San Francisco, called to ask me to check up on her as she was walking home from work one day. I wondered if there might be an app or service that could offer a little extra safety for her when she goes out at night.'

Anyone wanting to use the service can set up an account on Kitestring’s website, where they enter their phone number plus an emergency contact, as well as writing an alert message which will be sent to their chosen contact when needed. 

To use the service, people schedule a time and date for when they plan to be out and estimate how long they will be.They can text Kitestring a time period like ‘45m’ to start a trip, for example, or click on options on the company's website. When that time has passed, Kitestring sends a text message asking for confirmation that the person is safe. Users can extend a trip by testing ‘ETA(Estimated Time of Arrival) 15m’ for example, to receive another text 15 minutes later, or can start another new trip if they expect to later than an hour after they originally said.

Their emergency contact or contacts are warned with a distress message if the service doesn’t hear back from a user within five minutes of checking up on them with a text message.

Because the service works using text messages, it makes itself useable by more people than previous ‘safecall’ apps for smartphones, which often rely on an internet connection and GPS.

Kitestring works in 217 countries, which could also make it handy（便利的）for backpackers and other holidaymakers exploring a new area on their own.
 

本时文内容由奇速英语国际教育研究院原创编写，禁止复制和任何商业用途，版权所有，侵权必究！

1.For what purpose did Stephen Boyer invent Kitestring?

A To check up on his girlfriend when she goes out at night.

B To invent an app for people living in dangerous places.

C To show his talent as an MIT computer science graduate.

D To make money from people wanting to be checked up on.

解析：选A。A。细节理解题。根据文章第二段可知，Stephen Boyer发明Kitestring的目的是为了保护自己的女友，在女友走夜路时不出问题，不时检验女友的安全状态。

2.What text message can you send to Kitestring if you are going to reach the place after 50 minutes?

A 50m.

B 15m.

C ETA 50m.

D ETA 15m.

解析：选A。A。细节理解题。根据文章第四段They can text Kitestring a time period like ‘45m’ to start a trip可知，在出发之前，将估计到达的时间短信给Kitestring，如果是50分钟后到达，则短信50m。故选A。

3.What does the underlined word most probably mean in Paragraph Five?

A Disappointment.

B Amazement.

C Danger.

D Discouragement.

解析：选C。C。猜测词义题。根据前文的warned，结合语境中的safe与doesn’t hear back from the user可知，Kitestring将给紧急联系人发出用户可能遇险的短信。故distress此处意为“遇险”、“不幸”的意思。

4.What type of users does Kitestring fit most?

A Smartphone users.

B Backpackers.

C GPS users.

D Internet users.

解析：选B。B。细节理解题。根据文章第六段…than previous ‘safecall’ apps for smartphones, which often rely on an internet connection and GPS和最后一段…handy for backpackers…可知，Kitestring最适合于背包旅行者使用。

5.What can we infer from the passage?

A With Kitestring, one can travel safely in the mountains.

B With Kitestring, one can travel safely around the world.

C Kitestring is the best app that can keep the users safe.

D Kitestring enjoys great popularity across the world.

解析：选D。D。推理判断题。根据文章最后一段Kitestring works in 217 countries可以判断，Kitestring在全世界范围内受到欢迎，故选D。