2025年中考英语【时文阅读训练】任天堂Switch 2全球发售-Nintendo launches Switch 2 console worldwide

Nintendo launches Switch 2 console worldwide   (9th June 2025) The Japanese video game company Nintendo has launched its first major piece of hardware in eight years. To much fanfare, the much-anticipated Switch 2 console was released last Thursday. It is the follow-up to its hugely popular predecessor, the Switch, which sold 152 million units worldwide. The new console can be used as a portable handheld device or as a tablet. It can be connected to an external display. It comes with two controllers, a power adaptor, a USB-C charging cable, a dock, and two wrist straps. It comes bundled with 25 games, including an enhanced version of the smash success Mario Kart World. Nintendo expects to sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles for the fiscal year to March 2026. Gaming enthusiasts queued for hours outside stores worldwide, clamouring to get their hands on Nintendo's new system. In Japan, the consoles were sold via a national lottery that got around 2.2 million applications. In Tokyo, winners of the draw lined up at dawn outside an electronics store. Switch fan Koji Takahashi, 39, said: "It's fantastic that players can see each other while playing. I can't wait to go home and play." Satoshi Ayame was unsuccessful in the lottery, but undeterred, he went to the store's release event to savour the experience. He said: "I took a half-day off work because I desperately wanted to try the Switch 2." The console has a hefty $449.99 price tag, but fans say it is worth the money. Warm-ups【Optional】 1. GAME CONSOLES:  Students walk around the class and talk to other students about game consoles. Change partners often and share your findings. 2. CHAT:  In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?  video game / Nintendo / hardware / fanfare / console / USB / Mario / fiscal year / enthusiasts / queued / lottery / winners / dawn / electronics store / work / price tag Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently. 3. BOARD GAMES:  Students A strongly believe board games are better than video games; Students B strongly believe the opposite. Change partners again and talk about your conversations. 1. Vocabulary Matching Paragraph 1 1. launched a. The physical parts of a computer or machine (like the screen, buttons, or controller). 2. hardware b. Expected or waited for something (usually with excitement). 3. fanfare c. Started or introduced something new (like a product or a service). 4. anticipated d. Easy to carry and move. 5. predecessor e. Something that came before another thing. 6. portable f. Made better or improved. 7. enhanced g. A lot of attention and excitement when something important happens. Paragraph 2 8. enthusiasts h. Large or heavy (often about size, weight, or cost). 9. queued i. An act of selecting names randomly to decide winners in a lottery, opponents in a sporting contest, etc. 10. clamouring j. Not stopped or not giving up, even after something bad happens. 11. draw (noun) k. People who really like and enjoy something a lot. 12. undeterred l. Stood in a line and waited. 13. savour m. Enjoy something slowly and with pleasure. 14. hefty n. Shouting or asking loudly for something. 【答案】 2. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if “1-8” below are true (T) or false (F). 1. The article says Nintendo releases major hardware ever eight years.     T / F 2. The original Switch console sold more than 150 million units.     T / F 3. The Switch 2 comes with a USB-A charging cable.     T / F 4. Nintendo thinks it will sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles by March.     T / F 5. People in Japan had to win a lottery to get the Switch 2.     T / F 6. People started queuing at daybreak to but the console.      T / F 7. A man took a whole day off work to play the Switch 2 in a store.     T / F 8. Switch fans say the console is overpriced.     T / F 【答案】 3. SYNONYM MATCH: (The words in bold are from the news article.) 1. 1. launched 2. hardware 3. portable 4. bundled 5. enhanced 6. enthusiasts 7. dawn 8. undeterred 9. savour 10. hefty a. transportable b. not put off c. improved d. enjoy e. equipment f. daybreak g. huge h. released i. fans j. packaged 【答案】 4. READING COMPREHENSION: MULTIPLE CHOICE 1)  How long ago was Nintendo's previous major hardware release? a) 18 years ago b) eight years ago c) five years ago d) 15 years ago 2) How many Switch consoles did Nintendo sell? a) 155 million b) 154 million c) 153 million d) 152 million 3) What can the Switch 2 be connected to? a) special glasses b) the Internet c) an external display d) smart watches 4) How many games are preloaded on the Switch 2? a) 25 b) 26 c) 28 d) 30 5) How many Switch 2 consoles does Nintendo hope to sell this fiscal year? a) 12 million b) 15 million c) 18 million d) 22 million 6) Who queued for hours? a) gaming enthusiasts b) coders c) journalists d) school children 7) How were Switch 2 consoles sold in Japan? a) at train stations b) in convenience stores c) via a national lottery d) online 8) From when did fans start waiting outside stores in Tokyo? a) from dawn b) from dusk c) from midnight d) from a week before 9) What did a man do to be able to savour the experience of the Switch 2? a) sleep on the street b) save lots of money c) dress as Mario d) take a half-day off work. 10) What do fans think of the price of the Switch 2? a) It's overpriced. b) It's not worth the money. c) It's worth the money. d) It's really cheap. keys： 5. Comprehension questions 1. How long ago was Nintendo's previous major hardware release? 2. How many Switch consoles did Nintendo sell? 3. What can the Switch 2 be connected to? 4. How many games are preloaded on the Switch 2? 5. How many Switch 2 consoles does Nintendo hope to sell this fiscal year? 6. Who queued for hours? 7. How were Switch 2 consoles sold in Japan? 8. From when did fans start waiting outside stores in Tokyo? 9. What did a man do to be able to savour the experience of the Switch 2? 10. What do fans think of the price of the Switch 2? 【答案】 1. Eight years ago 2. 152 million 3. An external display 4. Twenty-five 5. 15 million 6. Gaming enthusiasts 7. Via a national lottery 8. From dawn 9. Take a half-day off work. 10. It's worth the money. 6. Put the words in the right order 1. launched   its   It   piece   major   first   of   hardware   . 2. follow-up   The   its   to   popular   hugely   predecessor   . 3. used   device   be   handheld   as   can   a   It   . 4. connected   be   It   can   to   display   an   external   . 5. Mario   enhanced   smash   of   success   the   version   An   . 6. queued  hours  Gaming  outside   enthusiasts   stores   for  worldwide  . 7. sold   consoles   via   national   were   The   a   lottery   . 8. lined   at   dawn   of   draw   Winners   up   the   . 9. experience   savour   went   He   to   it   the   to   . 10. console   price   tag   a   The   $449   .99   has   hefty   . keys： 1. It launched its first major piece of hardware. 2. The follow-up to its hugely popular predecessor. 3. It can be used as a handheld device. 4. It can be connected to an external display. 5. An enhanced version of the smash success Mario. 6. Gaming enthusiasts queued for hours outside stores worldwide. 7. The consoles were sold via a national lottery. 8. Winners of the draw lined up at dawn. 9. He went to it to savour the experience. 10. The console has a hefty $449.99 price tag. 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $$