For those who are tired doing the laundry, Samsung has found an answer: a washing machine that can tell you when your laundry is done via a smartphone app(application).
Strange though it may seem - "my wife already does that" was a common response among attendees viewing the device when it was introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week - Samsung is just one of many appliance makers racing to install (安装) a large number of internet-connected features in machines in an effort to make them "smart".
Last year, it was a refrigerator that tweeted. This year, it's Wi-Fi-enabled laundry machines and fridges that can tell you when your groceries are going bad.
The washers and dryers, available starting in the spring, connect to any smartphone through a downloadable application. The phone can then be used as a remote control, so the machines can be turned on and off while their owners is at work or on the bus.
Samsung says it's not just something new - the app connection actually has some practical uses.
"If you started to dry clothes in the morning and forgot to take them out, you can go to your phone and restart your dryer for the time when come home, so your clothes are refreshed and ready to go," said spokesperson Amy Schmidt.
The company also says that with electricity rate(电价)varying depending on the time of day, more control over when the machines are used can help save money.
Perhaps, but what they will probably really accomplish is what all good technologies do -enable laziness. Rather than getting up to check on whether the laundry is done, users will instead monitor it on their phones while watching TV.
| 1． |
What can be inferred from the common response of the attendees at the CES?
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| 2． |
What can we learn about the new laundry machines?
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| 3． |
We can conclude form Samsung's statements that.
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| 4． |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
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Findings from a new study were presented at a recent meeting of the American Psychosomatic(身心的) Society. Researchers in the United States studied 100,000 women during an eight-year period, beginning in 1994. All of the women were fifty or older. The study was part of the Women’s Health Initiative organized by the Nation
al Institutes of Health.
The women were asked questions measuring their beliefs or ideas about the future. The res
earchers attempted to identify each woman’s personality eight years after gathering the information.
The study found that hopeful individuals were 14% less likely than other women to have died from any cause. The hopeful women were also 30% less likely to have died from hear
t disease after the eight years.
Hilary Tindle from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania was the lead author of the report. She said the study confirmed earlier research that linked optimistic feelings to longer life.
The researchers also gathered information about people’s education, financial earnings, physical activity and use of alcohol or cigarettes. Independent of those things, the findings still showed that optimists had less of a chance of dying during the eight-year period.
Some women who answered the questions were found to be hostile (怀敌意的), or highly untrusting of others. These women were 16% more likely to die than the others. They also were 23% more likely to die of cancer.
The study also found women who were not optimistic were more likely to smoke and have high blood pressure or diabetes. They were also more likely not to exercise.
Tindle says the study did not confirm whether optimism leads to healthier choices, or if it actually affects a person’s physical health. She also says the study does not prove that negative (消极的) emotions or distrust lead to bad health effects and shorter life. Yet there does appear to be a link that calls for more research. In which part of a newspaper can you read the above passage?
| A．Nation | B．Opinion | C．Science | D．Business |
Researchers carry out the study to ________.
| A．decide who is more likely to enjoy a happier life |
| B．find out the link between personality and health |
| C．gather information for the National Institutes of Health |
| D．compare each woman’s personality changes |
What can be inferred from the text?
| A．Negative emotions cause a shorter life indeed. |
| B．There may be some link between personality and health. |
| C．It’s uncertain whether optimism affects one’s health. |
| D．The more optimistic you are, the longer life you may enjoy. |
Who is more likely to die of cancer according to the text?
| A．A woman who always doubts what others say. | B．A woman who doesn’t exercise. |
| C．A woman with high blood pressure. | D．A woman with poor physical health. |
What’s Hilary Tindle’s opinion of the study?
| A．Unfair. | B．Useless. | C．Necessary. | D．Reliable. |
All schoolchildren should have "happiness" lessons up to the age of 18 to combat(fight) growing levels of depression, according to a senior Government adviser.
Pupils should study subjects such as how to manage feelings, attitudes to work and money, channeling (引导) negative emotions and even how to take a critical view of the media, said Lord Layard, a professor of economics at the London School of Economics.
The proposal comes only days after the Government said that lessons in manners—including respect for the elderly and how to say "please" and "thank you" should be taught in secondary schools to combat bad behavior.
Lord Layard said, "Learning hard things takes an enormous amount of practice. To play the violin well takes10,000 hours of practice. How can we expect people to learn to be happy without massive amounts of practice and repetition?"
It is believed that at least two percent of British children under 12 now struggle with significant depression. Among teenagers, the figure rises to five percent. AUNICEF study involving 21 developed countries showed that British children were the least satisfied with their lives, while the World Health Organization predicts that childhood psychiatric (精神)disorders will rise by 50 percent by 2020.
In a speech at Cambridge University, Lord Layard said the Government's lessons in manners did not go far enough. "We need a commitment to producing a major specialism in this area, with a serious teacher training program," he said.
However, happiness lessons have been criticized by academics. Frank Furedi, a sociolog
y professor at Kent University and author of Therapy Culture, said, "In pushing emotional literacy, what some teachers are really doing is abandoning teaching. They are giving up and talking about emotions instead, so that children value all this non-discipline-led activity more than math, English or science. What is amazing about this is that time and time again, research says that it does not work. " Frank Furedi believes that ______.
| A．happiness lessons should be taught to children |
| B．happiness lessons are just a waste of time |
| C．formal teaching can go side by side with happiness lessons |
| D．formal teaching should not give way to happiness lessons |
We can conclude from the passage that _______.
| A．the British Government hasn't fully realized the problems with British students |
| B．Lord Layard thinks little of the Government's lessons in manners |
| C．British students are not well-behaved enough |
| D．lessons in manners have brought about positive changes in British students |
Which of the following methods does Lord Layard use to show learning to be happy takes practice?
| A．Comparison. | B．Description. | C．Argument. | D．Analysis. |
What does Lord Layard think of the Government's lessons in manners?
| A．They are quite enough to solve the present problem. |
| B．They can hardly meet the special demands of education. |
| C．They are only focused on a major specialism. |
| D．They will probably end up in failure. |
What do we know about British children from the passage?
| A．They are the least happy among 21 developed countries. |
| B．They suffer depression at an earlier age. |
| C．They are the easiest to suffer childhood psychiatric disorders. |
| D．Their standard of living is the lowest among 21 developed countries. |
JAKARTA, INDONESIA - Walking with long steps and his smile lighting up a rainy afternoon, Barack Obama seems to have arrived to visit a school he attended as a boy. But wait. He's not real Obama. The US president is back in Washington, D. C.
So who is this guy? He's llham Anas, 34, a magazine photographer who has taken advantage of his perfect resemblance(相像) to Obama and turned it into his own wealth.
When his sister first mentioned the resemblance, Anas dismissed it. Then a friend asked him to pose as Obama in front of a US flag. He also refused. "I'm a photographer, not an object for the camera," he said.
However, as soon as he accepted the idea, his career took off. Recently a group of reporters followed him on a tour of the school Obama once attended. Anas sat in the classroom where the present US president once studied. He spoke a few lines in English. The moment he opened his mouth, however, the differences became clear. “Obama is a baritone (男中音) ,” Anas said. “I'm not. I sound like a little boy.” He is also shorter than the president, but he makes up for that by practicing Obama's actions.
He says he has made a request to meet President Obama when he arrives, but he hasn't heard back from the president' s schedules. Now he no longer sees an average guy. Now he sees a superstar.
Now, Anas hopes that Obama will win a second term in the White H
ouse. “The longer he's in office, the longer my fame will last,” he said. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 4 mean?
| A．Anas also thought he looked like Obama. |
| B．Anas was satisfied with his sister's comment. |
| C．Anas didn't think about the resemblance seriously. |
| D．Anas didn' t understand what his sister talked about. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Obama has met Anas once in Indonesia. |
| B．Anas didn't become rich until he got to know Obama. |
| C．Obama studied in Indonesia when he was young. |
| D．Anas is a baritone but he can sound like a little boy. |
We can learn from the passage that Anas now ______ .
| A．longs for a simple life | B．is proud of his appearance |
| C．keeps in touch with Obama | D．wants to become a politician |
Why does Anas hope Obama will be president in
the next term？
| A．He is a supporter of Obama. | B．He hopes Obama will see him. |
| C．He wants to be famous for longer. | D．He thinks Obama is a great politician. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．An Obama Lookalike Becomes Popular in Asia |
| B．Obama Visits His Old School in Indonesia |
| C．A Man Practices Obama’s Typical Actions |
| D．Obama’s Face and Smile to Be Seen on TV |
At a primary school in a small town in the east of South Carolina, second-grade teachers Garneau and Lynne are convinced that separating elementary-age boys and girls produces immediate academic improvement in both genders（性别）．
David Chadwell, South Carolina’s expert of single gender education says, “Boys and girls learn, hear and respond to their surroundings differently．We can teach boys and girls based on what we now know．”
Male and female eyes are not organized in the same way, he explains．The organization of the male eye makes it sensitive to motion and direction．“Boys understand the world as objects moving through space,” he says．
The male eye is also drawn to cooler colors like silver and black．It’s no accident that boys tend to create pictures of moving objects instead of drawing the happy colorful family, like girls do in their class．
The female eye, on the other hand, is drawn to warmer colors like red, yellow and orange．To attract girls, Chadwell says, the teacher doesn’t need to move as much as in boy’s class．Using descriptive phrases and lots of colors in presentations or on the blackboard gets their attention．
Boys and girls also hear differently．“When someone speaks in a loud tone, girls understand it as yelling,” Chadwell says．“They think you’re mad and can shut down．” Girls are more sensitive to sounds．He advises girls’ teachers to watch the tone of their voices．Boys’ teachers should sound more forceful, even excited．
A boy’s nervous system causes him to be more cautious when he is standing, moving, and the room temperature is around 69 degrees Fahrenheit．Stress in boys, he says, tends to increase blood flow to their brains, a process that helps them stay focused．Girls are more focused when seated in a warmer room around 75 degrees Fahrenheit．Girls also respond to stress differently．When exposed to threat and conflict, blood goes to their guts（肠道）, leaving them feeling nervous or anxious．
These differences can be applied in the classroom, Chadwell adds．“Single gender programs are about making the best use of the learning．”What is David Chadwell’s attitude toward separating elementary-age boys and girls while learning?
| A．Supportive | B．Worried | C．Concerned | D．Uninterested |
To engage boy in a class, the teacher ______．
| A．must have a moving object in this hand |
| B．needs to wear clothes in warm color |
| C．has to speak politely |
| D．had better move constantly while teaching |
Which of the following shows the organization of the passage?
（ =" Paragraph" 1 ‚=" Paragraph" 2 ƒ=" Paragraph" 3 …．．． ˆ=" Paragraph" 8 ）
Which of the following students is most likely to be focused?
| A．A boy sitting in a warm room | B．A standing boy who is faced with stress |
| C．A girl standing in a cold room | D．A girl who is facing a lot of pressure |
International Studies (BA)
Key features
● Recognizes the “global community”
● Has close connections with practical research
● Much of the teaching is done in small discussion groups
About the course
The course gives you chances to know great power polities between nation states．It will provide more space to study particular issues such as relationship among countries in the European Union, third world debt, local and international disagreement, and the work of such international bodies as the United Nations, the European Union, NATO, and the World Bank.
The course puts theories into the working of the international system with close attention to particular countries．You will also have a better knowledge of methods of solving the international problems.
Related courses
BA (Hons) Community Management
BA (Hons) Public Policy and Management
Employment possibilities
International organizations
International business
Earth Science (BSc)
Key features
● Based on key courses and the latest research findings
● Pays much attention to practical skills
● Offers chances for fieldwork（实地考察）
About the course
The demand for natural resources is becoming an increasingly serious problem for the future of mankind．Graduates in Earth Science will play an important role in meeting this demand, and in knowing the meaning of using the natural resources.
The course covers geography and geology．You will carry out fieldwork in the UK and possibly overseas, and a research in an area of interest to you in the final year.
Related courses
BSc (Hons) Geograhpy
BSc (Hons) Geology
Employment possibilities
Mineral, oil, water or other related engineering industriesInternational Studies is a course in ________.
| A．international polities | B．international business |
| C．international systems | D．international bodies |
After taking the course of International Studies, the students will _______.
| A．become practical and open-minded |
| B．have a greater ability to discuss theories |
| C．know how to settle international problems |
| D．have good jobs in any international organizations |
Earth Science, as described in the second text, ________.
| A．is attractive because of the chances for fieldwork |
| B．pays more attention to practical skills than theories |
| C．is built on important courses and the results of recent studies |
| D．encourages students to play a role in using natural resources |
It can be inferred that the above two texts are written for the students who _______.
| A．enjoy research work | B．plan to choose courses |
| C．study in the UK | D．are interested in overseas fieldwork |
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