When Jeff Sparkman draws his cartoon superheroes with colored pencils, he often has to ask other people to tell him what color his masked men turned out to be because he's color-blind. Now, a new smart phone application (app) can help him figure out what colors he's using and how the picture looks to most everyone else.
The DanKam app, available for iPhone and Android for $2.99, is an application that turns the vague colors that one percent of the population with color-blindness sees into the "true" colors as everyone else sees them. In America, an estimated 32 million color-blind Americans—95% are males—can soon have their life improved.
“DanKam takes the stream of data coming in through the phone's camera and changes the colors slightly so they fall within the range that people who are color-blind see,”developer Dan Kaminsky told CNET. He came up with the idea after watching the 2009 film Star Trek with a color-blind friend.
It was then that he got to know more about colorblindness like its varying types and degrees. A vast majority, for instance, have trouble seeing red or green due to a genetic defect(遗传缺陷). Blue-yellow colorblindness, however, is rarer and develops later in life because of aging, illness or head injuries, etc. He started experimenting with one of the most common representations of points in the RGB color model. What the DanKam app attempts to do is to clean up the color space of the image or video signal so that colors can be visible to those suffering from viewing problems. “You can adjust the app to fit your needs. There is a range and not everyone who is color-blind sees things the same.” Says Kaminsky.
Sparkman, a copy editor at CNET, tried out the app and was pleased with the results. "It would be useful for dressing for a job interview," he said. But using it for his art is “the most practical application." It worked well on LED and other lights on electronic gadgets, which means Sparkman can now identify the power light on his computer display as green.According to the first two paragraphs, we can know that DanKam ___________.
| A．is designed to help people with colorblindness |
| B．can turn vague colors into real ones |
| C．is a phone used to help drawing pictures |
| D．appeared in the movie Star Trek |
How does DanKam’s app work?
| A．It puts LED and other lights on electronic gadgets. |
| B．It shows common representations of points in the RGB color model |
| C．It checks color-blind people’s types of degrees of colorblindness. |
| D．It changes the colors so that color-blind people can see them. |
It can be inferred from the passage that colorblindness __________.
| A．cannot be cured by any methods |
| B．is not necessarily inborn disease |
| C．is more commonly seen in women |
| D．makes people unable to tell any colors |
The underlined word visible in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to _________.
| A．recognizable | B．enjoyable |
| C．adjustable | D．Portable |
Which of the following is NOT included in the things that DanKam helps Sparkman with?
| A．Choosing clothes. |
| B．Playing computer games |
| C．Drawing his pictures. |
| D．Handling electronic gadgets. |
Living a healthy lifestyle lies in forming the right eating habits. Here are some of the good habits you can develop when it comes to healthy eating.
Drink plenty of water. You must drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. You may need even more water if you are in a hot environment or if you are exercising.
Eat breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A recent study has shown that those who eat breakfast will consume an average of 100 calories less during the day than their colleagues who skipped breakfast. They will also be able to concentrate better.
Don’t skip lunch. If you do so, your blood sugar level will drop and your metabolism (新陈代谢) will slow down. When you get home you are starving and eat everything you can find.
We all need to snack from time to time, but please choose your snacks carefully. In fact, it’s a good idea to eat two healthy snacks besides your three main meals. Choose healthy snacks like fruits and vegetables, low fat yogurt, cottage cheese with apple sauce, and so on.
Eat your fruit and vegetables. We should eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Take a piece of fruit for a snack, add some banana and raisins to your favourite breakfast cereal, have a salad with lunch, and eat at least one vegetable at dinner each night.
Do not eat your dinner too late. Try to eat dinner at least 3 hours before you go to bed. This will give your body a chance to digest most of the food before you rest for the next 8 hours. Plan dinner for the week ahead of time and make sure you have everything you need in the house so other family members can get a head start on dinner if you have a late meeting at the office.How many good eating habits are mentioned in the passage?
| A．8. | B．7. | C．6. | D．5. |
The underlined word “raisin” most probably means “_____”.
| A．a peach leaf | B．a dried grape |
| C．a piece of cheese | D．a peanut |
Who is this passage intended for?
| A．Students. | B．Housewives. |
| C．Office workers. | D．Cooks. |
You may most probably find this article _____.
| A．in a textbook | B．in a science fiction book |
| C．in an advertisement | D．in a website |
Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experience? Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given to us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of person’s intelligence are fixed at birth, but whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts, can be supported in a number of ways.
It is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people at random from population, it is likely that their degree of intelligence will be completely different. If on the other hand we take two identical twins, they will very probably be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth.
Imagine now that we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth plays a part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all are likely to have similar degrees of intelligence.Which of these sentences best describes the writer’s point in Paragraph 1?
| A．To some extent, intelligence is given at birth. |
| B．Intelligence is developed by the environment. |
| C．Some people are born clever and others born stupid. |
| D．Intelligence is fixed at birth, but is developed by the environment. |
It is suggested in this passage that ________ .
| A．unrelated people are not likely to have different intelligence |
| B．close relation usually have similar intelligence |
| C．the closer the blood relationship between people, the more different they are likely to be in intelligence |
| D．people who live in close contact with each other are not likely to have similar degrees of intelligence |
The phrase “at random” (Line 3, Para.2) means ________ .
| A．purposely | B．regularly |
| C．independently | D．aimlessly |
The best title for this article would be ________ .
| A．What Does Intelligence Mean? |
| B．We are Born with Intelligence |
| C．On Intelligence |
| D．Environment Plays a Part in Developing Intelligence |
What is homestay? Literally it is a home for you to stay when you are not home. To be specific, homestay provides foreign language students with the opportunity to speak native language outside the classroom and the experience of being part of a local home. Here is what you will experience in our British Homestay Program.
What to Expect
The host will provide accommodation and meals. Rooms will be cleaned and bedcovers changed at least once a week. You will be given the house key and the host is there to offer help and advice as well as to take an interest in your physical and mental health.
Accommodation Zones
Homestays are located in London mainly in Zones 2, 3 and of the transport system. Most hosts do not live in the town centre (Zone 1) as much of central London is commercial and not residential(居住的). Zones 3 and 4 often offer smaller accommodation in a more crowded area. It is very convenient to travel in London by underground.
Meal Plans Available
◆Continental Breakfast
◆Breakfast and Dinner
◆Breakfast, Packed Lunch and Dinner
It's important to note that few English families still provide a traditional cooked breakfast. Your accommodation includes Continental Breakfast which normally consists of fruit juice, cereal(谷物类食品), bread and tea or coffee. Cheese, fruit and cold meat are not normally part of a Continental Breakfast in England. Dinners usually consist of meat or fish with vegetables followed by desert, fruit and coffee.
Friends
If you wish to invite a friend over to visit, you must first ask your host's permission. You have no right to entertain friends in a family home as some families feel it is an invasion of their privacy.
SelfCatering Accommodation in Private Homes
Accommodation on a roomonly basis includes shared kitchen and bathroom facilities and often a main living room. This kind of accommodation offers an independent lifestyle and is more suitable for the longstay student. However, it does not provide the same family atmosphere as an ordinary homestay and may not benefit those who need to practice English at home quite as much.The passage is probably written for_________.
| A．hosts willing to receive foreign students |
| B．English learners applying to live in English homes |
| C．travelers planning to visit families in London |
| D．foreigners hoping to build British culture |
Which of the following will the host provide?
| A．Medical care. | B．Free transport. |
| C．Room cleaning. | D．Physical training. |
According to the passage, what does continental Breakfast include?
| A．Dessert and coffee. | B．Fruit and vegetables. |
| C．Fruit and cold meat. | D．Bread and fruit juice. |
Why do some people choose selfcatering accommodation?
| A．To enjoy much more freedom. |
| B．To enrich their knowledge of English. |
| C．To entertain friends as they like. |
| D．To experience a warmer family atmosphere. |
It's really true what people say about English politeness: it's everywhere. When squeezing past someone in a narrow passage, people say "sorry". When getting off a bus, English passengers say "thank you" rather than the driver. In Germany, people would never dream of doing these things. After all, squeezing past others is sometimes unavoidable, and the bus driver is only doing his job. I used to think the same way, without questioning it, until I started traveling to the British Isles, and here are some more polite ways of interacting (交往) with people in UK.
People thank each other everywhere in England, all the time. When people buy something in a shop, customers and retail assistants in most cases thank each other twice or more. In Germany, it would be exceptional（例外的）to hear more than one thank you in such a conversation. British students thank their lecturers when leaving the room. English employers thank their employees for doing their jobs, as opposite to Germans, who would normally think that paying their workers money is already enough.
Another thing I observed during my stay was that English people rarely criticize others. Even when I was working and mistakes were pointed out to me, my employers emphasized several times but none of their explanations were intended as criticism. It has been my impression that by avoiding criticism, English people are making an effort to make others feel comfortable. This also is showed in other ways. British men still open doors for women, and British men are more likely to treat women to a meal than German men. However, I do need to point out here that this applies to English men a bit more than it would to Scottish men! Yes, the latter are a bit tightfisted.What is the author's attitude towards English politeness?
| A．He thinks it is artificial. |
| B．He appreciates it very much. |
| C．He thinks little of it. |
| D．He thinks it goes too far. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．The author think it's unnecessary to say “thank you” to the bus driver. |
| B．In Germany, employers often say “thank you” to employees for their job. |
| C．Germans think it is unnecessary to thank workers because payment is enough. |
| D．German men never treat a woman to dinner. |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．English people try to avoid criticizing others in the daily life. |
| B．In Germany, passengers sometimes say “thank you” to bus drivers. |
| C．English drivers often say “thank you” to passengers when they get off the bus. |
| D．Germans are more considerate and polite than Englishmen. |
The author develops the text through the method of .
| A．giving comments |
| B．telling stories |
| C．making comparisons |
| D．giving reasons/examples |
Even with the multimedia excitement of the web. Electronic Mail, email, is the most frequently used application of the Internet. Many people who have a chance to use the Internet at school, home, and work. They use the Internet for no other purposes than to send or receive emails.
It's all very easy. You prepare the message, log onto(登录) the Internet, and send it. The message first goes to your Internet Service Provider's mail server, which in turn sends it to the recipient's(邮件接收者) mail server. On the way your message may go through several servers, each reading the name in order to send it to the right server. The message then remains in the recipient's mail email server until he requests it by “checking his mail”.
The benefits of emails are obvious: mostly it's quick. Also, many people feel that the rules for regular mails don't apply to email, making it less formal, which in turn make email easier to write and send.
It's not just friends and coworkers that are receiving emails. Wherever you look, the Web is providing email addresses. This has made communication between strangers easier than ever. You can read an interesting article online and immediately send the author an email. Anyone who posts his email address on a Web page is saying he wants to receive email.
There are places you can go if you don't know someone's email address. Check out Bigfoot, the Internet Address Finder, or Netscape's Email Directories for more information.
Email is one of the services offered by your Internet Service Provider—a service that you're applying for every month.The passage is about .
| A．the multimedia excitement | B．different websites |
| C．email | D．mail server |
We can infer from the passage that .
| A．email is the only application of the internet |
| B．if you want to send and receive emails, all you have to do is to log onto the Internet. |
| C．many people use the Internet only for the purpose of sending and receiving email |
| D．you can send emails to friends and coworkers but you can't make communication between strangers |
If you don't know someone's email address, .
| A．look up in a dictionary |
| B．check on Netscape's Email Directories |
| C．ask your computer teacher |
| D．refer to your textbook |
What can you infer from the fourth paragraph?
| A．Only friends and coworkers send emails. |
| B．It's convenient to communicate between strangers online. |
| C．It's difficult to contact the author on the Internet. |
| D．You can't log onto the Internet except at home. |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号