Severely disabled people may soon be able to use their noses to write, drive a wheelchair or surf the Internet, thanks to a device (装置) developed by doctors in Israel.
The device will be used by breathing in and out through the nose, according to a study. Healthy people who tested the device quickly learned to play computer games and write sentences by sniffing. Encouraged by the results, the researchers decided to test their device on people who are paralyzed (瘫痪) but whose intelligence remains normal. Ten paralyzed who tested the device quickly learned to use their noses to write words, open a webpage, copy words and put them into a search engine.
With their success in helping severely disabled people to communicate * the researchers decided to make use of the new technology to design an electric wheelchair to be driven by sniffs.
Ten healthy people easily mastered sniff—driving a wheelchair through a maze (迷宫), and a 30-year-old man who had been paralyzed from the neck down for six years was as good a sniff-driver as the healthy participants at his second attempt. In other words, a paralyzed person could use the sniff controller to drive an electric wheelchair.
At the moment, sniff-controlled technology is still in the stage of development, and the Weizmann Institute has already applied for a patent on the device. "Ill be very happy if it can help us to make money, but the real problem is that I hope someone will develop it, because this would help a lot of people," said Sobel, one of the lead researchers of the study.What’s the purpose of the passage?
| A．To introduce a new invention. |
| B．To equip the disabled with life skills. |
| C．To show the nose's special functions. |
| D．To instruct doctors to apply for a patent. |
In the test, the paralyzed people with normal intelligence can use their nose to ______.
| A．type long sentences quickly |
| B．play computer games easily |
| C．enter a website without much difficulty |
| D．communicate with others successfully |
With the help of the sniffing device, a 30-year-old disabled man ______.
| A．spent six years learning how to drive a wheelchair |
| B．failed to drive through the maze at his first attempt |
| C．took the wheelchair controlled by healthy participants |
| D．managed to drive an electric wheelchair by sniffing |
From the last paragraph, we can infer that the sniff-controlled technology ______.
| A．will be applied to other fields of research |
| B．needs further developing to serve more people |
| C．has become an important patented invention |
| D．shows the wisdom and talents of Israel doctors |
Breathe, wave and smile. Along with more than 300 other seniors, I marched into the stadium on the afternoon of May 10. The audience burst into deafening cheers. The huge stadium shook with all the whistling and clapping.
It was as if a Hollywood superstar had walked on stage. And indeed, every single senior that day was a star of the moment. Each deserved it. The seniors had been preparing for four years for this once-in-a-lifetime moment—the commencement.
Seated, I waited anxiously for the opening address. As a foreign exchange student, I was not able to receive a diploma. However, I still had the wonderful feeling of being part of things. Like the other graduates, I was dressed in marron（紫褐色）cap and gown(方帽长袍).
Our principal, Mr. Glover, delivered a short, warm greeting. The US national anthem followed and then, hands on chests, a solemn Pledge of Allegiance(对美国的效忠宣誓).
Students who had excelled academically gave farewell speeches. The tears in some eyes convinced me that many had deep feelings about the occasion. It was as the class motto says, “Life brings us tears, smiles and memories. The tears dry; the smiles fade; but the memories last forever.”
Then came the core (核心) of the commencement. Hundreds of names were announced. Each graduate walked across the stage to receive his or her diploma from the principal. From the different cheers each graduate got, we had the funny sense that it was a kind of competition of who could cheer the loudest.
To be honest, the presentation of diplomas got boring. A girl sitting next to me even started yawning. But it wasn’t boring for those receiving the diploma: they would treasure the moment the principal placed the sacred brown document in their hands for the rest of their lives.
A new page in the book of that person’s life had turned. They were glimpsing（开始领悟） their futures: futures of challenge, hardship, perhaps loneliness too, which would take all of their courage.What’s the article mainly about?
| A．An American graduation ceremony. |
| B．The opening ceremony of a sports meeting. |
| C．A presentation of college diplomas. |
| D．A US college’s farewell party. |
According to the text, which of the following statements about the author is TRUE?
| A．Hollywood superstars went to attend the ceremony. |
| B．Every single senior became a superstar at the ceremony. |
| C．When each graduate got his or her diploma, there were cheers. |
| D．All graduates would treasure the diploma for the rest of their lives. |
The right order of the following events is________.
a. Diplomas were presented to graduates. b. Students gave farewell speeches.
c. The US national anthem was played. d. The principal gave a short, warm speech.
e. Seniors went into the stadium.
| A．b-c-a-d-e | B．b-d-c-e-a | C．e-d-b-a-c | D．e-d-c-b-a |
From the text, we can infer that_______.
| A．foreign exchange students could get a diploma |
| B．a diploma guarantees a bright future |
| C．the ceremony symbolizes the beginning of a new stage in life |
| D．everyone felt excited at the presentation of the diploma |
We know from the text that the author _________.
| A．felt lost about the future |
| B．was actually one of the graduates |
| C．received her diploma on May 10 |
| D．felt it boring to be at the presentation ceremony |
In modern society, receiving systematic college education seems a necessary way for success as a graduate from first-class university may always get more opportunities than others. However, if it is gold, it will shine one day. In this article, we will get to know three most successful people in U.S. who never finished their college education. Following experiences of these successful dropouts may give you some inspiration.
1. Bill Gates
Harvard’s campus paper “Harvard Crimson” called Bill Gates “Harvard’s most successful dropout,” while the rest of the world preferred to name him “the world’s richest man” for more than a decade. Now, even not on the top, he is still among the list of the world’s wealthiest people.Gates entered Harvard in the fall of 1973. Two years later, he dropped out to found Microsoft with friend Paul Allen. And in 2007, he finally received an honorary doctorate from Harvard.
2. Steve Jobs
The iPad, even Buzz Lightyear probably wouldn’t have existed if Steve Jobs stayed in school. Because his family couldn’t afford his college education, Jobs had to drop out of Reed College just after entering for 6 months. Then he found Apple, NeXT Computer and Pixar, which had made great influences on development of modern technique and culture. However, this wizard thought that his brief college education was not worthless.
3. Frank Lloyd Wright
As the America’s most celebrated architect, Wright spent more time on designing colleges rather than attending classes in them. Once spent one year in the University of Wisconsin-Madison, then he left for Chicago and started to learn from Louis Sullivan, the “father of modernism." Wright’ s splendid resume included more than 500 works, most famous of which are Fallingwater and New York City's Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. What does“dropouts”in Paragraph One mean?
| A．Hardworking students. | B．Very successful students. |
| C．Students failing to finish their school education. | D．Students from poor families. |
Which of the following is right according to Paragraph One?
| A．People graduating from famous universities are more likely to get jobs. |
| B．Many successful people had the experience of giving up their school education. |
| C．If one has a lot of gold, he will become very rich one day. |
| D．We should stop our college education to follow in those successful people’s steps. |
According to the writer, Bill Gates _________.
| A．is richer than any other man in the world |
| B．is well-known in Harvard University |
| C．finally finished his study at Harvard and got a doctorate degree |
| D．is the only founder of Microsoft |
Which of the following statements can’t be learned from the last two paragraphs?
| A．The reason for Jobs’ dropping his college education is that his parents couldn’t pay for it. |
| B．Jobs thought his six-month college education gave him no help. |
| C．Wright’s teacher was a very famous artist. |
| D．Wright is the designer of New York City’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. |
What does the author want to tell us in this passage?
| A．Successful people often have unordinary life experience. |
| B．College education is not so important to one’s success. |
| C．People from poor families are more likely to give up their college education. |
| D．Even without college education, one can still achieve success with one’s hard work. |
If you will be cycling, you will need to know what these traffic signs and signals mean.
A sign like this one means that there is a bike lane. If there is a bike lane, you are required to use it. If there is not a bike lane, you should ride with traffic as far to the right side of the road as possible.
When the signal light turns green, cars go. When you cross the street at a signal light, you should wait for the walk signal. Be sure to look carefully to the left, right and left again, before crossing the street.
When the signal light turns yellow, car drivers should slow down and prepare to stop. You should not cross if the light is yellow. The light is about to turn red, and cars will enter the intersection.
This signal is the WALK sign. It has a picture of a person walking instead of using the word WALK.
This signal is the DON'T WALK sign. It is part of the signal with the picture of a person walking.This is a picture of a red hand, meaning you should stop. You should wait to cross the street until the green picture of the person walking is showing.
Car drivers and bikers must come to a complete stop at STOP signs.
A yield sign means to slow down and be ready to stop.
If there are pedestrians(行人)or vehicles in or nearing the intersection，you must stop.
If there is no traffic in or nearing the intersection and it is safe，you may go through.
This sign means you are coming to a crosswalk. Car drivers, antibikers must stop to allow people in the crosswalk to cross the street.
When people are working on the roads, parts of the road are often dug up or rough. Be careful when cycling. Rough roads could make you fall off your bike. If you must move into the road to go around a work area, you should stop and look carefully to be sure there is no traffic coming before going into the road.
A detour is a way of getting around a roadway that is closed. Roads are usually closed because of road work or dangerous conditions. If you must take a detour, be careful of roads you aren't used to.The passage is intended for ________.
| A．car drivers | B．skaters | C．bikers | D．Pedestrians |
If you see the sign
while riding a bike，you are required to ________.
| A．take the bike lane | B．stop your bike |
| C．ride close to the right side of the road | D．ride in the middle of the road |
Cyclists may see the sign when ________.
| A．they come near a crosswalk |
| B．the bad weather is on the corner |
| C．they are about to pass a school |
| D．the road ahead is blocked because of the landslide (山崩) |
Mark Ramirez, a senior executive at AOL, could work in the comfortable leather chair, if he wanted. No, thanks. He prefers to stand most of the day at a desk raised above stomach level.
“I’ve got my knees bent. I feel totally alive,” he said. “It feels more natural to stand.”
In the past few years, standing has become the new sitting for 10 percent of AOL employees at the firm’s Virginia branch. Part of a standing popularity is among accountants, programmers, telemarketers and other office workers across the nation.
GeekDesk, a California firm that sells desks raised by electric motors, says sales will triple this year.
Standers give various reasons for taking to their feet: It makes them feel more focused, prevents drowsiness(困倦睡意), and makes them feel like a general even if they just push paper. (Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfels works standing up. So does novelist Philip Roth.)
But unknown to them, a debate (辩论) is spreading among ergonomics experts（人类工程学家） and public-health researchers about whether all office workers should be encouraged to stand—to save lives.
Doctors point to surprising new research showing higher rates of diabetes, obesity, heart disease and even mortality among people who sit for long stretches. A study earlier this year in the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that among 123,000 adults followed over 14 years, those who sat more than six hours a day were at least 18 percent more likely to die during the time period studied than those who sat less than three hours a day.
“Every rock we turn over when it comes to sitting is astonishing,” said Marc Hamilton, a leading researcher on inactivity physiology at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana. “Sitting is harmful. It’s dangerous. We are on the cusp (尖端) of a major revolution.” He calls sitting “the new smoking”.
Not so fast, other experts say. Standing too much at work will cause more long-term back injuries. Incidences of varicose veins(静脉曲张) among women will increase. The heart will have to pump more.
Hedge, the Cornell professor, isn’t a fan of all this standing. “Making people stand all day is dumb,” he said.
The sensible and most cost-effective strategy（策略）, he said, is to sit in a neutral posture（姿势）, slightly reclined(下弯的), with the keyboard on a tray above the lap. This position promotes positive blood flow. Workers should occasionally walk around, stretch and avoid prolonged periods at the desk. The key, he said, is movement, not standing.Marc Hamilton said “Every rock we turn over when it comes to sitting is astonishing” to show that________.
| A．the result of the study about sitting too long is shocking |
| B．we need to remove many rocks |
| C．we need to smooth away many difficulties |
| D．sitting on a rock is necessary |
The following are the reasons why some experts are against standing too long except .
| A．It will cause more long-term back injuries |
| B．it will raise the burden of heart |
| C．incidences of varicose veins among women will increase |
| D．standing too much at work per day is too tiring |
According to the studies in the passage mentioned, .
| A．it is better not to stand more than 6 hours |
| B．sitting too long can arouse illnesses easily |
| C．sitting long is specially harmful to adults |
| D．standing much is better than sitting long |
Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
| A．Standing is not better than sitting |
| B．Standing more does no harm to people |
| C．Standing will promote the efficiency |
| D．More office workers take standing against sitting |
It's not a new phenomenon, but have you noticed how many nouns are being used as verbs? We all use them, often without noticing what we're doing.
I was arranging to meet someone for dinner last week, and I said “I’ll pencil it in my diary”, and my friend said “You can ink it in”, meaning that it was a firm arrangement not a tentative one!
Many of these new verbs are linked to new technology. An obvious example is the word fax. We all got used to sending and receiving faxes, and then soon started talking about faxing something and promising we'd fax it immediately. Then along came email, and we were soon all emailing each other madly. How did we do without it? I can hardly imagine life without my daily emails.
Email reminds me, of course, of my computer and its software, which has produced another
couple of new verbs. On my computer I can bookmark those pages from the World Wide Web that I think I'll want to look at again, thus saving all the effort of remembering their addresses and calling them up from scratch. I can do the same thing on my PC, but there I don't bookmark; I favorite—coming from “favorite pages”, so the verb is derived from an adjective not a noun.
Now my children bought me a mobile phone, known simply as a mobile and I had to learn yet more new verbs. I can message someone, that is, I can leave a message for them on their phone. Or I can text them, write a few words suggesting when and where to meet, for example. How long will it be before I can mobile them, that is, phone them using my mobile? I haven’t heard that verb yet, but I’m sure I will soon. Perhaps I’ll start using it myself! “I’ll pencil it in my diary” in the second paragraph probably means .
| A．it was a firm arrangement |
| B．it was an uncertain arrangement |
| C．the arrangement should be written as a diary |
| D．he prefers a pencil to a pen |
A website address can be easily found if it has been______.
| A．emailed | B．messaged | C．favorited | D．texted |
Which of the following has not been used as a verb, yet?
| A．message | B．page | C．email | D．mobile |
The best title for this passage is____.
| A．New Verbs from Nouns |
| B．The Development of the English language |
| C．New Technology and New words |
| D．Technology and Language. |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号