As more people use smart phones to pay bills and store personal information, strict password security has become more important than ever. A new study shows that free - form gestures – sweeping fingers in shapes across the screen of a smart phone—can be used to unlock phones. These gestures are less likely to be observed and reproduced by others than traditional typed passwords.
“All that it takes to steal a password is a quick eye,” said one of the researchers of the study. “With all the personal information we have on our phones today, improving their security is becoming increasingly necessary.” In developing a secure solution to this problem, the researchers studied the practicality of using free - form gestures. With the ability to create any shape in any size and location on the screen, the gestures were popular as passwords. Since users create them without following a template, the researchers predicted these gestures would allow for greater complexity.
The researchers carried out a create - test - retest experiment where 63 people were asked to create a gesture, recall it, and recall it again 10 days later. The gestures were captured on a recognizer system designed by the team. Using this data, they tested the complexity and accuracy of each gesture using information theory. The result of their analysis is that people are favorable to use free - form gestures as passwords.
To put their analysis into practice, the researchers then had seven students in computer science and engineering, each with considerable experience with touchscreens（触摸屏）, attempt to steal a free - form gesture password by observing a phone user secretly. None of them were able to copy the gestures with enough accuracy. The gestures appear to be extremely powerful against attacks.
Though the testing is in its early stage and widespread adaptation of this technology is not yet clear, the research team plans to continue to analyze the security and management of free – form passwords in the future. They believe this is the first study to explore free - form gestures as passwords. They will soon publish their findings.What can we learn about free - form gestures?
| A．They are improving mobile security in a way. |
| B．Users will have to make use of simple gestures. |
| C．They will never be copied by others. |
| D．Users must move their fingers in fixed shapes. |
The experiment in paragraph 4 is to test _________ of free - form gestures.
| A．template | B．application |
| C．accuracy | D．security |
According to the text, the researchers think that ________.
| A．it is easy to steal any password with a quick eye |
| B．better ways of setting passwords should be developed |
| C．people had better not use smart phones to pay bills |
| D．personal information should not be stored in a phone |
The main purpose of the text is to ________.
| A．advise people to use free - form gestures |
| B．discuss whether smart phones are safe |
| C．talk about the practicality of passwords |
| D．introduce the study of a new password |
After a very busy afternoon, as I walked into my hous
e, I heard the phone ringing. It was my friend Lydia, upset over an argument with her husband. My usual approach is to offer advice, but this time, extremely tired from chores, I simply pulled off my coat, sat down in a chair and listened to my friend's f
rustration and sadness. Without the disturbance of judgment or the desire to comfort her, I stayed totally quiet while she talked. Eventually Lydia's depression eased and we said our goodbyes. The next day she phoned to thank me. "I'm so grateful for the way you helped me through this," she said.
At first I was surprised. After all, I had done nothing except be there for her. But after I had my own venting(发泄的) experience with another friend later that evening, I realized that my focused silence had some value. In fact, most relationship experts agree that talk is cheap; it's listening that's rare and valuable. It allows you not only to hear what the other person is saying, but also to have a clear understanding of her thoughts and feelings. And for the speaker, that level of understanding translates into concern and respect.
Unfortunately, listening isn't as easy as it sounds. Thanks to schedules filled with family and work, multitasking has become the barrier(障碍) to listening. My tiredness may have been the only thing stopping me from folding laundry or checking my e-mail while Lydia talked that afternoon.
Another barrier to listening is our listening system: Most of us take in only about half of what's being said during a conversation, according to the International Listening Association. Research shows that we speak at 125 to 150 words per minute, yet think at 500 words a minute. Therefore, because we think much more quickly than we speak, it is easy for us to lose our concentration when listening to speakers.
While it can be hard to focus at times, it's a skill worth developing. With a little practice — employing some techniques— you can become a better listener. In Paragraph 2, the author mainly talks abou
t ____.
| A．the importance of listening | B．the importance of venting anger |
| C．her own listening experience | D．her own venting experience |
The author uses the result of the research in Paragraph 4 to mainly show that ____.
| A．we think much more quickly than we speak |
| B．we can only understand about half of what we hear |
| C．there is not much thinking time available while we are listening |
D．we lose our concentration easily while we are listen ing |
What will be discussed following the passage?
| A．Why listening is valuable. | B．What we should do while listening |
| C．How to become a good listener | D．How to stop drifting off while listening. |
At Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, the lights are controlled by sensors that measure sunlight. They dim immediately when it’s sunny and brighten when a passing cloud blocks the sun.
A wall of windows at a University of Pennsylvania engineering building has built-in blinds (百叶窗) controlled by a computer program that follows the sun’s path. Buildings are getting smarter and the next generation of building materials is expected to do even more.
Windows could catch the sun’s energy to heat water. Sensors that measure the carbon dioxide breathed out by people in a room could determine whether the air conditioning needs to be turned up.
Many new materials and technology have been designed in the last 15 years. They are now being used in a wave o
f buildings designed to save as much energy as possible. They include old ideas, like “green roofs”, where a belt of plants on a roof helps the building keep heat in winter and stay cool in summer, and new ideas, like special coating for windows that lets light in, but keeps heat out.
As technologies such as sensors become cheaper, their uses spread.
The elevators (电梯) at Seven World Trade Center, which is under construction in New York, use a system that groups people traveling to nearby floors into the same elevator, thus saving elevator stops. People who work in the building will enter it by swiping (刷) ID cards that will tell the elevators their floor, readouts will then tell them which elevator to use. The building also has windows with a coating that blocks heat while letting in light.
M
ore new building materials and technology are in development. A Philadelphia building firm is now working on “smart wrap” that uses tiny solar collectors to catch the sun’s energy and transmitters (传输器) as wide as a human hair to move it. They are expected to change the face of the construction industry in the next ten years or so.________ will be developed and used in the construction industry.
| A．“Green roofs” that cool or heat buildings |
| B．“Smart wrap” that catches the sun’s energy |
C．Sunlight-measurin g sensors that control lights |
| D．Window coating that lets light in, but keeps heat out |
The elevators at Seven World Trade Center are special because they can ________.
A．se nd people to floors with fewer stops |
B．teach people how to use their ID cards |
| C．make people stay very cool in summer | D．help people go traveling in the building |
The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to ________.
| A．a human hair | B．smart wrap | C．the sun’s energy | D．a transmitter |
What might be the most suitable title for the text?
| A．Buildings Are Becoming Smarter | B．Buildings Are Getting More Sunlight |
| C．Buildings Are Lacking in Much Energy | D．Buildings Are Using Cheaper Materials |
Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend. But some women show great interest in colorful beads（珠子）from Uganda made of recycled paper. The beads are sold by a nonprofit organization called BeadforLife.
BeadforLife began as a chance meeting between three American women on a trip to Uganda and a local jewelry maker. Millie Grace Akena was rolling paper beads near her home. She made paper beads as a hobby. But there was no real market in her country. 
Torkin Wakefield says she and her daughters Devin and Ginny brought some of the beads back home. Immediately people started admiring the beads. The three Americans started BeadforLife in 2004. Nearly 700 women have taken part.
The group says its beaders earn an average of more than 2,000 dollars a year in the program. This is five times what they earned before. The beads are sold across Uganda and in Boulder, Colorado. They are also sold online and at jewelry shows called bead parties. “Because they have meaning, because these are gifts that help people, when folks in America and beyond buy our beads, they feel a sense of generosity. They feel a direct connection, like they can really take part in getting rid of poverty.” Torkin said.
The jewelry costs between five and thirty dollars. BeadforLife reported sales in its last budget year of more that 3.5 million dollars. It says for every ten-dollar necklace sold, the beader gets two dollars and forty-three cents in money or materials. It says more than 90% of earnings are reinvested in community development projects in Uganda. Torkin Wakefield estimates that BeadforLi
fe has helped more than 8,000 people this way.
So what about Millie Grace Akena, the jewelry maker? Mrs Wakefield says she has gone on to organize a small group of women who work with her, and they sell their beads to a religious group. According to the passage, BeadforLife is an organization that ______.
| A．provides poor people worldwide with free education |
| B．mainly encourages people to learn to earn a living on their own |
| C．has attracted many businessmen to invest in beading |
| D．supports community development projects in Uganda |
When Torkin Wakefield brought the beads to America, ______.
| A．she didn’t know people would like them |
| B．she wanted to make a fortune out of them |
| C．people showed great interest in them at once |
| D．she was thinking of how to find investors |
According to Paragraph 4, the beads are popular because ______.
| A．people think buying them is a good way to help the poor |
| B．they are of good quality and can be kept for a long time |
| C．they symbolize the most important thing in people’s life |
| D．they look even more beautiful than diamonds |
Which of the following can best summarize the main idea of the passage?
A．Mrs Wakefield makes a great contribution to developing count ries. |
| B．BeadforLife makes beads out of recycled paper. |
| C．BeadforLife uses paper beads to improve people’s lives. |
| D．Mrs Wakefield’s career takes off thanks to paper beads. |
Flying across the globe, whether on business or for leisure, is usually effortless——you just have to book your ticket, pack your bags and show up at the airport with your passport. You board the plane and several cocktails and movies later, you arrive at your destination, and hopefully, your baggage does too. Here are some tips on how to be a clever traveler.
Easy check-in
Avoid the queue and check yourself in by using the MAS Web Check-In (malaysiaairlines.com) in the comfort of your own home or office. Passengers can now check in online anytime from 24 hours to 90 minutes ahead of the scheduled departure time. This is available for flights departing from all MAS stations ——except Paris, Kunming, Xiamen and Bandar Seri Begawan——to all MAS destinations. You can even select preferred seats online.
Bag hygiene
No, we’re not talking about the cleanliness of your bags! It’s the aviation talk for a bag that doesn’t carry any old baggage tags with barcodes that could confuse the baggage sensor（传感器）.
If you find yourself arriving in Sydney while your bag lands in Tokyo, it could be because of your old baggage tag. Another reason why bags go missing could be the printing quality of the barcode; bags are misdirected because the sensors can’t re
ad the codes correctly.
Less is more
Most airports around the world now set a weight limit of 32kg per piece of baggage. This will not only help protect the airline workers’ health, but also be easier for you to carry your bags around.
Avoid packing dangerous goods or placing valuables inside your check-in luggage. Ensure that locks are properly secured as a lot of baggage locks are found caught between the conveyor belts（传送带）. Smaller and softer bags are usually placed inside a tra
y at check-in to protect the locks from contact with the conveyor belt. According to the passage, airplane passengers ______.
| A．can check in without going to the airport |
| B．have to check in 90 minutes earlier |
| C．are required to check in on the MAS web |
| D．can select their favorite seats when getting aboard |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “hygiene” in the passage?
| A．Disappearance. | B．Protection. |
| C．Check. | D．Cleanliness. |
Why does baggage sometimes go missing according to the passage?
a. The bags are too old and dirty.
b. The sensors can’t read the barcodes correctly.
c. The old tag is still on the bag.
d. The bags are too heavy to check.
| A．a, b | B．b, c | C．c, d | D．b, d |
Which of the following statements is TRUR about check-in baggage?
| A．Each piece can weigh 30 kg at the most. |
| B．Smaller and softer bags should be separated from other ones. |
| C．Valuable things should be kept inside a tray. |
| D．Bags containing dangerous things can be caught on the conveyor belts. |
Besides containing attractive flowers, trees and other plants that beautify the community, eco-friendly rain gardens are healthy for the environment and the people living and working nearby.
A rain garden is not very different from a traditional garden. It is just a far more eco-friendly garden. Usually it is built lower than the ground. Rain gardens make smart use of rain and storm water by temporarily holding water from rain and storms and letting it soak slowly into the ground before it runs into streams or enters the public drinking water supply.
Thus, a rain garden keeps the water, allowing it to be used as needed by plants in the rain garden, rat
her than flowing immediately into nearby streams and going unused. The water will soak slowly into the ground within a day or two. This creates an advantage that the rain garden does not allow mosquitoes to breed. This is a simple, attractive, and eco-friendly “green” way to treat storm water.
What’s more, planting a rain garden helps reduce pollution and improve the environment. Without using expensive machinery and chemicals, rain gardens remove harmful chemicals in the rainwater and cut down on the amount of pollution reaching streams and rivers by up to 30%.
Native plants are recommended for rain gardens because they are more used to the local climate, soil, and water conditions. They may attract local wildlife such as native birds. Water your rain garden immediately after planting and once a week, unless you have had at least an inch of rain during the week. Once the native plants establish the necessary root system, it will require little care.
Often, local governments and private businesses develop large rain gardens in their yards and in public parks as a way to improve the environment and solve flooding problems. However, you don’t need to be a professional environmental engineer to create a rain garden. As long as you’re eco-conscious homeowners, you can help the environment by building smaller rain gardens in your yards. Which of the following is the eco-friendly function of rain gardens discussed in Paragraph 4?
| A．They can keep the rain and storm water. |
| B．They can help reduce the pollution problem. |
| C．They can be healthy for the people around. |
| D．They can make the environment more beautiful. |
One of the main reasons why native plants are recommended is that ______.
| A．they cost less and are much easier to get |
| B．they may attract local wildlife to come |
| C．they require little care from the local gardeners |
| D．they are more used to the local growing conditions. |
We can infer from the passage that after native plants are planted, rain gardens ______.
| A．need little water |
| B．need little care |
| C．need to be watered every day |
| D．needn’t be watered if there is at least an inch of rainwater per week |
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