Since the 1970s, scientists have been searching for ways to link the brain with computers．Brain-computer interface（BCI） technology could help people with disabilities send commands to machines．
Recently, two researchers, Jose Millan and Michele Tavella from the Federal Polytechnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland, demonstrated（展示）a small robotic wheelchair directed by a person’s thoughts．
In the laboratory, Tavella operated the wheelchair just by thinking about moving his left or right hand．He could even talk as he watched the vehicle and guided it with his thoughts．
“Our brain has billions of nerve cells．These send signals through the spinal cord（脊髓）to the muscles to give us the ability to move．But spinal cord injuries or other conditions can prevent these weak electrical signals from reaching the muscles,” Tavella says．“Our system allows disabled people to communicate with external world and also to control devices．”
The researchers designed a special cap for the user．This head cover picks up the signals from the scalp（头皮）and sends them to a computer．The computer interprets the signals and commands the motorized wheelchair． The wheelchair also has two cameras that identify objects in its path．They help the computer react to commands from the brain．
Prof．Millan, the team leader, says scientists keep improving the computer software that interprets brain signals and turns them into simple commands．“The practical possibilities that BCI technology offers to disabled people can be grouped in two categories: communication, and controlling devices．One example is this wheelchair．”
He says his team has set two goals．One is testing with real patients, so as to prove that this is a technology they can benefit from．And the other is to guarantee that they can use the technology over long periods of time．
1.BCI is a technology that can .
A．help to update computer systems
B．link the human brain with computers
C．help the disabled to recover
D．control a person's thoughts
2.How did Tavella operate the wheelchair in the laboratory?
A．By controlling his muscles．
B．By talking to the machine．
C．By moving his hand．
D．By using his mind．
3.The team will test with real patients to .
A．make profits from them
B．prove the technology useful to them
C．make them live longer
D．learn about their physical condition
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A．Switzerland, the BCI Research Center
B．New Findings About How the Human Brain Works
C．BCI Could Mean More Freedom for the Disabled
D．Robotic Vehicles Could Help to Cure Brain Injuries
Usually, when your teacher asks a question, there is only one correct answer. But there is one question that has millions of current answers. That question is “What’s your name?” Everyone gives a different answer, but everyone is correct.
Have you ever wondered about people’s names? Where do they come from? What do they mean?
People’s first names, or given names, are chosen by their parents. Sometimes the name of a grandparent or other member of the family is used. Some parents choose the name of a well-known person. A boy could be named George Washington Smith; a girl could be named Helen Keller Jones.
Some people give their children names that mean good things. Clara means “bright”; Beatrice means “one who gives happiness”; Donald means “world ruler”; Leonard means “as brave as a lion”.
The earliest last names, or surnames, were taken from place names. A family with the name Brook or Brooks probably lived near brook(小溪)；someone who was called Longstreet probably lived on a long, paved road. The Greenwood family lived in or near a leafy forest.
Other early surnames came from people’s occupations. The most common occupational name is Smith, which means a person who makes things with iron or other metals. In the past, smiths were very important workers in every town and village. Some other occupational names are: Carter — a person who owned or drove a cart; Potter —a person who made pots and pans.
The ancestors of the Baker family probably baked bread for their neighbors in their native village. The Carpenter’s great-great-great-grandfather probably built houses and furniture.
Sometimes people were known for the color of their hair or skin, or their size, or their special abilities. When there were two men who were named John in the same village, the John with the gray hair probably became John Gray. Or the John was very tall could call himself John Tallman. John Fish was probably an excellent swimmer and John Lightfoot was probably a fast runner or a good dancer.
Some family names were made by adding something to the father’s name. English-speaking people added –s or –son. The Johnsons are descendants of John; the Roberts family’s ancestor was Robert. Irish and Scottish people added Mac or Mc or O. Perhaps all of the MacDonnells and the McDonnells and the O’Donnells are descendants of the same Donnell.
1.Which of the following aspects do the surnames in the passage NOT cover?
A. Places where people lived.
B. People’s characters.
C. Talents that people possessed.
D. People’s occupations.
2.According to the passage, the ancestors of the Potter family most probably _______.
A. owned or drove a cart
B. made things with metals
C. made kitchen tools or contains
D. built houses and furniture
3.Suppose and English couple whose ancestors lived near a leafy forest wanted their new-born son to become a world leader, the baby might be named _______.
A. Beatrice Smith B. Leonard Carter
C. George Longstreet D. Donald Greenwood
4.The underlined word “descendants” in the last paragraph means a person’s _____.
A. later generations B. friends and relatives
C. colleagues and partners D. later sponsors
Imagine，one day，getting out of bed in Beijing and being at your office in Shanghai in only a couple of hours，and then，after a full day of work，going back home to Beijing and having dinner there．
Sounds unusual，doesn't it? But it's not that unrealistic，with the development of China’s high—speed railway system．And that’s not a11．China has an even greater high—speed railway plan—to connect the country with Southeast Asia，and eventually Eastern Europe．
China is negotiating to extend its own high·-speed railway network to up to 17 countries in 1 0 to 15 years，eventually reaching London and Singapore．
China has proposed three such projects．The first would possibly connect Kunming with
Singapore via Vietnam and Malaysia．Another could start in Urumqi and go through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan，and possibly to Germany．The third would start in the northeast and go north through Russia and then into Western Europe．
If China’s plan for the high-speed railway goes forward，people could zip over from London to Beijing in under two days．
The new system would still follow China’s high—speed railway standard．And the trains would be able to go 346 kilometers an hour，almost as fast as some airplanes．
China’s bullet train(高速客车)，the one connecting Wuhan to Guangzhou，already has the
World’s fastest average speed．It covers 1,069 kilometers in about three hours．
Of course，there are some technical challenges to overcome．There are so many issues that need to be settled，such as safety，rail gauge(轨距)，maintenance of railway tracks．So，it’s important to pay attention to every detail．
But the key issue is really money．China is already spending hundreds of billions of yuan on
domestic railway expansion．
China prefers that the other countries pay in natural resources rather than with capital
investment．Resources from those countries could stream into China to sustain development．
It’11 be a win-win project. For other countries，the railway network will definitely create more opportunities for business，tourism and so on，not to mention the better communication among those countries．
For China，such a project would not only connect it with the rest of Asia and bring some much-needed resources，but would also help develop China’s far west．We foresee that in the coming decades，millions of people will migrate to the western regions，where the land is empty and resources unused．With high-speed trains，people will set up factories and business centers in the west once and for a11．And they’11 trade with Central Asian and Eastern European countries．
1.China’s new high-speed railway plan will be a win-win project because ．
A．China will get much-needed resources and develop its western regions
B．China and the countries involved will benefit from the project in various ways
C．China will develop its railway system and communication with other countries
D．the foreign countries involved will develop their railway transportation，business and tourism
2.According to the passage，the greatest challenge to the new high-speed railway plan is ．
A．technical issues
B．safety of the system C．financial problems
D．maintenance of railway tracks
3.Which of the following words best describes the author’s attitude towards China’s high-speed
railway plan?
A．Critical． B．Reserved． C．Doubtful D. Positive．
4.Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A．New Railway Standards
B．Big Railway Dreams
C．High—speed Bullet Trains
D．International Railway Network
Exploit your parking space
An unused parking space or garage can make money. If you live near a city center or an airport, you could make anything up to £200 or £300 a week. Put an advertisement（广告）for free on Letpark or Atmyhousepark.
Rent（出租）a room
Spare room? Not only will a lodger（房客）earn you an income, but also, thanks to the government-backed “rent a room” program, you won’t have to pay any tax on the first £4500 you make per year. Try advertising your room on Roomspare or Roommateeasy.
Make money during special events
Don’t want a full-time lodger? Then rent on a short-term basis. If you live in the capital, renting a room out during the Olympics or other big events could bring in money, Grashpadder can advertise your space.
Live on set
Renting your home out as a “film set” could earn you hundreds of pounds a day, depending on the film production company and how long your home is needed. A quick search on the Internet will bring up dozens of online companies that allow you to register your home for free—but you will be charged if your home gets picked.
Use your roof
You need the right kind of roof, but some energy companies pay the cost of fixing solar equipment(around￡14,000), and let you use the energy produced for nothing. In return, they get paid for unused energy fed back into the National Grid. However, you have to sign a 25-year agreement with the supplier, which could prevent you from changing the roof.
1.If you earn ￡5000 from renting a room in one year, the tax you need to pay will be based on ______.
A. ￡800 B. ￡500 C. ￡4500 D.5000
2. Where can you put an advertisement to rent out a room during a big event?
A. On Letpark. B. On Roomspare.
C. On Grashpadder. D. On Roommateeasy.
3.If you want to use energy free, you have to_____.
A. sign an agreement with the government
B. pay around ￡14,000 for the equipment
C. sell the roof to some energy companies
D. keep the roof unchanged for within 25 years
4.For whom is the text most probably written?
A. Lodgers. B. Advertisers. C. House owners. D. Online companies
It’s 5:00 in the morning when the alarm (闹钟) rings in my ears. I roll out of bed and walk blindly through the dark into the bathroom. I turn on the light and put on my glasses. The house is still as I walk downstairs while my husband and three kids sleep peacefully. Usually I go for a long run, but today I choose my favorite exercise DVD, Insanity. Sweat pours down my face and into my eyes. My heart races as I face my body to finish each movement. As I near the end of the exercise ,I feel extremely tired, but a smile is of my face. It’s a smile because the DVD is over , but a smile of success from pushing my body to its extreme limit.
Some people enjoy shopping, smoking , food, work, or even chocolate. But I need exercise to get through each day. Some shake heads when they see me run through the town. Others get hurt when I refuse to try just one bite of their grandmother’s chocolate cake. They raise their eyebrows, surprised by my “no thank you,” or by my choice to have a salad. Over the years , I have learned it’s okay to just say “no.” I shouldn’t feel sorry for refusing food that I don’t want to eat.
So what drives me to roll out of bed at 5:00 a.m.? What gives me the reason to just say no to ice cream? Commitment. A commitment to change my life with a way that reduces daily anxiety, increases self –confidence and energy, extends life and above all improves my body shape. This is the point where a smile appears on my face as I look at myself in the mirror or try on my favorite pair of jeans that now fit just right. It’s through commitment and sweat that I can make a difference within myself inside and out.
1.Why is there a smile on the author’s face in the morning?
A. Because she sees her family sleeping peacefully.
B. Because she finishes her favorite exercise
C. Because she enjoys the interesting DVD
D. Because she feels a sense of achievement
2. Which of the following is true according to Paragraph?
A. She doesn’t like others r politely
B. She likes to make others surprised
C. Others don’t understand what she does
D. Others try to help her by offering her food
3.What does the underlined word “commitment” in the last paragraph mean?
A. Good health B. Firm belief
C. A strong power D. A regular habit
4.What can we learn about the author from the text?
A. She acts in a strange way
B. She wants to look different from others
C. She aims to develop a good body shape
D. She has difficult getting along with others
Having left the town, the girl stopped the car at the landing near the entrance of the bay. She stepped into the __11__ and rowed out silently. The tide was rushing to the entrance and __12__ to the wild open sea. She had to row across the bay to reach __13__ side. The waves struck against the side of the boat, __14__ and uneven; it became __15__ difficult to row. If she __16__ for a moment, the tide would push the boat back towards the __17__.
She wasn’t even halfway, __18__ she was already tired and her hands __19__ from pulling on the rough wooden oars (船桨). "I'm never going to __20__ it”, she thought. She rested the oars on her knees and __21__ her head helplessly, then looked up as she __22__ the boat shift(晃动) against the tide.
The east wind , which had swung(旋转) around from the south-west, __23__ her help and pushed the boat towards the mountains. It was going to be __24__. Her hands weren't so painful. Her chest didn’t feel as if it was about to burst __25__.
The lights of the town became __26__. one of the oars banged against the side of the boat and she __27__ it with a start. Had she been asleep, or just __28__? She looked over her shoulder. She was almost on the beach. The girl gave one last __29__ on the oars to ground the boat, and then lay back against the seat. She listened to the waves __30__ and knew she had come home. Far across the moonlit bay the lights were no more than a sparkling chain.
1.A. car B. boat C. ship D. mail
2. A. beside B. before C. behind D. beyond
3.A. another B. other C. either D. the other
4.A. deep B. calm C. gentle D. rough
5.A. more B. less C. as D. least
6.A. slept B. continued C. rested D. rowed
7.A. home B. mountains C. south-west D. entrance
8. A. if B. so C. but D. since
9.A. hurt B. ruined C. troubled D. broke
10.A. get B. make C. keep D. take
11.A. mined B. dropped C. cocked D. raised
12.A. saw B. made C. heard D. felt
13.A. got to B. came to C. sent for D. reached for
14.A. difficult B. serious C. all right D. certain enough
15.A. any more B. still more C. no more D. once more
16.A. brighter B. bigger C. closer D. smaller
17.A. destroyed B. threw C. repaired D. seized
18.A. dreaming B. guessing C. inventing D. expecting
19.A. blow B. hit C. pull D. strike
20.A. anxiously B. happily C. sadly D. carefully
