Are you likely to suffer from loss of memory from time to time? Smart cameras can now remind you.
Khai Truong at the University of Toronto in Canada and his colleagues have created a smartphone app that records interactions with household objects. The system involves barcode-like (像条形码的) markers that the user sticks to objects whose use they would like to track.
With the smartphone worn around your neck, the app automatically records a short video clip (片段) when a marked object comes into view. “The user is able to look through the application and see the last time they interacted with it,” says Truong. The app can help people track the state of objects - such as whether they locked a door or switched a light off - as well as routine actions. Ai present, it successfully records about 75 percent of interactions, but only works for fixed objects.
A similar but separate system can solve the problem. E. Akin Sisbot and Jonathan Connell at IBM Research in New York have invented a ceiling-mounted (安装在天花板上的) camera that monitors objects and people. It continuously watches an area, such as a tabletop in your home, tracking the placement of objects in relation to one another. It also remembers who first brought an object into the field of view as well as if anyone moved it afterwards. When asked, “Where is my wallet?” the system might respond, “It is next to the vase, under the magazines.”
The camera could also be used in factories or operating theatres to track vital tools, says Sisbot For now, the camera uses a depth sensor to spot things. It is limited to detecting objects thicker than 3 centimetres, meaning that it has trouble with thin objects such as a closed laptop placed flat on a table.
The accuracy of such smart camera systems may need to improve before they are widely adopted. “You've got to trust the technology for it to be of any comfort or reassurance” says Geoffrey Ward at the University of Essex in the UK.
1.How does the smartphone app mentioned in paragraph 2 work?
A.By recording the movement of marked objects.
B.By informing owners of potential dangers.
C.By switching off electricity automatically.
D.By scanning barcodes of household objects.
2.What is the limitation of the ceiling-mounted camera?
A.It hardly senses objects without barcode-like makers.
B.It fails to find objects thinner than 3 centimetres.
C.It is unlikely to make a sound.
D.It is unable to recognize movable objects.
3.What's Geoffrey Ward's attitude towards the smart camera systems?
A.Supportive. B.Ambiguous.
C.Concerned. D.Sceptical
4.What's the best title for the text?
A.New Smartphones Make Life Easier
B.Smart Cameras Help Increase Home Security
C.New Systems Help People with Memory Problems
D.Camera Designers Face New Challenges
My mum is about to have a spinal (脊柱的) operation. The operation is relatively minor, but does carry a risk of paralysis. Friends and family have reacted to this news by taking in such pessimistic terms that Mum has come to label this kind of talk as “psychological theft”. It occurs when other people increase your anxiety rather than provide comfort.
Last week Mum went to the post office and ran into Geoff who works for the local school. “How are you?” he asked. “Not great,” she replied. “I’ve been having some trouble with my back and I’m going to need an operation.” “Oh, the back is the most dangerous place to operate on!” he responded. “My mum had that and she was in terrible pain. Make sure you get all your affairs in order before you go under the knife—it takes months to get over it!” Geoff’s intention had been benign (美好的). He’d given his own mother’s story to show sympathy. However, Mum only heard pain, danger, knife, and months.
In the past few weeks, Mum’s mates and colleagues have told her stories about how their Auntie Trisha, who had just received an operation, was left speechless after hearing that she required a rapid follow-up operation; and how their neighbour, who had only a minor operation, never walked again.
It’s really not that difficult to think of alternative things they could have said that would be equally true, but more beneficial to bear. “The specialists in our hospitals are among the best in the world. It’s amazing what they can do these days!”—that’s a good one. “You’re going to feel much better afterwards.” —that’s another.
I’m not suggesting patients should be sheltered from the reality of the risks they’re taking. But if the decision to have an operation can’t really be avoided, what’s the purpose of underlining the drawbacks? It’s just common sense to say: “Get well soon, and how can I help?”
1.What does “psychological theft” in paragraph 1 refer to?
A.The negative comments. B.Psychological disorder.
C.The comforting words. D.Physical disability.
2.How might the author’s mum have felt after hearing what Geoff said?
A.Sympathetic. B.Relieved.
C.Grateful D.Worried.
3.How did the author explain his idea in the text?
A.By using examples. B.By analysing causes.
C.By following time order. D.By discussing research findings.
4.What lesson does the author want to teach us?
A.Treat patients with adoration.
B.Communicate more with other patients.
C.Be well-prepared for unavoidable operations.
D.Find an appropriate way to comfort patients.
Cycling Tours in Europe & Asia
Cycling the Balkans
Duration: 15 days
The Balkans offers a mix of beautiful countryside, fast-developing cities and historic towns. Our first ride ends at the UNESCO town of Ohrid on the vast lake of the same name. There are a few stops along the way to visit or see places of interest.
Cycling the Italian and Swiss Lakes
Duration: 8 days
The Italian lakes of Como and Maggiore are famed for both their wonderful scenery and their wealthy residents. This is a fascinating area to discover on two wheels with excellent roads that closely follow the winding shores. The Villa del Balbianello with its beautiful Italian gardens may look familiar, having been seen in international movies such as Bond's Casino Royale.
Self-Guided Cycling in the Douro Valley
Duration: 7 days
This cycling holiday in the Douro Valley will make you familiar with magical surroundings, delicious cuisine and some of the world's finest wines. The ride begins in Castelo Rodrigo, a village close to where Portugal borders Spain, and home to an ancient caste. You'll cycle through vineyards and visit the famous Port wine estates (庄园).
Exploring Sri Lanka by Bike
Duration: 8 days
Being an island, Sri Lanka is incredibly diverse. Exploring on two wheels is the best way to see this rural country and to experience the way of life of its friendly people. We travel from ancient cities to the hill county towns of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya before ending the trip on the beaches of the beautiful south coast.
1.What's special about the Balkans tour?
A.It has fantastic island scenery. B.It is hosted by the Ohrid government.
C.It's a continuous ride with no stops. D.It combines history and the present.
2.What can you do on the Douro Valley tour?
A.Visit Spanish gardens. B.Enjoy the beaches of the south coast.
C.Pick grapes in the vineyards. D.Acquire knowledge of wines.
3.Which route would appeal to a movie fan?
A.Self-Guided Cycling in the Douro Valley. B.Cycling the Italian and Swiss Lakes.
C.Exploring Sri Lanka by Bike. D.Cycling the Balkans.
阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文，续写的词数应为150左右。
On the morning of Jan 25, the very day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, I was unpleasantly woken up by a phone call. It was for my father. He picked it up, and I sensed from his shaky voice that something went wrong.
As soon as he hung up, my father turned to my mother and then me, saying, “It was the secretary. He called everyone to meet in the office right now because of the outbreak of the COVID-19.”
“But dad, it’s the Spring Festival!” How I wished my father could change his mind and stay with us. Wasn’t the day meant for families to be together? My father, an official working in another town, seldom came back home. And was the virus serious enough to keep us apart? I was upset. To my great disappointment, father left home without hesitation, comforting me by saying that he would be back soon.
In the following days, news loaded with the fast spread of COVID-19 and the astonishing death toll scared everyone in the country. Father never returned home, only occasionally talking on the WeChat, over which he told us how he went from door to door, checking every family and persuading people to stay at home. I realized that my father was working in dangerous conditions under incredibly great burden. He always looked tired but determined. Every time I told him to take care of himself, he would smile and say, “Don’t worry, son. Your father is as strong as a bull.” At those moments, tears would well up in my eyes, and all my complaints would go away before I could say anything. The talk was brief but meant a lot to me.
I learned from the media that the medical staff, government officials, and almost everyone involved were working in the battle against the COVID-19. It was these guardian angels (守护天使) who, despite the possibility of getting infected themselves, were risking their life so that the rest of us could be safe. Among them was my father. He’s protecting the people, me included.
Para 1: Then came bad news that my father was ill at hospital.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Para 2: Weeks later, my father came back home healthy .
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
假设你是李华，你校决定在七月底为高二学生举行成人礼。请代表学生会给你校外教 Mr. Green写一封电子邮件，邀请他参加你们的成人礼。你的邮件内容应包括：
1.举行成人礼的时间、地点；
2.举行成人礼的意义及其它相关信息。
参考词汇：成人礼 adult ceremony
注意：
1.词数80左右；
2.开头和结尾已给出,不计入总词数。
Dear Mr. Green,
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
The team I work in just had 2 new interns （实习生），and I happen to be their supervisor. After today's lunch break, I saw that one of them was reading things on her smart phone, maybe on some social network, I _______ . I went to her and said, "There's another document here _______ translation. Do you have time to finish it for me?" That document was not in her _______ workloads. But I thought I could let her _______ herself a little bit with it, seeing that she seemed to have_______ . "Yes, I do have time. " She said, "but I'm just an intern. " I didn't quite know_______to say back then. After a while I mumbled, "Right. Yes. " And I turned around and left.
I _______ the time when I was an intern for the first time. I, too, managed to finish my workload so fast, just like her. So, I asked my supervisor "Is there _______ else that I can help?" And she happened to have a plan to make. But she didn't .have time. So she let me do the research and make a draft for her. I was not very familiar with the job _______still tried to carry it out based on my understanding and make it as ________ as possible. And my supervisor was really satisfied with the ________. Later, she told me "You ________ me a lot of time. I didn't need to create it from scratch. " And she told me ________ how I should have done the plan differently. I learned a lot about the operation in the process. After that, she came to trust me completely. I got my current job all because of her recommendation.
Yes, I was just an intern with a low salary, but I ________a better future with my extra labor. Time passing, I got it that there's a kind of ________called short-sightedness.
1.A.asked B.acquired C.guessed D.guaranteed
2.A.asking B.waiting C.providing D.needing
3.A.allowed B.assigned C.achieved D.accused
4.A.challenge B.compete C.complain D.contribute
5.A.idea B.ability C.time D.task
6.A.what B.that C.which D.where
7.A.forgot B.foresaw C.reminded D.recalled
8.A.anything B.nothing C.something D.everything
9.A.and B.but C.for D.or
10.A.precious B.consistent C.professional D.complicated
11.A.report B.show C.lesson D.draft
12.A.gave B.saved C.lent D.borrowed
13.A.in detail B.in surprise C.in charge D.in trouble
14.A.persuaded B.begged C.devoted D.bought
15.A.power B.pressure C.poverty D.performance
