In a few years, you might be able to speak Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French, and English -- and all at the same time. This sounds incredible, but Alex Waibel, a computer science professor at US' s Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Germany' s University of Karlsruhe, announced last week that it may soon be reality. He and his team have invented software and hardware that could make it far easier for people who speak different languages to understand each other.
One application, called Lecture Translation, can easily translate a speech from one language into another. Current translation technologies typically limit speakers to certain topics or a limited vocabulary. Users also have to be trained how to use the programme.
Another prototype (雏形机) can send translations of a speech to different listeners depending on what language they speak. "It is like having a simultaneous translator right next to you but without disturbing the person next to you," Waibel said.
Prefer to read? So-called Translation Glasses transcribe (转录) the translations on a tiny liquid-crystal(液晶) display (LCD) screen.
Then there' s the Muscle Translator. Electrodes (电极) capture the electrical signals from facial muscle movements made naturally when a person is mouthing words. The signals are then translated into speech. The electrodes could be replaced with wireless chips implanted (植入) in a person' s face, according to researchers.
During a demonstration (演示) held last Thursday in CMU' s Pittsburgh campus, a Chinese student named Stan Jou had 11 tiny electrodes attached to the muscles of his cheeks, neck and throat. Then he mouthed -- without speaking aloud -- a few words in Mandarin(普通话) to the audience. A few seconds later, the phrase was displayed on a computer screen and spoken out by the computer in English and Spanish: "Let me introduce our new prototype".
This particular gadget (器械), when fully developed, might allow anyone to speak in any number of languages or, as Waibel put it, "to switch your mouth to a foreign language". "The idea behind the university' s prototypes is to create 'good enough' bridges for cross-cultural exchanges that are becoming more common in the world," Waibel said.
With spontaneous (自发的) translators, foreign drivers in Germany could listen to traffic warnings on the radio, tourists in China could read all the signs and talk with local people, and leaders of different countries could have secret talks without any interpreters there.
1. What kind of prototype did the Chinese student named Stan Jou try?
A. Lecture Translation. B. Translation Glasses.
C. Muscle Translator. D. We don' t know.
2.What is the purpose of inventing the translators?
A. To help students to learn English.
B. To help people to watch foreign TV programs.
C. To help people travel in foreign countries.
D. To promote cultural exchanges between countries.
3. What is the best title of this text?
A. Speak different languages at the same time?
B. Flow to learn to speak foreign languages?
C. New ways to learn foreign languages
D. You' re welcome to learn foreign languages
Books are not Nadia Konyk's thing. Her mother brings them home from the library, but Nadia rarely shows interest. Instead, like so many other teenagers, Nadia, 15, is addicted to the Internet. She regularly spends at least six hours a day in front of the computer, spending most of her time reading and commenting on stories written by other users. Her mother, Deborah Konyk, would prefer that Nadia read books for a change.
As teenagers' scores on reading tests have declined, some argue that the hours spent surfing the Internet are the enemy of reading—destroying a precious common culture that exists only through the reading of books. Critics have warned that electronic media would destroy reading.
Others say the Internet has created a new kind of reading. The Web inspires a teenager like Nadia, who might otherwise spend most of her leisure time watching television, to read and write. What is different now, some literacy experts say, is that spending time on the Web engages viewers with text.
Web supporters believe that strong readers on the Web may eventually surpass those who rely on books. Reading five Web sites, experts say, can be more enriching than reading one book. "It takes a long time to read a 400-page book," said Spiro. "In a tenth of the time," he said, the Internet allows a reader to "cover a lot more of the topic from different points of view."
Some literacy experts say that reading itself should be redefined. Interpreting videos or pictures, they say, may be as important a skill as analyzing a novel or a poem. "Kids are using sound and images so they have a world of ideas to put together," said Donna Alvermann, a professor of literacy education at the University of Georgia. "Books aren't out of the picture, but they're only one way of experiencing information in the world today."
Next year, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which gives reading, math and science tests to 15-year-old students in more than 50 countries, will add an electronic reading component（软件）. The United States says it will not participate because an additional test would overburden schools.
1.Why are books not the thing of Nadia Konyk?
A. She does reading mainly through electronic media.
B. Her mother doesn’t provide her with enough books.
C. She has become addicted to playing games on the web.
D. Like many youngsters, she has lost interest in reading.
2.How many hours does Nadia spend in front of the computer in a week?
A. Exactly forty-two hours B. Usually fifty hours
C. More than forty hours D. At most thirty-six hours
3.Which of the following statements is correct according to the passage?
A. To search for information on the web engages viewers without text.
B. To explain videos is a technique more important than analyzing a novel.
C. Children using sound and images may lose their interest in movies.
D. People reading well online may surpass those who rely on books.
4.Why did the US refuse to participate in the tests with an added electronic reading component? It is because ______.
A. the teachers and students considered it useless
B. such a test would give schools more extra work
C. they thought reading was the only way to get information
D. none of them showed interest in such an additional test
Our boat floated on between walls of forest. It was too thick to allow us a view of the land we were passing through, though we knew from the map that our river must from time to time be passing through chains of hills which crossed the jungle plains. Nowhere did we find a place where we could have landed: where the jungle did not actually spread right down into the river, banks of soft mud prevented us form going ashore. In any case, what would we have gained by landing? The country was full of snakes and other dangerous creatures and the jungle was so thick that one would be able to advance slowly, cutting one’s way with knives the whole way. So we stayed in the boat, hoping that when we reached the sea, a friendly fisherman would pick us up and take us to civilization.
As for water, there was a choice. We could drink the muddy river water, or die of thirst. We drank the water. Men who have just escaped from what appeared to be certain death lost all worries about such small things as diseases caused by dirty water. In fact, none of us suffered from any illness as a result.
One day we passed another village, but fortunately nobody saw us. We did not wish to risk being taken prisoners a second time: we might not be so lucky as to escape in a stolen boat again.
1. It can be inferred from the passage that the only thing they could see in a boat was _______.
A. walls B. chains of hills C. tall trees D. vast land
2.From the passage, we can learn that _______.
A. the country was a civilized society B. the country was a tropical jungle country
C. they found a place where they could land D. they were on a journey home
3.According to the passage, what happened to the people in the boat at last?
A. They were arrested. B. They managed to escape to safety.
C. They were saved by some villagers D. The passage doesn’t mention it.
4. The best title for this passage might be _______.
A. The Problem of Landing B. An Adventure
C. An Entirely New Experience D. Escape
The principles about applying for jobs have altered greatly lately. In the past, people preferred a hand-written application letter．However, nowadays it is becoming more and more common to apply for a job through the Internet．You can find information on the Internet about how to apply for jobs．Information can be found about how to fulfill your application letter, the clothes that you should wear and how to carry out the interview itself．
The importance of body language is often mentioned，but doesn’t always get the attention it deserves．After all，before a word has even been spoken，your body language will have already given people their first impression of you．Additionally, your body language will also give out a lot more information．Based on your body language it can be seen if you are self-confident．It can also show if you are a busy or a quiet type and it helps give an impression of whether you are speaking truthfully or not．Body language can show how enthusiastic you are and if you are a nice person．someone who will take his work seriously, but also someone who has a sense of humor and can enjoy a joke from time to time．The members of the application committee will ask you questions，but your answers won’t only be oral．The committee will not only pay attention to what you say, but also to how you say it! Body language will determine first if it ‘clicks’，and sometimes all it takes is just a few seconds．Everybody uses body language，but it takes place mostly at a subconscious（下意识的） level．Using body language appropriately, you can definitely increase your chances of getting a job．
1.What kind of people is the text mainly meant for?
A．Interviewers B．Job-hunting people C．Employers D.Lay-off workers
2.We can learn form the first paragraph that_______．
A．hand-written letters are not used in finding a job
B．the more expensive clothes interviewees wear, the better
C．body language is more important than spoken words
D．Internet is of significance in applying for a job
3.Using body language well in a job interview will probably _______．
A．get rid of the interviewers’ prejudice B．determine what position one will get
C．increase the possibility to get the wanted job D.help one remove nervousness
4.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A．Those using body language are usually confident．
B．Body language is often used on purpose in job hunting．
C．Body language is a mirror to reflect one’s personality．
D．People enjoying jokes are preferred in a job interview．
The Best of Friends
The evidence for harmony may not be obvious in some families. But it seems that four out of five young people now get on with their parents, which is the opposite of the popularly held image (印象) of unhappy teenagers locked in their room after endless family quarrels.
An important new study into teenage attitudes surprisingly shows that their family life is more harmonious than it has ever been in the past. “We were surprised by just how positive today’s young people seem to be about their families,” said one member of the research team. “They’re expected to be rebellious (叛逆的) and selfish but actually they have other things on their minds; they want a car and material goods, and they worry about whether school is serving them well. There’s more negotiation (商议) and discussion between parents and children, and children expect to take part in the family decision-making process. They don’t want to rock the boat.”
So it seems that this generation of parents is much more likely than parents of 30 years ago to treat their children as friends. “My parents are happy to discuss things with me and willing to listen to me,” says 17-years-old Daniel Lazall. “I always tell them when I’m going out clubbing. As long as they know what I’m doing, they’re fine with it.” Susan Crome, who is now 21, agrees. “Looking back on the last 10 years, there was a lot of what you could call negotiation. For example, as long as I’d done all my homework, I could go out on a Saturday night. But I think my grandparents were a lot stricter with my parents than that.”
Maybe this positive view of family life should not be unexpected. It is possible that the idea of teenage rebellion is not rooted in real facts. A researcher comments, “Our surprise that teenagers say they get along well with their parents comes because of a brief period in our social history when teenagers were regarded as different beings. But that idea of rebelling and breaking away from their parents really only happened during that one time in the 1960s when everyone rebelled. The normal situation throughout history has been a smooth change from helping out with the family business to taking it over.”
1. What is the popular image of teenagers today?
A. They worry about school. B. They quarrel a lot with other family members
C. They have to be locked in to avoid troubles. . D. They dislike living with their parents.
2.The study shows that teenagers don’t want to ______.
A. share family responsibility B. make family decisions
C. go boating with their family D. cause trouble in their families
3. Compared with parents of 30 years ago, today’s parents______.
A. go to clubs more often with their children B. give their children more freedom
C. care less about their children’s life D. are much stricter with their children
4. According to the author, teenage rebellion ______.
A. existed only in the 1960s B. is common nowadays
C. may be a false belief D. resulted from changes in families
5. What is the passage mainly about?
A. Harmony in family. B. Education in family.
C. Negotiation in family. D. Teenage trouble in family.
Driving to a store after a busy day at work, I saw a man standing near the store holding a sign that said, “Will work for food.” I knew at that moment that I was going into the store and 36 him something to eat.
As I 37 the car park, I saw in my car mirror a lady come out from a hairdresser’s and 38 the man. I thought she must be going to give him some 39 or something to help him out. In the store I was 40 to get the things I needed and also the chicken dinner and a soda that I wanted to give the man outside. I hurried out to my car and 41 that I was going to be able to hopefully help this man.
When I drove out of the car park, I couldn’t see the 42 . As I turned the corner I saw the man sitting in a 43 area away from the hairdresser’s and still 44 up the sign. I immediately 45 over and gave the man the dinner and soda and said, “ 46 this will get you through today.” He looked at me and said, “Thank you so much!”
As I got back into my car, I looked in the 47 and saw the man swallowing the dinner like he hadn’t eaten for days.
I was so 48 that I was able to help him and at the same time I was so sad that the woman from the hairdresser’s, 49 , had asked the man 50 from her shop. It’s sad to say that 51 I live in a small city where homeless is not as 52 as in larger cities, people are uncomfortable with these people in 53 . All they need to do is lend a helping hand 54 and it could make a huge 55 in their lives
1.A. cook B. buy C. pay D. serve
2.A. turned into B. got over C. called at D. pointed out
3.A, interview B. comfort. C. blame D. approach
4.A. example B. space C. money D. comfort
5.A. preparing B. hurrying C. hesitating D. planning
6.A. explained B. wondered C. agreed D. felt
7.A. man B. food C. lady D. sign
8.A. different B. strange C. famous D. comfortable
9.A. making B. holding C. taking D. building
10.A. turned B. thought C. pulled D. looked
11.A. Hopefully B. Finally C. Luckily D. Naturally
12.A. store B. mirror C. square D. crowd
13.A. popular B. anxious C. pleased D. patient
14.A. immediately B. obviously C. carefully D. nervously
15.A. stop B. suffer C. move D. change
16.A. whether B. because C. though D. unless
17.A. poor B. visible C. selfish D. happy
18.A. danger B. action C. need D. moment
19.A. at times B. at the time C. at one time D. at a time
20.A. difference B. mistake C. decision D. living
