Since the 1970s, scientists have been searching for ways to link the brain with computers. Brain-computer interface (界面) (BCI) technology could help people with disabilities send commands to machines.
Recently, two researchers, Jose Milan 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. Milan, 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.Which of the following shows the path of the signals described in Paragraph 5?
A. scalp→computer→cap→wheelchair
B. computer→cap→scalp→wheelchair
C. scalp→cap→computer→wheelchair
D. cap→computer→scalp→wheelchair
4. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A. BCI Could Mean More Freedom for the Disabled
B. New Findings about How the Human Brain Works
C. Switzerland, the BCI Research Center
D. Robotic Vehicles Could Help to Cure Brain Injuries
We spend so much time waiting to be loved, hoping love will find us, and searching for that special love. Unfortunately, that’s not usually how life works. Loving yourself is mainly having self-respect, which is the only dependable way to create love in your own life, so you can share it with others. To be able to be loved, you must love and respect yourself as much as you do others. By doing so, you are enabling positive energy and allowing for great situation to occur in your life.
Bringing joy to other people’s lives will help you find joy in your own. In addition, those who you treat well will likely repay you with the same kindness. Gradually, you will start to feel your worth through the smiles of gratitude. However, don’t just be very kind to people so you can receive royal treatment.
Don’t punish yourself for something you have done in the past. Instead, look at the mistake as a learning experience. Say to yourself now, “I forgive myself for..." Go to look in a mirror, and say it out loud to yourself. Look at yourself right in the eyes, and speak forgiveness like you mean it. If you do, laugh out loud, realizing that was then and this is now. Every day is a new beginning.
We all want a nice house, nice things, and someone to share our life with. Find your true wants objectively. Are you eager for power, a religion, or simply a motive? Sometimes, it’s easier to hide the truth from yourself, but figuring out what you really want will help you know yourself better. This will hopefully aid you in answering important questions you often ask yourself.
Write about your experiences, good and bad. When you write down good experiences, allow yourself to feel those feelings. When you remember bad experiences, allow yourself to feel self-compassion(自我同情). Compassion is not self-pity, but rather a willingness to accept one’s own pain and regret. Compassion allows us to be present with our pain, so we can acknowledge it and let it go.
1.What can we conclude from the passage?
A. We must show great respect for others.
B. We should love ourselves in order to get love.
C. We should overcome any difficulty.
D. We must have mercy on everyone.
2.According to the passage, most people ________________
A. have a dependable way to create love in their lives
B. keep their self-respect hidden in their hearts
C. are longing to get love from family or friends
D. are waiting for chances to give love to others
3.When you realize you have made a mistake, _______________.
A. you should blame yourself for what you have done
B. you should find a way to bring joy to others.
C. you should face a mirror for a long time.
D. you should learn a lesson from your mistake.
4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
A. To show how smartly he can love himself.
B. To give advice on how to love ourselves.
C. To warn us not to be lost in self-pity.
D. To express a special love for the readers.
Even before my father left us, my mother had to go back to work to support our family. Once I came out of the kitchen, complaining, “Mom, I can’t peel potatoes. I have only one hand.” Mom never looked up from sewing. “You get yourself into that kitchen and peel those potatoes,” she told me. “And don’t ever use that as an excuse for anything again!”
In the second grade, our teacher lined up my class on the playground and had each of us race across the monkey bars, swinging(荡秋千) from one high steel rod to the next. When it was my turn, I shook my head. Some kids behind me laughed, and I went home crying.
That night I told Mom about it. She hugged me, and I saw her “we’ll see about that” look. The next afternoon, she took me back to school. At the deserted playground, Mom looked carefully at the bars.
“Now, pull up with your right arm,” she advised. She stood by as I struggled to lift myself with my right hand until I could hold the bar with my other elbow(肘). Day after day we practiced, and she praised me for every rung(横档) I reached. I’ll never forget the next time, crossing the rungs, I looked down at the kids who were standing with their mouths open.
One night, after a dance at my new junior high, I lay in bed sobbing. I could hear Mom come into my room. “Mom,” I said, weeping, “none of the boys would dance with me.”
For a long time, I didn’t hear anything. Then she said, “Oh, honey, someday you’ll be beating those boys off with a bat.” Her voice was faint. I peeked out from my covers to see tears running down her cheeks. Then I knew how much she suffered on my behalf. She just never let me see her tears.
1.Which can be used to describe Mom’s attitude when she made the child peel potatoes?
A. Cruel. B. Favorable.
C. Strict. D. Sympathetic.
2.From the passage, we know monkey bars can help a child train ______.
A. the strength and skill to hang and sway
B. the speed of one’s hand movement
C. the skill to throw and catch things
D. the bodily skill to rotate round a bar
3.What does the underlined sentence “I saw her ‘we’ll see about that’ look” imply?
A. Mom believed every aim could be achieved if you stuck to it.
B. The race across monkey bars was not difficult enough for a child to give up.
C. Mom was determined to prove she herself was better than the teacher.
D. What the child had said brought Mom great attraction and curiosity.
4.When the author looked down at the kids, they were standing with their mouths open because _______.
A. they felt sorry for what they had done before
B. they were afraid the author might fall off and get hurt
C. they felt amused to see what the author would do on the bars
D. they were astonished to find the author’s progress
HIGHFIELD COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL SCHOOL REPORT Form Teacher: G. Baker Pupil’s Name: Simon Watkins Term: Summer 2015 Form: Ⅳ B
FORM TEACHER’S REMARKS HEADMASTER Basically satisfactory work and progress I shall be keeping an eye on his though he will now have realized, I hope, that progress in his weaker subjects in certain subject areas he needs to make speedy though his success in the sciences is improvement. most pleasing. |
1.Which of Simon’s subjects will attract the headmaster’s attention in future?
A. Biology and Maths. B. History and French.
C. English and Chemistry. D. Physics and Physical Education.
2.Which of the following statements best describes Simon?
A. He has made great progress in language classes.
B. His potential has been fully reflected in science classes.
C. His grade in maths makes him a born scientist.
D. He needs to improve his attitude to certain subjects.
3.Based on the school report, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Simon didn’t bother his teacher to revise French.
B. Basically, Simon did a good job in science.
C. Simon is a determined learner in English.
D. Simon is able to pay attention to history for long.
完形填空
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
The world’s most human-like robot has begun work as a university receptionist. And scientists positively predict the new technology will ______ provide childcare and offer _____ to lonely elderly people.
With her soft skin and flowing dark-brown hair, Nadine does not only meet and greet_____, smile, make eye contact and ___ hands, but she can even_______ past guests and get into conversation based on ______ chats.
Unlike _____ robots, Nadine has her own personality and ______ . She can be happy or sad, _______ on the topic.
Powered by intelligent ____ similar to Apple’s Siri or Microsoft’s Cortana, she is the creation of scientists at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and is based on her creator Prof Nadia Thalmann.
Prof Thalmann, the director of the Institute for Media Innovation who led the development said robots such as Nadine are bound to become more visible in offices and _____ in future.
“Robotics technologies have ____ significantly over the past few decades and are already being used in manufacturing and logistics,” she said.
“As countries worldwide face ______ of an aging population, ____ robots can be one solution to _____ the shrinking(缩小的) workforce, become personal ______ for children and the elderly at home, and _____ serve as a platform for healthcare services in future.”
“Over the past four years, our team at NTU have been _____ cross-disciplinary(跨学科的) research in social robotics technologies— involving engineering, computer science, linguistics, psychology and other______ — to transform a virtual human(虚拟的人), from within a computer, into a ______ being that is able to observe and interact with other humans.”
1.A. constantly B. totally C. eventually D. instantly
2.A. friendship B. love C. dignity D. affection
3.A. students B. scholars C. strangers D. visitors
4.A. hold B. shake C. exchange D. wave
5.A. recognize B. civilize C. symbolize D. realize
6.A. various B. previous C. precious D. conscious
7.A. original B. normal C. theoretical D. conventional
8.A. looks B. gestures C. figures D. emotions
9.A. focusing B. agreeing C. depending D. reflecting
10.A. software B. equipment C. firm D. technology
11.A. homes B. schools C. laboratories D. hospitals
12.A. fled B. qualified C. advanced D. needed
13.A. changes B. challenges C. chances D. chapters
14.A. industrial B. beneficial C. artificial D. social
15.A. meet with B. compare withC. deal with D. sympathize with
16.A. bodyguards B. nurses C. assistants D. companions
17.A. mostly B. even C. ever D. merely
18.A. adopting B. operating C. conducting D. witnessing
19.A. services B. fields C. means D. targets
20.A. physical B. practical C. electrical D. magical
The traffic problem we are looking forward to seeing ________should have attracted the local government’s attention.
A. solve B. solved C. to solve D. solving
