Question

Microsoft has developed a new smartphone app that interprets eye signals and translates them into letters, allowing people with motor neurone disease to communicate with others from a phone.

The GazeSpeak app combines a smartphone’s camera with artificial intelligence to recognize eye movements in real time and convert them into letters, words and sentences.

For people suffering from ALS（渐冻症）, also known as motor neurone disease, eye movement can be the only way they are able to communicate.

“Current eye-tracking input systems for people with ALS or other motor impairments are expensive, not robust under sunlight, and require frequent re-calibration and considerable, relatively immobile setups,” said Xiaoyi Zhang, a researcher at Microsoft who developed the technology. “To mitigate the drawbacks…we created GazeSpeak, an eye-gesture communication system that runs on a smartphone, and is designed to be low-cost, robust, portable and easy to learn.”

The app is used by the listener by pointing their smartphone at the speaker. A chart that can be stuck to the back of the smartphone is then used by the speaker to determine which eye movements to make in order to communicate. The sticker shows four grids of letters, which each correspond to a different eye movement. By looking up, down, left or right, the speaker selects which grids the letters they want belong to. The artificial intelligence algorithm is then able to predict the word or sentence they are trying to say.

Zhang’s research, Smartphone-Based Gaze Gesture Communication for People with Motor Disabilities, is set to be presented at the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in May.

1.The underlined word “mitigate” in paragraph probably means __________________.

A. adjust    B. correct

C. strengthen    D. lessen

2.We can learn from the passage that _________________________.

A. the present eye-tracking input systems can hardly meet the demand of ALS suffers

B. ALS suffers can only be understood through the newly-developed app

C. speakers can make different eye movements to choose preferable word or sentence

D. the GazeSpeak app is going to be released at the Conference on Human Factors in May

3.Which is the best title for the text?

A. Microsoft finds hope for patients with ALS

B. Motor neurone disease might be cured by a smartphone app

C. A smartphone app helps ALS suffers speak with their eyes

D. ALS suffers finally find a way to communicate

Answer

1. D

2. A

3. C

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了微软公司开发的一款能够结合手机摄像头及人工智能帮助渐冻症患者用眼睛进行交流的智能手机app，提到了该系统的原理、较之于既存同类产品的优势及具体操作方法。

1.词义猜测题。Current eye-tracking input systems…are expensive, not robust under sunlight… relatively immobile setups（第四段）既存的眼球追踪输入系统比较贵，在阳光下运行不佳…相对不可移动的设置。To mitigate the drawbacks…we created GazeSpeak…is designed to be low-cost, robust, portable …（第四段）。为mitigate the drawbacks, 我们创造了GazeSpeak,…设计得更加便宜，功能更强大，方便携带…the drawbacks带定冠词，可猜测应是对前面提到的系统缺点的概括。通过对研究人员前后话语的对比可发现，既存系统和新系统描述中存在反义词复现。原系统：expensive, not robust, immobile,新系统low-cost, robust, portable，可得出mitigate the drawbacks应表示去除原有不足，改变方向明确。故答案选D。

2.细节理解题。Current eye-tracking input systems … are expensive, not robust under sunlight, and require frequent re-calibration and considerable, relatively immobile setups.（第四段）（第四段）既存的眼球追踪输入系统比较贵，在阳光下运行不佳，需要频繁地重新校准，还有大量相对不便移动的设置。描述的是现存系统的不足，因此对于渐冻症患者而言，无法满足其需求。故答案选A。

3.主旨大意题。根据第一段Microsoft has developed a new smartphone app …, allowing… motor neurone disease to communicate with others from a phone.可知本文说明对象是app，且该app能帮助渐冻人用眼睛进行交流。故选C项。