Printable Tags Turn Everyday Objects into Smart Devices
Engineers have developed printable metal tags (标贴) that could be attached to everyday objects and turn them into smart Internet of Things devices.
The metal tags are made from copper foil (铜箔) printed onto thin, flexible, paper-like materials to reflect WiFi signals. The tags work essentially like “mirrors” that reflect radio signals from a WiFi router. When a user’s finger touches these “mirrors”, it disturbs the reflected WiFi signals in such a way that can be remotely sensed by a WiFi receiver like a smartphone.
The tags can be nailed onto objects that people touch every day, like water bottles, walls or doors. These objects then become smart and connected devices that can signal a WiFi device whenever a user interacts with them. The tags can also be shaped into thin keypads or smart home control panels that can be used to remotely operate WiFi-connected speakers and other Internet of Things devices.
Xinyu Zhang, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, named the technology LiveTag. He pictures people using LiveTag technology to track human interaction with everyday objects. For example, LiveTag could potentially be used to assess the recovery of patients who have suffered from stroke (中风). “When patients return home, they could use this technology to provide data based on how they interact with everyday objects at home, whether they are opening or closing doors in a normal way, or if they are able to pick up bottles of water, for example. The amount, intensity and frequency of their activities could be recorded and sent to their doctors to evaluate their recovery,” said Zhang. “And this can all be done in the comfort of their own homes rather than having to keep going back to the clinic for frequent testing,” he added.
The researchers note several limitations of the technology. LiveTag currently cannot work with a WiFi receiver further than one meter away, so researchers are working on improving the tag sensitivity and detection range. Ultimately, the team aims to develop a way to make the tags using normal paper and ink printing, which would make them cheaper to mass produce.
1.When people touch a printable metal tag, .
A. they are actually touching a mirror
B. the WiFi router will stop sending signals
C. the reflected WiFi signals will be disturbed
D. their fingers can be sensed by a WiFi router
2.LiveTag can probably be used to .
A. precisely locate everyday objects
B. remotely control a WiFi-connected TV
C. easily block signals from WiFi devices
D. greatly improve one’s physical condition
3.LiveTag helps stroke patients by .
A. evaluating the process of their recovery
B. sending data of their activities to doctors
C. connecting their smartphones with doctors’
D. recording doctors’ assessments of their recovery
In December 2017, I attended a conference. Five successful women delivered speeches on the topic “Bouncing Back after Setbacks.” As I sat there listening to their many personal and professional mistakes and setbacks, I felt fortunate that I hadn’t made that many mistakes in my own life.
Those women had lost thousands in investments, started companies but failed, sold companies that later ended up being worth millions, and lost partners in the name of business. Despite knowing that they had, in fact, bounced back and were again doing very well, I was starting to feel sorry for them.
Then, as if someone whispered in my ear, I heard the words: “Don’t be so proud of yourself. You haven’t made any mistakes because you haven’t lived at all. Look how boring your life is.” Whose voice was this, and how dare it speak to me like that?
I think, for the first time, I heard my own heart speak. It shook me to my core, and it took all I had to keep from crying. I started thinking of the mistakes I had made. The voice was right. There weren’t many at all. I had followed a straight path for 38 years. I went to school, earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees with honors, and stayed at every job I’d had far longer than it was professionally beneficial for me to do so. In fact, at 38, I had only had three jobs. “The devil(魔鬼) you know is better than the one you don’t ” was my motto.
A quick review of my life made me realize that it was the actions I hadn’t taken that I was suddenly regretting. I hadn’t studied abroad. I hadn’t risked love. In fact, I was perpetually single. I hadn’t started a business. I hadn’t traveled enough. I had said “no” far more than “yes”.
The voice that whispered to me continued to the New Year. It was like it laughed at me. The thought of turning forty frightened me. It’s one thing to be unhappy and unsettled in your twenties, and perhaps even in one’s thirties. But was I going to start a new decade with the same boredom? I needed something to pick me up, some activity I could look forward to.
1.How did the author feel when first hearing stories from the 5 speakers?
A. Regretful. B. Surprised.
C. Lucky. D. Guilty.
2.The author felt like crying during the conference because she realized .
A. she hadn’t lived her life to the fullest
B. she was deeply touched by the women
C. she had nothing to be proud of in her life
D. she had made a lot of mistakes in her life
3.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A. The familiar devil is more frightening. B. Saying “no” is better than saying “yes”.
C. It’s better to stay within the comfort zone. D. You’d better change your job more frequently.
4.From the passage, we can learn that the author .
A. felt afraid of ageing
B. traveled abroad a lot
C. was married in her thirties
D. decided to do something new
Father’s Example
At the age of 16, my father sat beneath the street light to study until exhaustion kicked in. Sometimes, if he was lucky, the school guard would let him slip into the empty corridors to ______ the cold. Other nights, the guard shooed him away. The __________ of electricity in the home he shared with six family members was one of the easier roadblocks to overcome on his path to becoming a _______.
Despite poor conditions, supporting the whole family after Grandpa’s death, and the 60% illiteracy（文盲）rate of his country, Pakistan, my father defeated the odds to establish his own clinic.
However, he decided to ____________ this comfortable lifestyle and move to America to ______ limitless opportunities for his family.
Because of his __________ , I strive to take advantage of every opportunity. I transferred from my familiar suburban middle school, where I stood out, to the _________ International Baccalaureate（IB）
Diploma Program. Although I also made sacrifices, like my father, by switching schools, I have no ______ . At my current high school, I have endless __________ to excel and interact with students from many backgrounds. Leaving my friends and the __________ of living five minutes from school was a small price to pay after I put my life into perspective. Changing schools gave me the ______ to pursue rigorous (严格的) courses. My academic future challenges and pushes me.
For the rest of high school, I hope to keep my grades ________ , excel on standardized tests, and participate in summer programs. I understand that grades do not define a person, but I am motivated to study, like my father, _________ I reach success.
I firmly believe that to develop our society we must first assist the less __________ . I hope to choose a career that lets me do this. My motivation to become a doctor results from my desire to ease the _______ of others. Also, I realize that ________ is the groundwork of my future and that I must ______ a solid foundation in it to achieve my goals.
______ my father’s sisters, who married young and never graduated from high school, I enjoy my life in America with infinite possibilities, and I must work to __________ from all of them. My father worked his entire life to secure my future. I ________ it to him, and to myself, to make something of my education.
1.A. keep B. escape C. defend D. fight
2.A. lack B. danger C. delivery D. power
3.A. lawyer B. writer C. doctor D. professor
4.A. lead B. adopt C. leave D. continue
5.A. check B. appreciate C. predict D. seek
6.A. sacrifice B. talent C. instruction D. preparation
7.A. enjoyable B. admirable C. developing D. challenging
8.A. ideas B. regrets C. concerns D. excuses
9.A. gifts B. wishes C. opportunities D. decisions
10.A. relief B. honor C. result D. comfort
11.A. drive B. award C. duty D. turn
12.A. consistent B. average C. typical D. common
13.A. though B. if C. until D. since
14.A. energetic B. friendly C. ambitious D. fortunate
15.A. burden B. pain C. worry D. stress
16.A. freedom B. interest C. health D. education
17.A. build B. follow C. shake D. give
18.A. Against B. With C. Unlike D. Beyond
19.A. withdraw B. benefit C. struggle D. recover
20.A. offer B. owe C. give D. send
It was almost midnight, but Mary couldn’t fall asleep. “One sheep, two sheep…” She 1. (start) to count sheep. But did it really work? Actually, some 2. (scientist) believe this may not be a very good way to fall asleep. Some people try so hard to count that they can be more clear-headed. Instead, they can try taking a bath to fall asleep. They can also think about a quiet beach or a walk in the woods, 3. can make them relaxed and fall asleep more 4. (quick).
Today, dogs are found 1. (help) to all who fly in airplanes. They are trained to smell, track, and find bombs on planes and in luggage. Dogs are easy to train because they already have deep connection to humans. Many of these dogs are donated to the safety program, where they2. (give) a good home. The partnership between dogs and humans allows each to profit from the special talents of the other as they work together 3.（save）lives.
Hangzhou is one of China’s most popular cities. It is full of cultural heritage(遗产) and famous 1. its natural scenery. Italian traveller Marco Polo described Hangzhou as the 2. (fine) and most splendid city in the world. The beauty of West Lake has inspired countless poets and painters, and you can’t leave without 3. (try) the Longjing Shrimp, one of Hangzhou’s signature dishes. The dynamic city is home to many of China’s tech companies including e-commerce giant Alibaba.
