We all know cameras. But have you heard of Google’s new camera? It is a small, smart device, called Clips. It comes with a case that has a clip (夹子), but it’s not designed to be worn on your clothing. Most interestingly, it uses artificial intelligence to take photography out of your hands so it can capture moments on its own.
This roughly 2-inch by 2-inch camera, with a three-hour battery life and Gorilla Glass for toughness, is intended for candid moments, like when a child does something cute that may happen too quickly for you to pull out your smart phone.
Onboard the Clips device, it uses machine learning algorithms (计算程序) to help capture scenes. Those algorithms include face recognition. “Once it learns that there’s a face you see frequently, it’ll try to get nice photos of those faces,” said Juston Payne, the device’s product manager. And they also want it to recognize facial expressions, which involved “training it to know what happiness looks like”. The Google team also trained it to recognize what not to shoot—like when a child’s hand is over the lens, or if it is tossed in a dark purse.
The only way to see the images is by connecting the camera with your phone, as it has no screen for viewing or editing.
Did people think it was strange? Yes, Payne admitted. But they said they addressed that by making it obvious what it is. A green light on the front signals that the device is on. Besides, unlike a camera meant to monitor your home, it is not connected to the Internet.
“This product is only possible because of the way that technology has advanced,” Payne said. It was only in the past year or so that they could squeeze the technology down into a device this size. Going forward, we’re likely to get more assistance from the artificial intelligence packed into our apps and gadgets.
1.What is the most outstanding feature of Clips?
A. It is equipped with tough glass.
B. It enables easy Internet access.
C. It allows of hands-free photography.
D. It can be worn on your clothing.
2.What does the underlined word “candid” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. Brief. B. Touching.
C. Unforgettable. D. Embarrassing.
3.What makes Clips a reality according to Juston Payne?
A. The popularity of the Internet.
B. The advance in technology.
C. The rise of the smart phone industry.
D. The reduction in the price of lens.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. An Alternative Way to Photograph
B. New Gadgets in the Age of Apps
C. Artificial Intelligence in Everyday Life
D. A New Digital Camera from Google
Imagine possessing something that you loved so much. Imagine what it would feel like if you lost it. While that item may be something as simple as a doll, you would still feel very upset, but you could replace it with a new one. Now imagine losing something that you depend on for survival and cannot be replaced. That is what it would be like if we lost the natural environment around us.
Firstly, I believe the environment should be preserved because it supports human life. One of the largest examples is that we get all of our food and drinks from the environment. If the environment were to be destroyed beyond revival, then the human race would be over in months. Scientists have yet to find another planet with similar conditions to the Earth, and if it’s found, we don’t have the technology to get to that planet on time.
Secondly, I believe that the environment serves as an amazing educational tool for students. When I was in second grade, I had an absolute interest in animals. When we had a field trip to the Daggerwing Nature Center, I was very excited. When we got there, I could hardly believe what I was seeing. There was a bridge to get to the main building, and under the bridge was a small swamp (沼泽) with turtles, fish, and my personal favorite, alligators. I was so surprised that I almost ran into the tour guide. We walked into the building and saw various animals in their habitats. I was so inspired by this visit. Six years later, I have taken an animal behavior class for three weeks. Meeting by chance with the environment can inspire people, and if preserved it will continue to inspire people.
In conclusion, the environment is so valuable because it can’t be replaced, keeps us alive, and serves as a great educational tool.
1.The first paragraph leads to the theme of the text by ________.
A. describing a process B. presenting differences
C. analyzing causes D. showing similarities
2.The underlined word “revival” in the paragraph 2 is the nearest in meaning to ________.
A. health B. recovery
C. activity D. revision
3.Why did the author take a class on animal behavior?
A. Because his teacher encouraged him to do so.
B. Because he wanted to be an animal expert.
C. Because he was inspired by animals he once saw.
D. Because he thought it a promising subject.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A. Why the Environment Is So Important
B. Which Planet Can Replace the Earth
C. How People Should Protect the Environment
D. What People Can Do to Stop Pollution
Some of the world’s most famous musicians recently gathered in Paris and New Orleans to celebrate the first annual International Jazz Day. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) recently set April 30 as a day to raise awareness of jazz music, its significance, and its potential as a unifying voice across cultures.
Despite the celebrations, though, in the U.S. the jazz audience continues to shrink and grow older, and the music has failed to connect with younger generations.
It’s Jason Moran’s job to help change that. As the Kennedy Center’s artistic adviser for jazz, Moran hopes to widen the audience for jazz, make the music more accessible, and preserve its history and culture.
“Jazz seems like it’s not really a part of the American appetite.”Moran tells National Public Radio’s reporter Neal Conan “What I’m hoping to accomplish is that my generation and younger start to reconsider and understand that jazz is not black and white anymore. It’s actually color, and it’s actually digital.”
Moran says one of the problems with jazz today is that the entertainment aspect of the music has been lost. “The music can’t be presented today the way it was in 1908 or 1958. It has to continue to move, because the way the world works is not the same.” says Moran.
Last year, Moran worked on a project that arranged Fats Waller’s music for a dance party. “just to kind of put it back in the mind that Waller is dance music as much as it is concert music.” says Moran. “For me, it’s the recontextualization.”
In music, where does the emotion lie? Are we, as humans, gaining any insight (感悟) on how to talk about ourselves and how something as abstract as a Charlie Parker record gets us into a dialogue about our emotions and our thoughts? Sometimes we lose sight that the music has a wider context,” says Moran, “so I want to continue those dialogues. Those are the things I want to foster.”
1.What is the purpose of UNESCO to set April 30 as International Jazz Day?
A. To emphasize the significance of jazz.
B. To protect musical diversity.
C. To remember the birth of jazz.
D. To encourage people to study music.
2.What does the underlined word “that” in paragraph 3 refer to?
A. The production of jazz growing faster.
B. Jazz losing its appeal for the young.
C. The jazz audience becoming larger.
D. Jazz becoming more accessible.
3.What does Moran’s opinion on jazz imply?
A. It remains black and white.
B. It will disappear gradually.
C. It changes every 50 years.
D. It should keep up with the times.
Frequently, we speak about people being “color-blind” but very few of us are. Even those who describe themselves as color-blind are normally just color lack. A strongly, color-blind person will still be able to tell 20 different colors, compared to the 100 or so that normal-sighted people see.
Pingelap, a tiny island in the Pacific, is a beautiful spot but one that has a genetic trouble. It is known as Color-blind Island because so many people who live on this remote island can only see black and white.
Not being able to see colors is bad enough. But one islander, Herrol, who’s a fisherman, also struggles in full sunlight because all he sees is a painful burnt-out image. “I find it difficult to go outside in the sun,” he says, “because when it’s sunny I cannot see to do my work.”
But if being truly color-blind is rare, why is it that around 10% of the population of Pingelap live in a totally black and white world?
Well, we know that in 1780 the population of Pingelap was all but wiped out by a tsunami (海啸). As few as 20 people survived, one of whom was the king. It’s believed he had a genetic fault that causes colour-blindness and he passed this fault on to his many generations.
There is one advantage. Herrol can see well, really well, in the dark. So when it gets dark, Herrol and his friends get in their boats and hunt flying fish. They hang up flaming torches and the fish are attracted to the flames. “This type of fishing is fun,” Herrol says, “especially if we catch plenty. So even though it's hard work we enjoy it.”
1.What makes Pingelap special?
A. A mentally troubled island. B. A beautiful island.
C. A colour-blind island. D. A tiny island.
2.Which statement about Herrol is probably correct?
A. He doesn’t live in Pingelap any more.
B. He likes taking photos very much.
C. He is interested in burnt-out images.
D. He may stay at home when it’s sunny.
3.About one-tenth of people in Pingelap are seriously color-blind because ________.
A. the king’s genetic fault played a role
B. the king had an unlucky marriage
C. the king made a serious mistake
D. Pingelap often suffers from tsunamis
4.What would be the best title for the text?
A. The advantage of color blindness B. The island of color blindness
C. The disadvantage of Herrol D. The history of Pingelap
假如你是遂宁某中学的高二学生李华，你的美国朋友Tom一周前给你发电子邮件，询问你寒假里的打算，但你因准备期末考试未能及时回复。请根据以下要点给他回封邮件：
1. 未及时回信的原因；
2. 你的寒假计划
（结合生活实际，就图画内容，任选三方面，谈谈自己的寒假计划）
注意：1. 词数：120左右；
2 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
3. 邮件的开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Tom,
How is everything going?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
I am looking forward to your reply.
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏子符号（∧）并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Dear Mr. Smith,
In you letter, you asked me about the Chinese Spring Festival. Now I’d like tell you something about it.
The Chinese Spring Festival came on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, when is usually in late January or February. There is a name for each year, such as the dog, the monkey, the tiger and one of the twelve animals, and this year is the year of the dog.
After the Spring Festival, the Chinese people usually give their houses a good cleaning. On the eve of the Spring Festival, all the member of a family will get together, eating dumplings, fish and meat and parents may give children some luck money in red paper. On the first day of the New Year, there is dragon dances and carnivals. People usually go to visit at their relatives and friends, which is a good way to express their best wishes to the coming year.
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
