A new app aims to help parents interpret what their babies want based on the sound of their cry. The free app ChatterBaby, which was released last month, analyzes the features of a baby's cry, to help parents understand whether their children might be hungry, fussy (大惊小怪) or in pain. While critics say caregivers should not rely too much on their smartphones, others say it's a helpful tool for new or tired parents.
Ariana Anderson, a mother of four, developed the app. She originally designed the technology to help deaf parents better understand why their babies were upset, but soon realized it could be a helpful tool for all new parents.
To build a database, Anderson and her team uploaded 2,000 audio samples of baby cries. She used cries recorded during ear piercings and vaccinations (接种) to distinguish pain cries. And to create a baseline for the other two categories, a group of moms had to agree on whether the cry was hungry or fussy.
Anderson's team continues to collect data and hopes to make the app more accurate by asking parents to get specific about what certain sounds mean.
Pediatrician Eric Ball pointed out that evaluating cries can never be an exact science. ''I think that all of the apps and technology that new parents are using now can be helpful but need to be taken seriously, '' Ball said. ''I do worry, that some parents will get stuck in big data and turn their parenting into basically a spreadsheet (电子表格) which I think will take away the love and caring that parents are supposed to be providing for their children.''
But Anderson says the aim of the app is to have parents interpret the results, not to provide a yes or no answer. The Bells say it's a win-win. They believe they are not only helping their babies now but potentially others in the future.
1.How does the app judge what babies want?
A.By collecting data.
B.By recording all the sounds.
C.By analyzing the sound of their crying.
D.By asking parents about specific messages.
2.Who was the app designed for in the beginning?
A.Deaf parents. B.All new parents.
C.Ariana Anderson. D.Babies often crying.
3.What can we know according to Ball?
A.Parents should use the app wisely.
B.The app can provide an accurate result.
C.Parents and babies are addicted to the app.
D.The app makes babies love their parents.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.App Knows Why Babies Cry B.App Prevents Babies Crying
C.Parents Build Babies' Database D.Parents Overrely on Smartphones
One afternoon, after finishing shopping in a supermarket, my family and I went to the check-out. I suddenly thought we didn’t need any of the junk, and we abandoned all of those, saving $300.
That got me thinking about all our pointless expenses in life. With a promise that we’d stop if it was killing us, I convinced the family to take the leap into frugality. The rules were that we would buy nothing for 30 days except absolutely essentials.
Our adventure began with a great start. By 9 a.m., my wife, Ruth, had already made cakes from old strawberries and picked flowers I didn’t even know we had in the garden. I cleared the car by hand for the first time for years. I read and returned the neighbor’s newspaper before he woke up. Total spending on the first day: $0.
As days turned into weeks, we became so proficient(熟练的) at living frugally. We started riding our bikes to save gas. My child’s finger painting was recycled as gift wrap for the home-made presents. We started to use an Internet application like Skype for free phone calls and ask neighbors with gardens for extra vegetables and herbs.
In the end, we saved more than $2000 by not spending for a month. When we began, I imagined we would rush out the moment we were done and buy a lot of things in the supermarket. Then maybe hit the mall or go to the movies.
1.What can we infer from the passage before that very afternoon?
A.The family had often spent money randomly.
B.The family had had higher income and living standard.
C.The family had adopted an advisable habit of saving money.
D.The family hadn’t expected they would have financial problems.
2.How many things were mentioned about what the family did to save on the first day of the “30 days”?
A.Two. B.Three. C.Four. D.Five.
3.The end of the story suggests that the family______ .
A.stopped halfway because of unexpected things.
B.could barely put up with the life of frugality.
C.would return to normal after the “30 days”.
D.succeeded in saving and changed their spending habit.
4.What is this passage mainly about ?
A.A new idea coming up to save gas. B.A family’s managing their daily life.
C.A family’s attempt not to buy anything . D.A family’s way of solving life problems.
The bristlecone pine is the longest-living thing on the earth. These trees, with their strangely-shaped, wind-beaten limbs(枝干), can live up to 5000 years. But experts worry that a warming climate in some areas may threaten its future.
Researchers say warmer weather is permitting a similar kind of tree, the limber pine, to take over good growing places from the ancient bristlecone. They say the tree is being crowded out of mountainous areas where it grows.
“The bristlecone pine is the oldest individually growing organism,” researchers say. They grow in high mountain forests in eastern California, Nevada and Utah. In those mountains, the trees face high winds and extreme temperatures, which leave them with twisted limbs and shapes. “Even in such tough conditions,” Brian Smithers, a researcher at the University of California, said, “the limber pine is taking all the good spots.”
The limber pine is the bristlecone’s distant relative and competitor. It can also live a long time-up to 2000 years. And it is usually found at lower altitudes, where temperatures are warmer. However, according to a three-year study which centered on trees that have started growing in the last 50 years in California’s White Mountains, most of the trees growing at higher altitudes were limber pines.
Scientists compared the competing species to two old men in a very slow race up a mountainside. This race between such slow-growing trees takes thousands of years. They say climate change is causing the competition.
Smithers said the bristlecone pines are not in danger of disappearing. But he assumes they could be crowded out of some places where they have grown for thousands of years.
The researchers say the findings show how climate change can affect the two kinds of trees. The information, they say, can help scientists understand more complex forests.
1.What’s the function of Paragraph 1?
A.To introduce a topic. B.To summarize the whole passage.
C.To describe the appearance of a tree. D.To praise the hard work of the experts.
2.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?
A.There will be older trees sent out of those mountains.
B.There will be more places covered with bristlecone pines.
C.There will be better limber pines replacing the ancient ones.
D.There will be fewer bristlecone pines growing in those areas.
3.According to the passage,the reason why limber pines can grow at higher altitudes is_________.
A.the high winds
B.the changing climate
C.the difficult conditions
D.the extreme temperatures
4.What is the researchers’ attitude towards the future of the bristlecone pine?
A.Positive. B.Negative. C.Concerned. D.Enthusiastic.
What is China’s High-Speed Rail (HSR)? Generally speaking, a rail network that offers 200–350 kph trains is an HSR network. Now, China has the largest high-speed rail network in the world. There are “4 vertical lines and 4 horizontal(水平的) lines” for the main China HSR network. This means there are four north–south high-speed rail lines and four east–west high-speed rail lines. They are the basis for the China high-speed rail network.
The four north–south HSR lines
Beijing–Shanghai Route
* Length: 1,318 km
* Design speed: 350 kph
It connects two popular cities and reduces the journey time from 12 hours to 5 hours (2 hours by air).
Beijing–Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong Kong Route
* Length: 2,240 km
* Design speed: 350 kph
It is the longest passenger-transport dedicated high-speed rail line in the world. It connects North China, Central China, and South China.
Beijing–Harbin Route
* Length: 1,300 km
* Design speed: 350 kph
It connects Northeast China with the national capital, Beijing. It cuts the journey time from 12 hours to 6 hours between Beijing and Harbin.
Hangzhou–Shenzhen Route
* Length: 1,600 km
* Design speed: 250–350 kph
It connects the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta. The Hangzhou–Ningbo section is passenger-transport dedicated. The rest trip is mixed for passenger and cargo (货物) transport.
Experience Bullet Train in Your China Trip
If you are interested in experiencing a bullet train in your China trip, please see our popular tours below for inspiration:
* 5-Day Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou Bullet Train Tour
* CLASSIC WONDERS - 11 Days Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin/Yangshu, Shanghai Private Tour
Or you can just tell us your interests and requirements, and we can help you create a China tour.
1.What can we infer from the passage?
A.China has the largest rail network in the world.
B.Hangzhou-Shenzhen Route makes a stop at Ningbo.
C.Beijing–Hong Kong Route is the longest high-speed rail line in the world.
D.Beijing–Harbin Route takes the shorter journey time than Beijing-Shanghai Route.
2.What may be discussed following “The four north–south HSR lines” ?
A.The four vertical HSR lines. B.The four horizontal HSR lines.
C.Big events for China’s High-Speed Rail. D.The future development of China’s High-Speed Rail.
3.From which is the text probably taken?
A.A research paper. B.A health magazine.
C.A China travel guide. D.A financial newspaper.
假定你是李华，你的英国朋友Tom 来信说他负责学校的校服栏目People of Great Achievement系列报道并希望你推荐一位中国现代女性名人，请你给Tom 回信推荐宋庆龄女士，内容包括:1. 宋庆龄（1893-1981）人物简介和主要事迹2. 你的个人评价
注意：1. 词数100左右；2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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。作文中共有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：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），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。
Environmental pollution does great harm to us. Tens of thousands of people die of disease caused by pollution. The area of desert in the world is growing and the weather is getting worst because the forest damage. The waste gas and liquid from factories have polluted air or rivers. Everyone is eager to get fresh air, pleasant weather and safe drunk water.
Luckily more and more people have realized what serious the problem is and they were trying their best to take measures to protect the environment. Therefore, we still need to encourage more and more people to join us in protecting their environment. Let’s keep in the mind that protecting the environment is saving ourselves!
