Since the 1970s, scientists have been searching for ways to connect the brain with computers. Braincomputer interface(BCI) technology could help people with disabilities send commands to machines.
Recently, two scientists, Jose Millan and Michele Tavella from the Federal Polytehnic School in Lausanne, Switzerland, show 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 body cells(细胞). These send signals through the spinal cord(脊髓) to the body part to give us the ability to move. But spinal cord injuries(脊柱受伤) or other conditions can prevent these weak electrical signals from reaching the body part.” Tavella says. “Our system allows disabled people to communicate with outer world and also to control machines.”
The scientists 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 finds meanings of the signals and commands the wheelchair with an engine. The wheelchair also has two cameras that tell objects in its path. They help the computer react to commands from the brain.
Prof. Millan , the team leader, says scientists keep improving the computer software that finds meanings of brain signals and turns them into simple commands.” The practical possibilities that BCI technology offers to disabled people can be grouped in two kinds: communication, and controlling objects. 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 get advantages from. And the other is sure that they can use the technology for long.
1. BCI is a technology that can________.
A.help to make computer systems more modern
B.connect the human brain with computers
C.help the disabled to be healthier
D.control a person’s thoughts
2.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
3.The team will test with real patients to_________.
A.make money from them
B.prove the technology useful to them
C.make them live longer
D.learn about their physical condition
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A.Switzerland, the BCI research Center
B.New Findings About How the Human Brain Works
C.BCI Could Mean More Freedom for the Disabled
D.Robotic Vehicles Could Help to Cure Brain Sickness
Susan Boyle was born as the ninth child in a Catholic family. She suffered from learning disabilities ever since her birth because of her mother’s poor health.
School was difficult for Susan and she was bulled(凌辱) because of her different behaviour. Her siblings, who were much older, had life experiences that were unknown to their little sister. From the time of her birth, Susan was a screamer. The only really safe place that she would use as a repeat was her bedroom. There she would hang posters of her musical heroes on the walls and sing popular music into a hairbrush that she pretended was a microphone.
One by one her brothers and sisters moved away from home and then Susan’s father died. This left her alone with an old mother and a cat. She tried volunteer work. Her best state of mind, however, was found when she was singing and so she would regularly join others in karaoke or pubs where she could show her skills and receive appreciation(欣赏)from the crowd.
When Susan announced at Christmas that she was planning to take part in the Britain’s Got Talent competition, her brothers and sisters tried to discourage her. It was a wonder that she was even able to do the audition(试唱) considering the troubles she faced just physically getting to the right place.
The Woman I Was Born to Be is a beautiful story written in the simple but humorous voice of the author, Susan Boyle. She tells her story from birth to the present in an interesting and educational manner.
I love this book ! In fact, I read the whole thing in one day! There is something in the stories that not only teaches the reader but also encourage us to reach for our dreams—no matter how impossible they may seem to be!
1.What does the underlined part “Her siblings” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A. Susan’s parents B. Susan’s friend
C. Susan’s classmates D. Susan’s brothers and sisters
2. What can we learn about Susan from Paragraph 3?
A. She liked being alone B. She was good at singing
C. She had various hobbies D. She disliked volunteer work.
3.We learn that the book The Woman I Was Born to Be_______.
A.is based on Susan’s life stories
B.is written to educate readers
C.is very sad to read
D.is difficult to read
4.What does the author probably think of Susan’s life stories?
A. Encouraging B. Discouraging
C. Worried D. Boring
Last summer I went through a training program and became a literacy(识字) volunteer. When I began to know what other people’s lives were like because they could not read, I realized the true importance of reading.
My first student Marie was a 44- year-old single mother of three. In the first lesson, I found out she walked two miles to the nearest supermarket twice a week because she didn’t know which bus to take. When I told her I would get her a bus timetable, she told me it would not help because she could not read it. She said she also had difficulty once she got to the supermarket because she couldn’t always remember what she needs. Since she did not know words, she could not write out a shopping list. Also, she could only know items by sight, so if the product had a different sign, she would not know it as the product she wanted.
As we worked together, learning how to read built Marie’s self-confidence, which encouraged her to continue her studies. She began to make fast progress and was even able to take the bus to the supermarket. After this successful trip, she reported how self-confident she felt.
At the end of the program, she began helping her youngest son, Tony, a shy first grader with his reading. She sat with him before he went to sleep and together they would read bedtime stories. When his eyes became wide with excitement as she read, pride was written all over her face. As she described this experience, I was proud of myself as well. I found that helping Marie to build self-confidence was more rewarding than anything I had ever done before.
As a literacy volunteer, I learned a great deal about teaching and helping others. In fact, I may have learned more from the experience than Marie did.
1.Marie didn’t go to the supermarket by bus because______.
A.she lived too close to the supermarket
B.she wanted to stay fit through walking
C.there were no bus stops in front of the supermarket
D.she had no idea which bus to take to the supermarket
2.What did the writer probably find when he was teaching Marie to read?
A.Marie learnt how to read really fast
B.Marie had no gift for learning how to read
C.It was hard for Marie to change her habits
D.It was hard for Marie to build self-confidence
3.We learn that in the end________.
A.Marie could read and became confident
B.the writer chose to help Marie’s son to read too
C.the writer decided to spend more time learning to read
D.Marie thought she learnt more from the experience than the writer
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.The importance of learning to read
B.The difficulties that a single mother faced
C.The writer’s most unforgettable experience
D.The writer’s experience as a literacy volunteer
Do you like travelling? If you are interested, come to our travel service as soon as possible. We offer the following travel lines for you to choose.
2-Day Yangzhou Colourful Group Tour How about going to Yangzhou for the weekend? You can visit Slim West Lake, Ge Garden, Daming Temple and taste Huaiyang delicious food such as Yangzhou fried rice and Fuchun buns. Tour Price:￥690 Call us at 800-817-7223 | ||||||
4-Day Qingdao Private(私人的) Tour Qingdao is famous for its sunshine, white sandy beaches and clear water. You can relax here, walking along the beaches and breathing the fresh air! Tour Price:
Call us at 800-810-6288 | ||||||
5-Day Colourful Taiwan Group Tour If you like to take a round-island trip, Taiwan is the best place for you! You can climb A-li Mountain, go boating in Sun Moon Lake and experience the various cultures of the island. Tour Price:￥8500 Call us at 800-850-8288 | ||||||
8-Day London Private Tour Come to London for a few relaxing days to enjoy the view of the Thames(泰晤士河) and visit such places of interest as Tower Bridge and Big Ben. Tour Price:
Call us at 800-830-7288 |
1. How long will the Yangzhou Colourful Group Tour last?
A. Two days B. Four days
C. Five days D. Eight days
2.Mrs Li is planning to take the 4-Day Qingdao Private Tour with her two daughters. How much will they pay?
A.￥1590 B.￥1650
C.￥2007 D.￥47400
3.If you want to take the 8-Day London Private Tour, you should call ________.
A. 800-817-7223 B. 800-810-6288
C. 800-830-7288 D. 800-850-8288
A group of frogs were traveling through the woods. Unluckily, two of them fell into a hole. When the other frogs saw how _____the hole was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs didn’t ____ them and tried to jump out of the hole with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to____. Finally, one of the frogs believed what the other frogs were saying and____. He fell down and died. The other frog continued to jump as____ as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs shouted at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and ___made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said,” Did you not____ us?” The frog explained to them that he was____. He thought that they were____ him all the time.
This story teaches us two___:
There is power of life and death in ____. An encouraging word to someone who is____ can lift him /her up and help him/her make it____ the day.
A destructive(破坏性的) word to someone who is unhappy can be what it takes to ___ them.
Be careful of what you say. Speak life to these who cross your path . It is sometimes ____ to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Remember, anyone can say words that can encourage another person to continued his/her way in difficult times.
1.A. wet B. round C. far D. deep
2.A. listen to B. look forward to C. move to D. turn to
3.A. leave B. jump C. try D. stop
4.A. broke up B. showed up C. gave up D. looked up
5.A. fast B. far C. gladly D. hard
6.A. quickly B. finally C. slowly D. possibly
7.A. hear B. see C. need D. know
8.A. cheerful B. great C. deaf D. surprised
9.A. laughing B. greeting C. frightening D. encouraging
10.A. example B. lessons C. sayings D. ways
11.A. lies B. stories C. words D. books
12.A. down B. relaxed C. bored D. angry
13.A. on B. around C. into D. through
14.A. help B. kill C. surprise D. hurt
15.A. easy B. strange C. hard D. surprising
--- Excuse me ,could I take the seat here?
--- _______.The child sitting here will come soon.
A. You’d better not B. No, thanks
C. Yes, please. D. I’m afraid so.
