In a few years, you might be able to speak Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French, and English
— and all at the same time. This sounds incredible, but Alex Waibel, a computer science professor at US's Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Germany's University of Karlsruhe, announced last week that it may soon be reality. He and his team have invented software and hardware that could make it far easier for people who speak different languages to understand each other.
One application, called Lecture Translation, can easily translate a speech from one language into another. Current translation technologies typically limit speakers to certain topics or a limited vocabulary. Users also have to be trained how to use the programme.
Another prototype(雏形机) can send translations of a speech to different listeners depending on what language they speak. “It is like having a simultaneous translator right next to you but without disturbing the person next to you,” Waibel said.
Prefer to read? So-called Translation Glasses transcribe(转录) the translations on a tiny liquid-crystal(液晶) display(LCD) screen.
Then there’s the Muscle Translator. Electrodes capture the electrical signals from facial muscle movements made 
naturally when a person is mouthing words. The signals are then translated into speech. The electrodes could be replaced with wireless chips implanted in a person's face, according to researchers.
During a demonstration held last Thursday in CMU's Pittsburgh campus, a Chinese student named Stan Jou had 11 tiny electrodes attached to the muscles of his cheeks, neck and throat. Then he mouthed — without speaking aloud — a few words in Mandarin(普通话) to the audience. A few seconds later, the phrase was displayed on a computer screen and spoken out by the computer in English and Spanish: “Let me introduce our new prototype.”
This particular gadget(器械),when fully developed, might allow anyone to speak in any number of languages or, as Waibel put it, “to switch your mouth to a foreign language”. “The idea behind the university's prototypes is to create ‘good enough’ bridges for cross-cultural exchanges that are becoming more common in the world,” Waibel said.
With spontaneous(自发的) translators, foreign drivers in Germany could listen to traffic warnings on the radio, tourists in China could read all the signs and talk with local people, and leaders of different countries could have secret talks without any interpreters there. Which of the following statements is not TRUE?
| A．A lecture translation can translate what you said into other languages easily. |
| B．There is no Muscle Translator in the world now. |
| C．Muscle Translators can translate what you think into speech if you just move your mouth. |
| D．The spontaneous translators will help us a lot. |
What kind of equipment is NOT mentioned in this passage?
| A．Lecture Translation. |
| B．Muscle Translator. |
| C．Multiple Translator. |
| D．Translation Prototype. |
What’s the final destination of inventing the language translators?
| A．To make cultural exchanges between different countries easier. |
| B．To help students learn foreign languages more easily. |
| C．To make people live in foreign countries more comfortably. |
| D．To help people learn more foreign languages in the future. |
What can
be inferred from the seventh paragraph?
| A．The translator is so good that it can translate any language into the very language you need. |
| B．The translator is becoming more and more common in the world as a bridge. |
| C．With the help of the translator, you only need to open your mouth when you want to say something without saying the exact words at all. |
| D．The translator needs to be improved before being put into market. |
Where can this passage probably be excerpted from?
| A．A newspaper. |
| B．A magazine on science. |
| C．A fairy tale. |
| D．A scientific fantasy book. |
Scientists in Mexico have just begun a new study of one of the world’s biggest pyramids: the Pyramid of the Sun, north of Mexico City. They’re putting lots of small, high-tech machines under the pyramid to try to unlock some of its secrets. For thousands of years, people have tried to uncover the secrets of the pyramids.
The people who built the pyramids made lots of secret doors and rooms to stop robbers from finding the treasures inside. However, there always have been some smart thieves in history. Now, almost all of Egypt’s pyramids have been robbed, including the Great Pyramid of Khufu, which is the largest pyramid in the world. It is the only one of the ancient wonders of the world that is still standing.
In AD 820, an Arab king named Abdullah AL Manum got a group of workers to dig their way into the Great Pyramid and have a look. Inside the pyramid, they found three rooms --- the Queen’s Chamber, the Grand Gallery and the King’s Chamber. But to their surprise, the men didn’t find the treasures they wanted. The Queen’s and King’s Chambers were both empty! Where were the King’s mummy and his treasures? Had someone already taken them away? The huge stone doors at the pyramid’s entrance were still closed when AL Manum’s men went inside. How had the thieves got in and out?
Since then, many people have gone inside the Great Pyramid to have a look or to try to take things. But still, no other chambers or walkways have been found.
In 2002, an American team made the most recent visit to the Great Pyramid. Scientists sent a robot into the pyramid, but they only found a mysterious locked stone door.The first two paragraphs were written to show that ________.
| A．the Pyramid of the Sun is an unusual historic building |
| B．ancient Egyptian emperors were cruel |
| C．construction workers led a hard life in ancient Egypt |
| D．the secrets of the pyramids remain to be uncovered |
What is the purpose of making some secret doors to the pyramids?
| A．To try to unlock some of its secrets. |
| B．To stop robbers from finding the treasures inside. |
| C．To refuse some visitors all over the world into it. |
| D．To tell the truth to the people in the future. |
Which of the following is NOT true to the Great Pyramid of Khufu?
| A．It is the largest pyramid in the world. |
| B．It is the only one of the ancient wonders that is still standing. |
| C．Abdullah AL Manum took the King’s mummy and his treasures away. |
| D．Scientists found a mysterious locked stone door to the Great Pyramid. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．The Pyramid of the Sun |
| B．The Great Pyramid of Khufu |
| C．A Mysterious Locked Stone Door |
| D．Unlocking the Doors of History |
I don’t ever want to talk about being a woman scientist again. There was a time in my life when people asked constantly for stories about what it’s like to work in a field dominated (控制) by men. I was never very good at telling those stories because truthfully I never found them interesting. What I do find interesting is the origin of the universe, the shape of space-time and the nature of black holes.
At 19, when I began studying astrophysics, it did not bother me in the least to be the only woman in the classroom. But while earning my PhD at MIT and then as a post-doctor doing space research, the issue started to bother me. My every achievement --- jobs, research papers, awards --- was viewed through the lens of gender (性别) politics. So were my failures.
Then one day a few years ago, out of my mouth came a sentence that would eventually become my reply to any and all annoyance. I don’t talk about that any more. It took me 10 years to get back the confidence I had at 19 and to realize that I didn’t want to deal with gender issues. After all, I don’t study sociology or political theory.
Today I research and teach at Bamard, a women’s college in New York City. Recently, someone asked me how many of the 45 students in my class were women. You cannot imagine my satisfaction at being able to answer 45. I know some of my students worry how they will manage their scientific research and a desire for children. And I don’t dismiss those concerns. Instead, I have given them this: the visual of their physics professor heavily pregnant doing physics experiments. And in turn they have given me the image of 45 women driven by a love of science. And that’s a sight worth talking about.Why doesn’t the author want to talk about being a woman scientist again?
| A．She is unhappy working in male-dominated fields. |
| B．She is fed up with the issue of gender discrimination. |
| C．She is not good at telling stories of the kind at all. |
| D．She finds space research more important than that. |
We learn from Paragraph 2 that people would contribute the author’s failures to _______.
| A．the very fact that she is just a woman |
| B．her involvement in gender politics |
| C．the very fact that she is just a scientist |
| D．her over-confidence as a female scientist |
Why does the author feel satisfied when talking about her class?
| A．Female students no longer have to bother about gender issues. |
| B．Her students’ achievement has brought back her confidence. |
| C．Her female students can do just better than male students. |
| D．More female students now love science than before. |
What does the image that the author presents to her students suggest?
| A．Women students needn’t have the concerns of her generation. |
| B．Women have more troubles on their way to academic success. |
| C．Women can balance a career in science and having a family. |
| D．Women now have no problems pursuing a science career. |
There is more to tourism in Britain than you might think.
When you think of tourist sites in Britain, what do you think of? Big Ben and the Tower of London? Lock Ness? Shakespeare’s birthplace at Strafford-upon-Avon? There are many famous tourist attractions in the UK and they attract millions of visitors each year. But along with the famous names there are thousands of other interesting places that are only open to the public for a few days each year. Heritage Open Days takes place each September and lets the public visit places that would normally be out of bounds. Among the thousands of historic sites there are castles and factories, town halls and churches. Here we look at some of the places that most tourists might not know about.
Roman Baths --- Chester
These Roman baths are almost two thousand years old and a fascinating insight into the history of the city but they aren’t often open to visitors because they are under a clothes shop and a shop that sells baked potatoes! In Open Days week, visitors can go downstairs to the basement of the shops and find a little piece of history.
Tennis Club --- Birmingham
Edgbaston Tennis Club opened in 1860 and is the oldest tennis club in the world. Visitors can see the club’s collection of tennis clothes and equipment and learn about the game’s rich history.
Ardman Animation --- Bristol
The studios that produced the famous Wallace and Gromit animated films open its doors to the public to let people find out more about how the films are made.
Paddock Wood --- Kent
A family house where some of the rooms are unchanged since the 1920s. The home’s owner, Sarah Hamilton, is happy to open her doors to the public, saying “I’m passionate about history and I love taking to people.”
These are just a few of the thousands of places to visit each year. If you’re visiting Britain in September ---- look out for Open Days!Where is the Roman Baths --- Chester?
| A．Next to a clothes shop. |
| B．Above a potato shop. |
| C．In Open Days week. |
| D．In a basement of two shops. |
Which place might be most attractive to movie fans?
| A．Paddock Wood --- Kent |
| B．Tennis Club --- Birmingham |
| C．Roman Baths --- Chester |
| D．Ardman Animation --- Bristol |
What common things can tourists learn about at the four interesting places in the passage?
| A．Collection. | B．Structure. | C．History. | D．Style |
Question: I have a one-year-old female bulldog, who has recently taken to biting my shoes when we are in the park and I’m on the mobile. She can be slightly aggressive and I’m starting to get worried and a bit annoyed. How do I stop her? ----Susan, London.
Answer: You need to get this problem under control before it could escalate (恶化). I always advise owners not to talk on the mobile phone when they go for a walk with their dogs, because they should be focusing on this time with their pets, but I know people have busy lives and need to make phone calls.
The behavior she is showing is either controlling or playfulness, but they both result from the same issue ---- you are not paying attention to her. If you must make phone calls while on a walk, try to still engage with your dog by speaking towards her, playing some sorts of game and so on. If that doesn’t work, you’ll have to try more of a training approach.
You will need a training line and some treats. Start your walk in the usual way, make a phone call, and when your dog starts displaying the undesired behavior, simply stop walking --- otherwise she will see it as a game. When she is calm and looking at you, or if she sits, give her a treat; then continue walking. If she starts up again, pick up the lead, gently pull it, and tell her “no”. Then ask her to sit and give her a treat if she does.
The aim of this is to try to get her to forget how much fun it is biting your shoes. Do little sessions every day --- and try not to answer the phone if you know it’s going to be a long conversation. Be patient and good luck!
Remember that if an animal shows signs of distress or discomfort, an early visit to the vet is always recommended.What is Susan complaining about in her question?
| A．She doesn’t know how to make phone calls while walking a dog. |
| B．She has no idea how to get along well with her dog. |
| C．She gets worried that her dog is getting annoyed. |
| D．She finds her dog is getting a little aggressive. |
The probable reason why the pet dog bites its owner’s shoes is that ______.
| A．the owner isn’t paying attention to her |
| B．the owner often makes trouble for the dog |
| C．the owner plays some dull games with her |
| D．the owner doesn’t like the pet dog any more |
The solution to dealing with the distress or discomfort of pets is to _____.
| A．talk with them regularly |
| B．take them to see the vet |
| C．play games with them |
| D．let them bite your shoes |
How can Susan get her pet dog to forget the fun from biting her shoes?
| A．By playing some sort of game with the pet dog. |
| B．By punishing the pet dog strictly. |
| C．By training her not to do so. |
| D．By leaving her at home. |
阅读表达（共5小题, 每小题3分, 满分15分）
Let me tell you about five of the enemies we face from within．The first enemy that you’ve got to destroy before it destroys you is indifference．What a tragic disease this is! “Ho-hum，let it slide. I’ll just drift along．” Here’s one problem with drifting：you can’t drift your way to the top of the mountain．
The second enemy we face is indecision(优柔寡断). Indecision is the thief of opportunity and enterprise．It will steal your chances for a better future．Take a sword to this enemy．
The third enemy inside is doubt．Sure，there’s room for healthy skepticism．You can’t believe everything．But you also can’t let doubt take over．Many people doubt the past, doubt the future，doubt each other，doubt the government，doubt the possibilities and doubt the opportunities．, they doubt themselves．I’m telling you，doubt will destroy your life and your chances of success．It will empty both your bank account and your heart．Doubt is all enemy．Get rid of it．
The fourth enemy within is worry．We’ve all got to worry some．Just don’t let it conquer you．Instead, let it alarm you．Worry can be useful．If you step off the curb (路边) in New York City and a taxi is coming，you’ve got to worry．But you can’t let worry loose like a mad dog that drives you into a small corner．Here’s what you’ve got to do with your worries：drive them into a small corner. Whatever is out to get you，you’ve got to get it．Whatever is pushing on you, you’ve got to push back．
The fifth enemy is overcaution. It is the timid (胆小的) approach to life．Timidity is not a virtue；it’s an illness．If you let it go，it’ll conquer you．Timid people don’t get promoted．They don’t advance and grow and become powerful in the marketplace．You’ve got to avoid overcaution．What’s the best title for this passage? (Within 8 words)
.List three enemies inside that might prevent you from getting promoted．(Within 5 words)
.Fill in the blank in Paragraph 3 with proper words or phrases．(Within 5 words)
.Which sentence in the text is the closest in meaning to the following one?
However，you shouldn’t be forced into a small room by the worry beyond control．
.Translate the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 into Chinese．
.