How can you hear your friends’ voices when they are far away and you can’t make a long—distance call? Besides the web camera system with your computer, we have a new high-tech way to solve the problem and ease your pain of missing them.
The Japanese company Combiwith created a system—“talking picture”. It makes people in pictures speak!
The “talking picture” has a special pen. It is actually a pen-shaped scanner. It can scan information in special—made pictures. A connected player will then play the information out loud.
First, you need to take a picture and record what you want to say with the company. The company will then make special barcodes(条形码) onto your picture(you can’t see those codes). Those codes are your voice and your words. When you hold up the pen to scan your picture with barcodes, a player connected to the pen will start to play. It plays things you’ve recorded. That way the invention makes the “you” in the picture speak!
Do you want your friends and families talking out of pictures? Have them make pictures like that, and you can hear them whenever you want, only with the “talking picture” system. The system can play messages for up to 12 minutes.
“The pictures would be useful for those who hope to hear the voice of someone living far away,” said Mayumi Fuji, a spokeswoman for the company. “Grandparents, for example, longing to know about their grandchildren, would be happy to hear their voice when they see the picture,” Fuji said.
But it is troublesome to go to the company for taking a special picture first. And, it is much more expensive than using a telephone. The photo with barcodes costs between 17,040 and 17,990 yen(日元)(160 and 169 dollars). The larger picture you want, the more you pay.
Now, just raise a finger, lonely people can have their loved ones speak out of pictures. But, whether the “talking picture” is practical or not, let’s wait and see.What does “talking pictures” mean according to this article?
| A．The picture can play what’s been recorded as if the person in the picture “talks”. |
| B．You can have a talk with the person in the picture whenever you want to. |
| C．The picture can tell you wonderful stories to ease your pain. |
| D．The picture can tell what’s on your mind when you are looking at it. |
If you want to make a talking picture, you need to ________.
| A．take a picture and record what you want to say with the company |
| B．make special barcodes onto your picture |
| C．a pen—shaped scanner to go with the picture |
| D．All of the above |
Which of the following is NOT true accordingly?
| A．The talking picture system can play messages for 12 minutes at most. |
| B．It will cost you more to take a larger talking picture. |
| C．It might take a lot of trouble to make a talking picture. |
| D．You can make a talking picture by just raising a finger. |
What is the attitude of the author?
| A．Optimistic. | B．Uncertain. | C．Positive. | D．Pessimistic. |
Four out of ten women who diet end up heavier than when they started watching their waistline（腰围）, a study revealed today. The research also showed that a large percentage of women start noticing the pounds creeping back on just 21 days after reaching their ideal weight.
Yesterday, Dr Ian Campbell of the Jenny Craig weight management program said: 'In the UK 61.4 per cent of adults are overweight or obese. Successful weight management requires a long-term commitment in order to lose weight successfully and for good. Dieting can be a real challenge so setting realistic goals and remaining focused on them is important. Otherwise as this research shows, women could end up heavier than when they started.'
The 'Food: Body: Mind' report was publicized by Jenny Craig who quizzed 2000 women aged between 18 and 65 who diet regularly on their attitudes, beliefs and behaviors around weight loss. Six in ten said they are currently on a diet and one in five women said they are on a 'continuous diet'.
It found the most common triggers to start dieting was seeing their 'reflection in the mirror', preparing for a summer holiday or unflattering photos posted on social networking sites. Other popular reasons include comments by friends or relatives or their other half.
However, the study showed that one in ten give up within one day, while almost a fifth manage to make it to a week or more. The average is ten days. Many blamed pressure they put on themselves to lose weight too quickly for the weight gain, which leaves them with a bigger appetite than normal. Others blamed colleagues, who tuck into fatty lunches and snacks unaware of the effect it has on the dieter, while mothers who polish off their children's leftovers was another common cause of weight gain.Which of the following might be the best title for this article?
| A．Three reasons to fail in dieting | B．Important things for successful diet |
| C．Four in ten women gain weight on diets | D．Obesity: problem for 61.4% adults in UK |
In the UK, women who go on a diet __________.
| A． are all overweight or obese |
| B． all fail because they are not persistent enough |
| C． are likely to gain weight again after reaching their ideal weight |
| D． end up heavier than when they start to diet |
The underlined word “triggers” in Paragraph 4 probably means_________.
| A．effects | B．causes | C． examples | D．imagination |
Which of the following is NOT the reason why many people quit dieting very soon?
| A．The pressure they put on themselves to lose weight quickly. |
| B．Colleagues who give them fatty lunches and snacks. |
| C．Leftovers of children’s taken by their mothers. |
| D．Reflections they see in the mirror. |
Spanish men will have to learn to change diapers and do dishwashing under the terms of a new law designed to strike a blow.
The law, due to be passed this month, is likely to cause a revolution in family affairs in a country where 40% of men reportedly don’t do housework at all. It will oblige men to “share domestic responsibilities and the care and attention” of children and elderly family members, according to the draft approved by the Spanish parliament’s justice commission.
“This will be a good way of reminding people what their duties are. It is something feminists (女权主义者) have been wanting for a long time,” said Margarita Uria, of the Basque Nationalist Party, who was behind what is an amendment to a new divorce law.
Failure to meet the obligations will be taken into consideration by judges when determining the terms of divorces. Men who refuse to do their part may be given less frequent contact with their children.
Spanish women spend five times longer on housework than husbands. Even when both have jobs outside the home, Spanish women still do three times as much work in the house.
“It is not just about housework, though,” said Ms. Uria.
A study five years ago by Spain’s Center for Sociological Investigation concluded that fathers spent an average of 13 minutes each day looking after their children.
Only 19 % of Spanish men thought it was right for mothers of school-age children to have a full-time job. More than a third thought mothers should not work outside the home at all.
The Change to the Spanish legal code will see domestic obligations added to a list of marital(婚姻的) duties that currently includes fidelity, living together and helping one another.
That should guarantee that, when the law—which will also make divorce proceedings faster and easier—is voted on in parliament in the next few weeks, the obligation to share domestic chores will be added to the statute books. What is the percentage of Spanish men who don’t do any housework?
| A．19% | B．40% | C．60% | D．80% |
About the new law, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Men are obliged to do housework. |
| B．Men will have to take care of children. |
| C．Women have to have full-time jobs. |
| D．Men will have to take care of the elderly. |
According to the fourth paragraph, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．If a man fails to fulfill the obligation, he will get a divorce. |
| B．If a man fails to fulfill the obligation, he will be thrown to the jail. |
| C．If a man fails to fulfill the obligation, he will be in an unfavorable condition in a divorce. |
| D．If a man fails to fulfill the obligation, he will not be allowed to see the child any more. |
What is the general topic of the passage?
| A．Spain will pass a new law to oblige men to share domestic responsibilities. |
| B．Men have to share more domestic responsibilities. |
| C．There will be a revolution by provoked (被激怒的) feminists. |
| D．Marital laws in Spain are not enough yet. |
The other day at the supermarket, I saw a naughty child of about six crying loudly, falling to the floor and refusing to move. All the while the troubled mother was trying to persuade him to behave well but failed. A little smack (掴打) on his bottom would have done the job, I thought.
Teenagers also cause discipline problems. As a teacher I had a 16-year-old student who had fallen in love with a waiter at a fast-food restaurant. In fact, she had left home to stay with him. So we decided to put her in the school hostel. She refused. When she heard her mother begging her to stay in the hostel she turned round and said: “Why don’t you stay in the hostel if you like it so much?”
My palms were itching to slap her for being so rude but the poor mother continued to cajole her, hoping that gentle persuasion would work wonders. It did not. The last I heard, she had run away from home again.
The list goes on and on. Could it be that today’s parents are softer and believe that they must not rod (棍棒惩罚) their children for fear of the bad result? Or do they actually believe that the children will get rid of the bad habits and behave well naturally as they grow older? I beg to disagree. I believe it is the parents’ duty to discipline the children even at a young age.
My children who are now adults will prove the fact that I used the rod when I thought it necessary. Later when they went abroad, they related to their British university friends on how they were disciplined. Their friends abroad were filled with horror and told my daughter that I could be charged for child abuse (虐待). However, my daughter paid me the greatest complimentwhen she told them that she would not be where she was today if not for my strict discipline. According to the passage, the author would probably _______.
| A．beat the children every day | B．punish the children when necessary |
| C．1eave the children as they are | D．treat the children in a softer way |
The underlined word “to cajole” (in Paragraph 3) probably means _______.
| A．to persuade | B．to scold | C．to forgive | D．to punish |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The naughty boy’s mother hit him on the bottom at last. |
| B．The teenager’s mother lived together with her daughter in the school then. |
| C．The author was charged for child abuse by her daughter’s friends abroad. |
| D．The author’s daughter was very thankful for her parent’s strict discipline. |
Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?
| A．Respect Parents | B．Spoil Kids | C．Value Discipline | D．Protect Kids |
Few people would question the value of taking part in sports for young people . With proper training , supervision , protective equipment and techniques , and a proper emphasis on winning , sports can develop a healthy body and spirit and a life-long interest in being active and fit . Without such measures , childhood sports can lead to injuries and even paralysis or death .
Even in the best conditions , no activity can be risk-free. But most serious hazards are preventable. Cyclists and football players can reduce their risks by wearing helmets, hockey players by wearing masks；basketball and tennis players by wearing eye guards； baseball players by wearing batting helmets .
Besides, risks to individual players can often be found , and thus prevented , through a properly performed medical exam before a child plays . For accidents that cannot be preventable , having an emergency plan and first-aid equipment , and someone trained to use the equipment, can be lifesaving .
Still , each year , according to the American College of Sports Medicine , more than 775,000 children under 14 are treated in emergency rooms for sports injuries , nearly half of them preventable . An estimated 300,000 athletes experience exercise-related head illnesses each year , and almost all of them should have been avoided .
Further , from half to three-fourths of sports-related concussions（脑震荡）are never even diagnosed ; the injured are often sent back to play too soon and put a risk of another more serious brain-damaging concussion . To help reduce these risks , the National Center for Sports Safety , with the National Athletic Trainers’ Association , offers a three-hour online safety course for coaches for ＄28 at www.SportsSafety.org. Which of the following is true according to the passage ?
| A．All the accidents can be prevented . |
| B．All the accidents cannot be prevented . |
| C．Lives can be saved so long as there is proper equipment . |
| D．Lives cannot be saved even if there is proper equipment . |
What does the underlined word “hazards”（in paragraph 2）mean ?
| A．mistakes. | B．diseases. | C．dangers. | D．situations. |
It is implied in the passage that .
| A．prevention of injuries is not paid enough attention to |
| B．children under 14 are more easily hurt in sports |
| C．most head illnesses are related with exercise |
| D．none of the head illnesses should have happened |
Here are some of the best movies you like. I believe they can accompany you to spend your dull weekend.
The Matrix
In this story a computer hacker searches for the truth behind the mysterious force . In the 22nd century it turns out that the world is controlled by a magic computer system called the Matrix and people live in an unreal world. The computer hacker and his comrades overcome much difficulty and at last find the way to take over the Matrix and save the world.
Men in Black
This comedy is about J and K, agents in a top secret agency , and they fight bravely with the alien to save the galaxy from a bad-tempered alien “bug” and save the Earth from being destroyed .
Harry Potter
Harry has lived under the stairs at his aunt and uncle’s house. But on his 11th birthday, he learns he’s a powerful wizard——with a place waiting for him at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There, he uncovers the truth about his parents’ deaths and about the bad man who’s to blame .
Andromeda Strain
When a satellite crashes in New Mexico, the Air Force sends two men to reach it. To their horror, they discover that the probe carries an alien virus that’s already killed all but two of the residents of the town where it landed. Now, scientists must stop the virus from spreading .
12 Monkeys
In the year 2035, James Cole is forced to be sent back to 1996 by scientists to discover the origin of a virus that wiped out nearly all of the earth’s population. When Cole is mistakenly sent to 1990, he’s arrested and locked up in a mental hospital, where he meets the son of a famous virus expert. In which film secret agents fight with the bad creature from outer space?
| A．The Matrix | B．Men in Black | C．Andromeda Strain | D．12 Monkeys |
Harry Potter _________.
| A．does’t know he’s a powerful wizard until he is 11 years old |
| B．has a happy and pleasant childhood with his aunt and uncle |
| C．hates to stay at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry |
| D．Knows how his parents died before he goes to the Hogwarts school |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Men in black is a comedy. |
| B．The Matrix is a mysterious force which is later taken over by a group of computer hackers. |
| C．The alien virus killed all the residents of the town where it landed. |
| D．James Cole is sent back to 1990 mistakenly and is kept in a mental hospital. |
The author writes the passage in order to ________.
| A．let readers know more about the latest movies |
| B．increase the income of the cinemas of the city |
| C．tell readers some interesting summaries of movies |
| D．help readers to choose the best movie they like |