For many blind people, computers are inaccessible. It can cost $1,000 to purchase “screen reader” software, but two blind computer programmers from Australia have solved this problem.
Queensland University of Technology (QUT) graduate James Teh and business partner Michael Curran developed a free, open-source program, called NVDA, which provides a voice to read the words on a computer screen as the cursor(光标) moves over them. NVDA won the blind inventors an award in the grand final program of the ABC’s New Inventors, which aired on September 23. They took home the award for an invention that “might make a real difference to people’s lives or the environment.”
“A sighted person takes for granted that they can sit down at any computer and use it,” Mr Teh said. “We really are in the information age — everything is online these days. So access to computers for the blind is very important, which is why we wanted our software to be free.”
Mr Teh, who majored in software engineering at QUT, said blind students typically didn’t have the money to purchase “screen reader” technology, at the time in their life when they most needed it. Now NVDA could be downloaded on to anyone’s personal computer free of charge.
“It can also be copied to a USB stick, which can be used on any PC at school or university, with no installation required,” he said.
Mr Teh and Mr Curran have drawn on their own experience as blind computer users to develop a product which has some unique features. For example, as the mouse moves up and down the screen, a sound becomes higher and lower to let you know where the cursor is located.
NVDA has been translated into 27 languages, thanks to volunteer translators. To date, there have been over 50,000 downloads.
Mr Teh and Mr Curran have been working on the project since 2006. They worked on their product without any pay for two years. When Mozilla offered some funding in 2008, Mr Teh was able to quit his day job and work full-time developing NVDA.NVDA won an award in the program of the ABC’s New Inventors because it _____.
| A．causes no harm to the environment | B．influences people’ s lives |
| C．is aiming at blind people | D．is easy to use |
Why did James Teh and Michael Curran want their software to be free?
| A．They got funding from Mozilla. |
| B．They belonged to a volunteer group. |
| C．They wanted to help the blind. |
| D．They wanted people to give up “screen reader” software. |
What do we know about Teh and Curran?
| A．They are studying at QUT. | B．They are good at translating. |
| C．They know how the blind feel. | D．They began to develop NVDA in 2008. |
BEIJING (AP) — Sandstorms whipping across China shrouded(遮蔽) cities in an unhealthy cloud of sand Monday, with winds carrying the pollution outside the mainland as far as Hong Kong and Taiwan.
It was the latest sign of the effects of desertification: Overgrazing, deforestation, urban sprawl(无计划地扩展) and drought have expanded deserts in the country's north and west. The shifting sands have gradually moved onto populated areas and worsened sandstorms that strike cities, particularly in the spring.
Winds blowing from the northwest have been sweeping sand across the country since Saturday, affecting Xinjiang in the far west all the way to Beijing in the country's east. The sand and dust were carried to parts of southern China and even to cities in Taiwan, 1600 miles (2600 kilometers) away from Inner Mongolia where much of the pollution originated.
The sandstorm in Taiwan, an island 100 miles (160 kilometers) away from the mainland, forced people to cover their faces to avoid breathing in the grit(砂砾) that can cause chest discomfort and respiratory problems even in healthy people. Drivers complained their cars were covered in a layer of black soot in just 10 minutes.
In Hong Kong, environmental protection officials said pollution levels were climbing as the sandstorm moved south. Twenty elderly people sought medical assistance for shortness of breath, Hong Kong's radio RTHK reported.
The latest sandstorm was expected to hit South Korea on Tuesday, said Kim Seung-bum of the Korea Meteorological Administration. The sandstorm that raked(掠过) across China over the weekend caused the worst "yellow dust" haze in South Korea since 2005, and authorities issued a rare nationwide dust advisory.
Grit from Chinese sandstorms has been found to travel as far as the western United States.
China's Central Meteorological Station urged people to close doors and windows, and cover their faces with masks or scarves when going outside. Sensitive electronic and mechanical equipment should be sealed off, the station said in a warning posted Monday on its Web site.
State television's noon newscast showed the tourist city of Hangzhou on the eastern coast, where graceful bridges and waterside pagodas were hidden in a mix of sand and other pollution. In Beijing, residents and tourists with faces covered scurried along sidewalks to minimize exposure to the pollution.
A massive sandstorm hit Beijing in 2006, when winds dumped about 300,000 tons of sand on the capital.We can learn from the text that .
| A．the sandstorms were purposely made by China. |
| B．the writer thinks that China government should be responsible for the pollution. |
| C．the sandstorms badly affected the air in US. |
| D．China's Central Meteorological Station will be closed. |
The passage tells us that the sandstorms mainly came from .
| A．Xinjiang | B．Hangzhou | C．Beijing | D．Inner Mongolia |
The underlined word, “respiratory” (in Para.4) means .
| A．breathing | B．digesting | C．hearing | D．walking |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．South Korea seldom issues nationwide dust advisories. |
| B．Taiwan is 1,600 miles from Beijing. |
| C．Sandstorms have hit Beijing more than once. |
| D．In Hong Kong some old people need help for shortness of breath caused by sandstorms. |
High-quality customer service is preached（宣扬）by many, but actually keeping customers happy is easier said than done.
Shoppers seldom complain to the manager or owner of a retail store（零售店）, but instead will warn their friends, relatives, co-workers, strangers and anyone who will listen. Store managers are often the last to hear complaints. “Storytelling hurts retailers(零售商) and entertains consumers,” said Paula Courtney, President of the Verde group. “The store loses the customer, but the shopper must also find a replacement.”
The most common complaints include filled parking lots, cluttered（塞满了的）shelves, overloaded racks, out-of-stock items, long check-out lines, and rude sales people.
During peak shopping hours, some retailers solved the parking problems by getting moonlighting(业余兼职的) local police to work as parking attendants to direct customers to empty parking spaces. Retailers can relieve the headaches by redesigning store display, pre-stocking sales items, hiring speedy and experienced cashiers, and having sales representatives on hand to answer questions. Most importantly, sales people should be skillful and polite with angry customers.
“Retailers who’re enthusiastic and friendly are more likely to smooth over issues than those who aren't so friendly.” said Professor Stephen Hoch. “Maybe something as a greeter at the store entrance would help.”
Customers can also improve future shopping experiences by filling complaints to the retailer, instead of complaining to the rest of the world. Retailers are hard-pressed to improve when they have no idea what is wrong.Why are store managers often the last to hear complaints?
| A．Most shoppers won’t complain even if they have had unhappy experiences. |
| B．It is difficult for customers to have easy access to store mangers. |
| C．Few customers believe the service will be improved after their complaints. |
| D．Shoppers would rather tell their unhappy experiences to people around them. |
What does Paula Courtney imply by saying the underlined sentence in paragraph 2?
| A．The same products can be bought in other retail stores. |
| B．It is not likely the shopper can find the same products in other stores. |
| C．New customers are sure to replace old ones. |
| D．Not complaining to the manager causes the shopper some trouble too. |
What contributes most to smoothing over issues with customers?
| A．Hiring of efficient employees. |
| B．Manners of the salespeople. |
| C．Huge supply of goods for sale. |
| D．Design of the store display. |
To achieve better shopping experiences, customers are advised to ______.
| A．voice their dissatisfaction to store managers directly |
| B．settle their disagreements with stores in a friendly way |
| C．put pressure on stores to improve their service |
| D．shop around and make comparisons between stores |
Nobody Benefits
NEW YORK—America has been experiencing the longest economic increase in its history．Incomes have risen, unemployment has fallen, and cities such as New York are bursting with new office buildings．
But just a short walk from Manhattan's skyscrapers, George Brown sits on the side-walk, cooking a lunch of rice and bits of fish over a can of cooking fuel．
Brown is homeless — one of the 2.3 million people in the US who end up on the street．
During the day, Brown collects aluminium cans and sells them for five cents a piece．At night, he sleeps on the street．
"I have been on the street about eight or nine years, something like that," said the 62-year-old former construction worker．
Brown admits he's had problems with alcohol and has smoked cocaine．But he said he still wants a more stable housing arrangement．He could afford it just with the money he earns by collecting cans and small pieces of metal, if only truly low-income housing were available．
However, he sees no hope of finding affordable housing in New York．
With the strong economy and unemployment down, beautiful housing is being built to meet demand．
A US report shows rents in New York city rose more than 27 percent between 1984 and 1999, from US $549 to US $700 a month．
One of the side effects of the strong economy is that rents have been going up．
The majority of people who experience homelessness really just need some affordable housing help．
But few housing companies have been built for the poor．Many small apartments in the city now rent for US $1,500 a month or more．
Brown, the homeless New Yorker, said he has a daughter who lives in the city but he rarely sees her．She is angry about his drinking and won't allow it in her house．
Smiling, he said he also has seven grandchildren whom he'd like to see more often．
"All I've got to do is clean up my act," he said．What kind of life does George Brown lead?
| A．Homeless and dangerous |
| B．Homeless and childish |
| C．Homeless and miserable （痛苦的） |
| D．Homeless and sleepless |
From George Brown's life we can find that ______.
| A．old Americans lead a hard life |
| B．old Americans want to live alone |
| C．American cities are crowded with poor people |
| D．bad habits play a role in some poor people's Life |
It can be inferred from this passage that ______.
| A．America is short of housing companies |
| B．the poor can't benefit from the increasing economy |
| C．poor people in America will become rich |
| D．housing companies will build more houses for the poor |
If this passage comes from a paper, on which page would it be?
| A．Society． | B．Science． | C．Economy． | D．Business |
It is common and usual to see people freak out when they face challenges in their life. We all pass in different life problems and challenges. No one is free of life problems. Only a dead man faces no problem. As long as you are alive, challenges are everywhere.
How do you face problems and challenges in your life? Problems and challenges are the building blocks of your personality. They make you who you are. Besides, whether what happened in your life builds or destructs you depends on how you look at it. If you take your problems as troubles, they will be troubles and may cause destruction. If you take them as constructive tools, you are going to be built up on them.
Problems are everywhere. No one can avoid them. And they are good too. They open up a different look and opportunity if you are willing to see. When you face troubles, do not frustrate or freak out. Just cool yourself to think in a different direction. Think in a positive way. Every problem has its own good as well as bad sides. Focus on the good one. Look at the bright side.
Besides, there is always a good person, perhaps your mom or dad, or one of your friends, right beside you who can turn everything into your best if you are willing to turn to them. No matter what happens, they will be there to help you. Trust them and they will never let you down. All you need to know is that you are loved wherever you are. What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase “freak out” in Paragraph 1?
| A．feel shy. | B．feel upset. | C．keep up. | D．stay calm. |
In Paragraph 2, the writer implies that ______.
| A．problems cause troubles |
| B．challenges can be avoided |
| C．attitude is everything |
| D．personalities are built on failures |
According to the last paragraph, when we're in trouble, we ______.
| A．can only depend on our parents | B．are not confident |
| C．should only believe ourselves | D．are not alone |
What’s the writer’s purpose to write the passage?
| A．To explain. | B．To compare. |
| C．To prove. | D．To encourage. |
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