Smart home applications can share all kinds of helpful information with homeowners. There appears a new housing platform which can detect the stress on electricity — and the stress on the heart.
“There is a growing population of elderly people, and there are statistics to show that more and more of them are going to live alone in the home,” said Johann Siau, a senior lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire in the U.K., who was leading the InterHome project.
The system was originally designed to provide remote access (远程访问) to a house so owners could be more energy-efficient. In a small type of the system, set-in controller devices connect securely to the Internet. The owner can then monitor them with a cell phone or computer. User feedback helps the system adapt to routines, saving on electricity.
While thinking about responding to user behavior and an increasingly elderly population, the researchers decided to add wristband (手腕带) technology that senses important organs of the body such as body temperature and pulse, Siau said. “If someone were to fall, it would detect the fall and it would immediately start the monitor of the pulse to see if the person has gone into shock (休克),” he said.
The wristband communicates with the home system wirelessly. Data from the band can be securely transmitted to the home network and accessed by authorized users. “We’re working on trying to reduce it to a level where it could potentially be a wrist-sized product,” Siau said.
But he warned that the technology presented new challenges. “When you start using that on a larger scale, you have issues of privacy or security,” he said. Siau said the InterHome home system isn’t intended to invade privacy. “We’re thinking about the elderly people who are living alone with no one looking after them,” he said. “Hopefully this will be able to decrease some concerns and possibly save a few lives.”The system was first designed for a house owner to .
| A.keep watch on his house |
| B.keep his house safe |
| C.monitor the elderly people inside |
| D.save electricity |
The wristband technology is used in the system to .
| A.sense important organs of a person |
| B.keep an old man from falling |
| C.get the medical information of a sick person |
| D.record a person’s daily activities |
The researchers are now trying to make the wristband .
| A.more sensitive |
| B.be connected with the Internet |
| C.available for common people |
| D.suitable to wear on the wrist |
What challenges will the new technology bring according to Siau?
| A.The wristband can be large and expensive. |
| B.The wristband will get false information of a person. |
| C.It will not be used in the proper way. |
| D.It will bring inconvenience to the old people. |
When you are talking to somebody at a party, do you focus entirely on the person you are speaking with or does your attention keep jumping around the room to all the other people there? General1y, if the person is someone you really want to talk to, you will focus on him. Most other people will only get about half of your attention.
You may think that this is OK, because if you don’t really want to talk to him, then what does it matter if you don’t give him your full attention? Consider two things. First, you may just not realize the importance of that conversation. If you are at a networking meeting and you hope to meet the CEO of Company X, but you end up talking to someone who has a low-level job at a different company, then you may let your attention wander(走神)as you speak to him. But maybe you don’t realize that this person has already met the CEO and could introduce you. Do you think he will do that if he feels you don’t really care about speaking to him? This doesn’t mean you need to spend the whole time talking to him. Five or ten minutes of real attentive(专心的)conversation can be worth 30 minutes to an hour of partial attention.
Second, whether you want to speak to someone is based on the situation. You can love your wife, but if she tries to talk to you while you are watching something you like on TV, where is your attention going? Make your own decision, but if you want her to feel valued, give her your 100% attention. The nice thing is that in many cases you can give her your attention for a few minutes and then return to what you were doing. You miss very little, she feels valued, and all is good. The author’s opinion is made believable mainly by ________.
A using figures B. giving examplesC. asking questions D. descriptionThe second paragraph mainly tells you that ________.
| A.you should be interested in everyone at a party |
| B.you can refuse to talk to someone you don’t like at a party |
| C.you should focus on whoever you are talking to |
| D.you should be patient with everyone at a party |
A person who has a low-level job probably ________.
| A.would like to talk to you |
| B.is well worth focusing on |
| C.wants to make friends with you |
| D.is the one you’re looking for |
If your wife wants to talk to you when you are busy, you should ________.
| A.decide what to do according to the situation |
| B.go on with what you are doing |
| C.stop doing anything immediately |
| D.finish what you are doing with her |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A.Always be friendly to others at a party. |
| B.It is important for you to be active at a party. |
| C.You should respect your wife at any time. |
| D.Improve your communication skills by focusing on others |
There is a poster below. Read it carefully.
VISIT SWANSEA ZOO!
Come and see the African elephants and the new tigers from India. The Arctic bears are waiting to meet you, and the monkeys from Zaire are waiting to throw things at you. The hyenas (a flesh-eating animal, like a wolf, with a howl that sounds like wild laughter) from Tanzania are waiting to laugh at you, and the giraffes from Zambia are waiting to look down on you.
Tickets
Adult: $1.20
Children: Over 12: 80 cent
Under 12 : Free
Opening Time: 9: 00a. m. ~4: 00p. m.
Except Fridays: 10: 00a. m. ~3: 00p. m.
KEEP THE ZOO CLEAN!
DO NOT FEED,TOUCH OR GO NEAR THE ANIMALS!If you want to visit the Swansea Zoo, what is the best time to go there?
| A.4:00 p. m on Sunday. | B.4:00 p. m on Friday. |
| C.9:00 a. m on Friday. | D.9:30 a. m on Sunday. |
If you want to buy tickets for you and the two of your sons who is 14 and 10, how
much should you pay?
| A.$3.60 | B.$2.00 | C.$2.60 | D.$2.40 |
Which of the following is allowed in the Swansea Zoo?
| A.To give an orange to a monkey. | |
| B.To pat a tiger on the head. |
C.To go near a hyena. |
| D.To sing a song if you like. |
A giraffe must be a kind of animal which is _______.
| A.fat | B.small | C.strong | D.tall |
The underlined word “flesh-eating” means_____
| A.grass-eating | B.fruit-eating | C.meat-eating | D.earth-eating |
阅读下列应用文及相关信息,并按照要求匹配信息。请在答题卡上将对应题号的相应选项字母涂黑。
A. “Just do it!” — This slogan (口号) speaks out to teens. It tells them to do something, but only if they think it’s worth it. And if so, why not do it wearing Nike?
B.“Always Coca-Cola.” — Coke’s slogans change every few years, but this one has enjoyed a lasting popularity because it shows the brand’s spirit. It seems to say “Coke is the only drink there is; there are no other forms of drink.”
C. “Share moments, share life.” — This slogan from Kodak connects photos and beauty. It asks people to remember the happy moments in life by taking photos of them — using Kodak film of course!
D. On hearing the slogan “Make yourself heard”, you will know there is Ericsson product for you to call anyone.
E. There are some public service advertisements (PSAs) that educate people about public service projects, such as Project Hope. Its slogan is “Project Hope — Schooling every child.”
F. One magazine ad says “Make me your window on the world!” The advertisers say that the weekly magazine can bring the world to your home. “ Have you ever wondered what the Chinese eat for breakfast? Did you know that the Sahara Desert is getting bigger every year? This fascinating magazine ,full of colour pictures , is your window on the world.
请阅读以下购买者的信息,然后匹配购买者和他/她拟购买产品的广告语:
Jack passed the entrance exam and was admitted to a famous university. These days, his father is looking for a mobile phone for him so as to keep in touch with each other closely.
Tom was a senior middle school student. He likes sports very much and plays football every afternoon. But after class this afternoon he has to buy a pair of shoes because his shoes have been worn out.
There’s a party this evening — for Mary’s 15th birthday. Her family are making preparations for it. Her brother’s job is to buy some drink.
Joan doesn’t want to forget the past, especially the happy moments.
Bill travels a lot when he was younger. Now that he has stopped his work, he enjoys reading about foreign people, places and customs.
| 购买者 |
广告语
E. Project Hope — Schooling every child. |
I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt’s house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to “the hard times. ”
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: Almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.How did the author get to know America?
| A.From her relatives | B.From her mother |
| C.From Books and pictures | D.From radio programs |
Upon leaving for America the author felt.
| A.confused | B.excited |
| C.worried | D.amazed |
For the first two years in New York, the author.
| A.often lost her way |
| B.did not think about her future |
| C.studied in three different schools |
| D.got on well with her stepfather |
What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?
| A.She worked as a translator |
| B.She attended a lot of job interviews |
| C.She paid telephone bills for her family |
| D.She helped her family with her English |
The author believes that.
| A.her future will be free from troubles |
| B.it is difficult to learn to become patient |
| C.there are more good things than bad things |
| D.good things will happen if one keeps trying |
A year ago August, Dave Fuss lost his job driving a truck for a small company in west Michigan. His wife, Gerrie, was still working in the local school cafeteria, but work for Dave was scarce, and the price of everything was rising. The Fusses were at risk of joining the millions of Americans who have lost their homes in recent years. Then Dave and Gerrie received a timely gift—$7,000,a legacy from their neighbors Ish and Arlene Hatch, who died in an accident . “It really made a difference when we were going under financially.” says Dave.
But the Fusses weren’t the only folks in Alto and the neighboring town of Lowell to receive unexpected legacy from the Hatches. Dozens of other families were touched by the Hatches’ generosity. In some cases, it was a few thousand dollars ; in others, it was more than $100,000.
It surprised nearly everyone that the Hatches had so much money, more than $3 million—they were am elderly couple who lived in an old house on what was left of the family farm .
Children of the Great Depression, Ish and Arlene were known for their habit of saving, They thrived own comparison shopping and would routinely go from store to store, checking prices before making a new purchase .
Through the years, the Hatches paid for local children to attend summer camp when their parents couldn’t afford it. “Ish and Arlene never asked you needed anything,” says their friend Sand Van Weelden, “They could see things they could do go make you happier, and they would do them.
Even more extraordinary was that the Hatches had their farmland distributed. It was the Hatches’ wish that their legacy—a legacy of kindness as much as one of dollars and cent —should enrich the whole community and last for generations to come.
Neighbors helping neighbors ——that was Ish and Arlene Hatch’s story. According go the text, the Fusses___________.
| A.were employed by a truck company | B.were in financial difficulty |
| C.worked in a school cafeteria | D.lost their home |
Which of the following is true of the Hatches?
| A.They had their children during the Great Depression |
| B.They left the family farm to live in an old house |
| C.They gave away their possessions to their neighbors |
| D.They helped their neighbors to find jobs |
Why would the Hatches routinely go from store to store?
| A.They decided to open a store |
| B.They wanted to save money |
| C.They couldn’t afford expensive things |
| D.They wanted to buy gifts for local kids |
According to Sand Van Weelden, the Hatches were ___________.
| A.understanding | B.optimistic | C.childlike | D.curious |
What can we learn from the text?
| A.The community of Alto was poor |
| B.The summer camp was attractive to the parents |
| C.Sandy Van Weelden got a legacy form the Hatches |
| D.The Hatches would like the neighbors to follow their example |