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. 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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
I’m Ann. I’m English. I’m twelve. I was born on May 17 , 1991. I learn Chinese at Beijing No.3 Middle School. I have a good friend. Her name is Lucy. She is twelve, too. We are in the same (同样的) grade. But we are not in the same class. I’m in Class Two, and she is in Class Three. We have the same Chinese teacher（教师）. Her name is Zhang Ying. We all like her. Lucy’s parents are both English teachers in China. And she has a sister. Her name is Lily. She is only five years old.Ann and Lucy are _________.
| A．classmates | B．sisters | C．brothers | D．friends |
Ann was born _____________.
| A．on May 17 , 1990 | B．on May 17 ,1991 |
| C．in May 17, 1991 | D．in May 17, 1990 |
Zhang Ying is Lucy’s __________ teacher.
| A．English | B．Chinese | C．math | D．music |
Lucy’s parents are in _________. They teach English.
| A．England | B．China | C．America | D．Japan |
How old is Lily？ She is_____________.
| A．twelve | B．three | C．five | D．I don’t know |
We live on the Earth. It’s our home. But how much do you know about it?
The Earth is like a huge ball. Like the other seven planets, the Earth is running around the Sun. It’s the third nearest planet to the Sun. It takes the Earth about 365 days to run around the Sun. At the same time, the Earth is going around itself. If you are in space, you can see lots of white clouds over the surface of the Earth. Through the clouds, you can see the blue color of the oceans and the brown color of the land. About 70% of the Earth is covered with water.
Why do we have day and night? When the half of the Earth is facing the Sun, it’s daytime. As the Earth turns and this half is away from the Sun, night is coming. And it’s daytime for the other half.How many planets are running around the Sun?
| A．Seven. | B．Eight. | C．Nine. | D．Ten. |
What’s the main color of the Earth when you see it in space?
| A．Green. | B．Brown. | C．Blue. | D．Red. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The Earth only runs around the Sun. |
| B．The Earth is the nearest planet to the Sun. |
| C．All the planets and stars run around the Sun. |
| D．It takes the Earth about 365 days to run around the Sun. |
When it is night, the half of the Earth _____.
| A．goes around the Sun |
| B．goes around itself |
| C．faces the Sun |
| D．is away from the Sun |
In which part of a newspaper can we read this passage?
| A．History. | B．Science. | C．Stories. | D．People. |
Hello! I’m Jason. On Monday, I usually wake up late and have no time to have breakfast. I can’t find my books or my school cap. At last, I find my books and my school cap in the bathroom. I have to wait for a bus and I am nearly late for school.
The first lesson on Monday morning is Maths. I like it because I’m good at Maths.
The next lesson is French. I like French. It’s nice to be able to talk with somebody in another language.
At last, it is eleven o’clock — time for break. After having a break, we have two Latin lessons. There are a lot of boys in our class who don’t like Latin. I don’t like it, either.
At half past twelve, it is time for lunch — a meat pie, potatoes or cabbage and a glass of juice or milk. Then I go to the playground with my friends, and we play football there.
After lunch, we have a History lesson. The History teacher tells us many interesting things.
After school, my friends and I usually go for a walk. I come home very late, and my mother is very angry.How does Jasson go to school?
| A．On foot. | B．By bike. | C．By bus. | D．By taxi. |
Which of the following subjects is Jason good at?
| A．Maths. | B．French. | C．Latin. | D．History. |
When does Jason have a break?
| A．At 10:00 am. | B．At 10:30 am. |
| C．At 11:00 am. | D．At 11:30 am. |
What does Jason do after school?
| A．Playfootball. | B．Play basketball. |
| C．Play table tennis. | D．Goforawalk. |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Jasonfindshisbooksinthebedroom. |
| B．ThesecondlessononMondayisLatin. |
| C．Jasonhaslunchattwelveo’clock. |
| D．Jason probably likes History lessons. |
My best friends are John and Ann. We do many things together. John lives near my house and we are in the same class. He's fifteen years old and he's tall and thin. He's got blond hair and blue eyes. He's polite and very clever. He's very good at math and he helps me with my homework sometimes. He usually wears jeans and a T-shirt but in the photo he's wearing black trousers and a yellow T-shirt. We also play basketball at a nearby park together and sometimes we play video games at my home.
Our friend Ann doesn't go to our school. She's short and thin, with straight brown hair and brown eyes. She's a little bit shy. We all have Kung Fu lesson every Tuesday and Friday afternoon. We love it. Ann is really good at Kung Fu. We call her the" Kung Fu Kid". She sometimes plays basketball with us, too. In the picture she is wearing a dress, T-shirt and a baseball cap. The three of us have great fun together,What things do the three children do together?
| A．Play baseball. | B．Play basketball. |
| C．Play video games. | D．Play soccer |
What are John and Ann's favorite clothes?
| A．T-shirt. | B．Jeans. | C．Trousers. | D．Skirts |
Who is good at math?
| A．Tom. | B．Ann. |
| C．John. | D．Both Tom and Ann |
Who wears a baseball cap in the picture?
| A．Ann. | B．Tom. |
| C．John. | D．Both John and Tom |
When do the three children have Kung Fu lesson?
A. Every Tuesday. B. Every Friday afternoon.
C. Both A and B. D. Every Friday
Hi, I’m Harry. I’m fourteen years old. I live in Taipei, Taiwan. I am a second grader in a junior high school. I’m interested in playing computer games and watching TV. My favorite food is pizza.
Hello, my name is Dolly. I was born on January 12th. There are four people in my family — my mother, my father, my sister and me. My favorite food is green tea. Now, I am a junior high school student. My hobbies are watching TV and climbing mountains. My best friend Tom lives in Canada. Maybe some day, you will be her friends, too!
My name is Eric. My hobbies are fishing, reading books and playing computer games. My favorite subject is History, because my dad is a History teacher and I read a lot of books about history. I’m very bad at English, because it’s hard for me. My favorite sport is ping-pong. I play ping-pong with my dad and my cousins every weekend.What are Harry’s hobbies?
| A．Watching TV and climbing mountains. |
| B．Playing computer games and reading books. |
| C．Watching TV and playing computer games. |
| D．Fishing, reading books and playing computer games. |
When is Dolly’sbirthday?
| A．On January 11th. | B．OnJanuary 12th. |
| C．On January 13th. | D．On January 14th. |
Where is Dolly’sbestfriendTomfrom?
A. Taiwan.B. The USA.
C. Canada. D. England.What subject may Eric be good at?
| A．Englsih. | B．History. | C．Maths. | D．Music. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Eric’sfatherisaHistoryteacher. |
| B．TherearefourpeopleinDolly’sfamily. |
| C．Harry is a second grader in a junior high school. |
| D．Eric plays tennis with his dad and his cousins every weekend. |