Researchers have developed new software using smart phones’GPS and imaging abilities that determine the exact location of distant objects as well as monitor the speed and direction of moving objects.The software could eventually allow smart phone-armed soldiers to target the location of their enemies.On the home front,the software could be used by everyone,including golfers judging distance to the green and biologists documenting the location of a rare animal without disturbing it.
“The great advantage of a Smartphone is that it provides so many tools in a single,readily available,relatively inexpensive package,”said Qia Wang,a doctoral student who led the development of the software.“For example,on the battlefield,a soldier needs a rangefinder,compass,GPS and other tools to get information before calling in an air strike.With our software,the soldier can have all those instruments in one device that can be purchased off the shelf.When that soldier returns from War,she can use the same Software to protect her family by clocking a speeder near her children’s school and catching the criminal on video.”
Wang and his colleagues developed their software to locate and track:
Targets of known size—when the size of the target is known.a single image is enough to pinpoint the target’s location.
Targets of unknown size—If the exact size of a target is unknown,the software uses two images to triangulate the location of the target·
Moving targets—By taking a short video of a moving target,the smartphone software can calculate how fast the target is moving and in what direction it is going.
“Currently,our software is limited by the physical abilities of smartphone hardware,but the devices are improving rapidly,”Wang said.“We expect that improvements in GPS accuracy,battery life and camera resolution will allow our software to make even more accurate observations.”.From Paragraph 1 we can know that the new software can_______.
A.determine the speed of moving objects |
B.1ocate objects in the distance exactly |
C.defend soldiers against their enemies |
D.help biologists protect rare animal |
.The example given by Qia Wang is meant to ________________.
A.make an advertisement |
B.describe the software briefly |
C.show the benefits of the software |
D.present the functions of smartphones |
.How does the software calculate the speed of a moving object?
A.By taking a short video. | B.By locating its position. |
C.By taking a single image. | D.By measuring real-life size. |
.What’s Qia Wang’s attitude towards the future of the software?
A.Casual. | B.Optimistic. |
C.Cautious. | D.Flexible |
.What is the best title of the text?
A.Qia Wang,a Talented Doctoral Student |
B.Use Smartphones to Their Full Potential |
C.Targeting and Tracking With Smartphones |
D.Smartphone-armed Soldiers on the Battlefield |
New York, 10 November—5:27pm,yesterday. Biggest power failure in the city's
history.
Thousands of people got stuck in lifts. Martin Saltzman spent three hours between the 21st and 22nd floors of the Empire State Building. “There were twelve of us. But no one panicked. We passed the time telling stories and playing word games. One man wanted to smoke but we didn't let him. Firemen finally got us out.”
“It was the best night we've ever had,”said Angela Carraro,who runs an Italian restaurant on 42nd Street.“We had lots of candles on the tables and the waiters were carrying candles on their trays. The place was full—and all night, in fact, for after we had closed, we let the people stay on and spend the night here.”
The zoos had their problems like everyone else. Keepers worked through the night. They used blankets to keep flying squirrels and small monkeys warm. While zoos had problems keeping warm, supermarkets had problems keeping cool.“All of our ice cream and frozen foods melted,” said the manager of a store in downtown Manhattan.“They were worth $50,000.”
The big electric clock in the lobby(大厅)of the WaldorfAstoria Hotel in downtown Manhattan started ticking(滴答) again at 5:25 this morning. It was almost
on time.
1.Throughout the period of darkness, Martin Saltzman and the eleven others were ________ .
A. nervous B. excited C. calm D. frightened
2.In what way was the night of November 9 the best night for Angela Carraro?
A. She had a taste of adventure.
B. Burning candles brightened the place.
C. Business was better than usual.
D. Many people stayed the night in her restaurant.
3.How long did the power failure last?
A. Nearly 12 hours. B. More than 12 hours.
C. Nearly 24 hours. D. More than 24 hours.
A characteristic of American culture that has become almost a tradition is to respect the self made man—the man who has risen to the top through his own efforts,usually beginning by working with his hands.While the leader in business or industry or the college professor occupies a higher social position and commands greater respect in the community than the common labourer or even the skilled factory worker,he may take pains to point out that his father started life in America as a farmer or labourer of some sort.
This attitude toward manual(体力的) labour is now still seen in many aspects of American life.One is invited to dinner at a home that is not only comfortably but even luxuriously(豪华地)furnished and in which there is every evidence of the fact that the family has been able to afford foreign travel,expensive hobbies,and college education for the children;yet the hostess probably will cook the dinner herself,will serve it herself and will wash dishes afterward,furthermore the dinner will not consist merely of something quickly and easily assembled from contents of various cans and a cake or a pie bought at the nearby bakery.On the contrary,the hostess usually takes pride in careful preparation of special dishes.A professional man may talk about washing the car,digging in his flowerbeds,painting the house.His wife may even help with these things,just as he often helps her with the dishwashing.The son who is away at college may wait on table and wash dishes for his living,or during the summer he may work with a construction gang on a highway in order to pay for his education.
1.From paragraph 1,we can know that in America_________.
A.people tend to have a high opinion of the selfmade man
B.people can always rise to the top through their own efforts
C.college professors win great respect from common workers
D.people feel painful to mention their fathers as labourers
According to the passage,the hostess cooks dinner herself mainly because_________.
A.servants in America are hard to get
B.she takes pride in what she can do herself
C.she can hardly afford servants
D.it is easy to prepare a meal with canned food
3.The expression“wait on table” in the second paragraph means“_________”.
A.work in a furniture shop
B.keep accounts for a bar
C.wait to lay the table
D.serve customers in a restaurant
4.Which of the following may serve as the best title of the passage?
A.A Respectable Self made Family B.American Attitude toward Manual Labour
C.Characteristics of American Culture D.The Development of Manual Labour
Britain's oldest man made his first visit to London yesterday at the age of 110. Mr John Evans had never found the time or the money—to make the trip from his home near Swansea. But, when British Rail offered him an all expenses paid birthday trip to the capital, he just could not refuse.
Until yesterday he had never been far from home, except for one trip to Aberdeen. Mr Evans, who spent 60 years working as a miner in South Wales, almost made the journey to London once before, at the turn of the century.“There was a trip to the White City but it was ten shillings (1 shilling="1/20" pound) return from Swansea—too much I thought. All my money went to the family then,” he said.
During the next two days Mr Evans will be taken on a whistle stop tour of London to see the sights. Top of his list is a visit to the Houses of Parliament(国会).
The only arrangement he does not care for is the wheelchair provided to move
him about if he gets tired.“I don't like the chair business—people will so think I am getting old,” he said.
His secret for a long and healthy life has been well publicized—no alcohol, no cigarette and no anger. Before setting off from Swansea with his 76-year-old son, Amwel, he quipped, “I'm glad to see they've given me a return ticket.”
1.It was reported that Mr Evans's healthy long life was to a certain extent due to his________ .
A. wine drinking B. proper smoking
C. mild temper D. sense of humor
2.Which of the following statements is true?
A.A single trip from Mr Evans's home to the White City used to be ten shillings.
B.The first place for Mr Evans to visit is the Houses of Parliament.
C.He appreciated people's arrangement of a wheelchair during his visit.
D.Mr Evans once made the journey to London at the turn of the century.
3.The word “quip” in the last sentence most probably means ________.
A. to make a witty remarkB. to express a happy message
C. to make a wish D. to tell a joke
4.What might be the best title for this passage?
A. 110-Year-Old Tourist B. Secret for Long and Healthy Life
C. Free Return Ticket D. Sightseeing in London
There is one foreign product the Japanese are buying faster than others, and its popularity has caused an uneasy feeling among many Japanese.
That product is foreign words.
Gairaigo—words that come from outside— have been part of the Japanese language for centuries. Mostly borrowed from English and Chinese, these terms are often changed into forms no longer understood by native speakers.
But in the last few years the trickle (涓涓流水) of foreign words has become a flood, and people fear the increasing use of foreign words is making it hard for
the Japanese to understand each other and could lead to many people forgetting the good qualities of traditional (传统的) Japanese.
“The popularity of foreign words is part of the Japanese interest in anything new,” says university lecturer and writer Takashi Saito. “By using a foreign word you can make a subject seem new, which makes it easier for the media(媒体) to pick up."
“Experts (专家) often study abroad and use English terms when they speak with people in their own fields. Those terms are then included in government white papers," said Muturo Kai, president of the National Language Research Institute.
“Foreign words find their way easily into announcements made to the general public, when they should really be explained in Japanese."
Against the flow of new words, many Japanese are turning back to the study of their own language. Saito's Japanese to Be Read Aloud is one of many language books that are now flying off booksellers' shelves.
“We were expecting to sell the books to young people," said the writer, “but it turns out they are more popular with the older generation, who seem uneasy about the future of Japanese.”
1.What advantages do foreign words have over traditional Japanese terms?
A.The ideas expressed in foreign words sound new.
B. Foreign words are best suited for announcements.
C. Foreign words make new subjects easier to understand.
D. The use of foreign words makes the media more popular.
2.In the opinion of Takashi Saito, Japanese people ________.
A. are good at learning foreign languages
B. are willing to learn about new things
C. trust the media
D. respect experts
3.Which of the following plays an important part in the spread of foreign words?
A.The media and government papers.
B.Best selling Japanese textbooks.
C.The interest of young Japanese.
D.Foreign products and experts.
4.The book Japanese to Be Read Aloud ________.
A.sells very well in Japan
B. is supported by the government
C. is questioned by the old generation
D. causes misunderstanding among the readers
Sometime today—perhaps several times—Dick Winter will think about the 19-year-old who saved his life.
Because of this young man, Winter enjoys things like friendships, colours and laughter every day.
The young man saved Winter's life by signing an organ donor card(器官捐献卡).
“I can't say thank you enough,” Winter said yesterday at a news conference marking the tenth anniversary of the Multi Organ Transplant program at Toronto General Hospital.
What Winter knows of the 19yearold who saved his life is only that he died in a car accident and that his family was willing to honour his wishes and donate
his organs for transplantation.
His liver(肝脏) went to Winter, who was dying from liver trouble. “Not a day goes by that I don't think of what a painful thing it must have been for them,”Winter said yesterday.
“They are very, very special people.”
Winter, 63, is fitter now than he was 10 years ago, when he got the transplant. He has five medals from the 1995 World Transplant Games in swimming and hopes to
collect some more next year in Japan.
“At one time, we were probably strange people in the eyes of other people. Now it's expected you should be able to go back and do everything you did before, only better.”
The biggest change for Winter, however, isn't that he has become a competitive athlete. The biggest change is how deeply he appreciates every little thing about
his life now.
“I have no time for arguments,” said Winter.
“You change everything. Material things don't mean as much. Friendships mean a lot.”
Also at yesterday's news conference was Dr Gray Levy, Winter's doctor.
Levy said he has bittersweet feelings when he looks at Winter and hears of his athletic exploits.
Levy knows that for every recipient(接受者) like Winter, there are several others who die even though they could be saved because there aren't enough donated organs.
“For every Mr Winter,we have five to 10 people that will never be given the chance that Mr Winter was given,” Levy said.
Levy said greater public awareness and more resources are needed. He noted that in Spain and the United States, hospitals receive 10,000 per donor to cover the costs of the operating room, doctors, nurses and teams to work with the donors' families.
1.Which of the following is true about the 19-year-old?
A.He died of liver trouble.
B.He got wounded in a battle.
C.He was willing to donate his organs.
D.He became a recipient of a prize.
2.What do we learn about Dick Winter?
A.He is becoming less competitive now.
B.He is always thinking about his early life.
C.He knows all about the young man and his family.
D.He values friendships more than material things.
3.Dr Levy would agree that ________.
A.Spanish hospitals have more favorable conditions for organ transplant
B.the Canadian public have realised the importance of organ donation
C.Spanish hospitals received more money from the donors
D.Canadian hospitals now have enough donated organs
4.What's the author's purpose in writing this article?
A.The public should give more support to organ transplant.
B.Transplant patients are thankful for the help they receive.
C.Transplant can change a patient's life greatly.
D.It is not easy to get organs for transplant.