Interactive Home-security Systems
Tarik Celebi, who lives in San Francisco suburb, takes his home-security system with him to work, to dinner, just about anywhere．By his cell phone, he "arms" his home-security alarm from his car before he leaves for work．During his workday, he gets e-mail alerts every time his front door opens, even though he's miles away．If the door opens at an unusual time ---say midday when no one should be coming or going --- he can order a 30-second video clip from the camera that watches the door．If it's just his mother-in-law getting a package delivery, no worries．
Celebi is one of the first users of the latest interactive home-security systems．In addition to sounding alarms when the house is broken into and notifying homeowners or police, as traditional systems do, the interactive systems give users new ways to remotely control their systems and their home environment．Different from traditional home-security alarms, which homeowners typically have to press buttons on a keypad to turn on before they leave their homes, the interactive systems enable consumers to arm and disarm systems from smart phones, iPads and PCs, no matter where they are．
Most traditional systems are set up to sound an alarm if doors or windows are opened． The interactive systems give homeowners more options．For example, users can elect when they want to be notified．They might want an e-mail or a text every time a door is opened, or only during the hours of 3 to 4 p．m．, when kids come home from school．Like Celebi, they can add cameras and get video clips when doors open．That could be helpful in making sure kids aren't bringing friends home when they're not supposed to．
Nationwide, about 20% of homes have traditional home-security systems．About half stop using them because they tire of the trouble．Being able to arm systems even while dashing to the subway or while at work will increase their usage of the new interactive systems．Although the new functions add costs to home security, the interactive-systems are believed to push home-security systems' usage rates closer to 30%, which would be a big movement for an industry that's been largely stuck at 20% for the past decade．"We all know it's going to get bigger, though we don't know how long it's going to take," Eric Taylor, an officer from San Francisco Security Department says．What may Celebi first do if his front door opens at a wrong time when he is away?
| A．Inform the police． | B．Call his mother-in-law． |
| C．Arm the security alarm． | D．Observe through video． |
The interactive systems enable the user to ______.
| A．improve his home environment remotely |
| B．lock his house's door while he is miles away |
| C．operate the home-security systems at any place |
| D．stop some friends of kids from entering automatically |
What's the advantage of the interactive systems over the traditional ones?
| A．They are cheaper. |
| B．They have more ways to inform the users. |
| C．They can give quicker reaction． |
| D．They are easier to set up. |
What is the last paragraph mainly about?
| A．The importance of security industry. |
| B．The functions of the interactive alarms. |
| C．The popularity of home-security systems. |
| D．The market potential of the interactive systems. |
Planting trees around poultry farms can improve air and water quality -- and relations with neighbors. Research has shown that just three rows of trees near poultry houses can reduce the release of dust and ammonia(氨). They can also reduce the strong smell of ammonia gas.
The trees take dust, ammonia and odors in their leaves. They also provide shade from the sun, so they reduce cooling costs in summer. And they act as a windbreak, so they reduce heating costs in winter. Trees can also improve water quality around farms by removing pollutions from soil and groundwater.
Several years ago, people were objecting to the odor of poultry farms on the Delmarva Peninsula in the eastern United State s. Delmarva is where the states of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia come together. Two thousand farms there can each house an average of seventy-five thousand chickens.
Traditionally the farms used windows to provide fresh air in the chicken houses. Farmers rarely planted trees or tall crops around the buildings, so there would be no barrier to the airflow. But then farms began to use new ventilation systems. Instead of windows, the new systems used tunnel fans to circulate air. The fans directed airflow from the poultry houses toward the homes of neighbors.
Researchers began dealing with the problem in two thousand. They found that over a period of six years, planting three rows of trees reduced total dust and ammonia by more than half. And they found that smells were reduced by eighteen percent.
Farmers may think trees will take too long to grow and be effective. But some trees can grow quickly. At least one-third of the Delmarva farms have planted trees, technically known as vegetative environmental buffers. The idea offers a way to cut pollution, save money and energy, and make the neighbors happy.The second paragraph mainly tells us ______.
| A．planting trees as much as possible |
| B．the advantages of trees |
| C．how to reduce heating costs |
| D．why trees are received |
The word “odor” in paragraph 3 means ______.
| A．plant | B．smell | C．height | D．water |
The farms on the Delmarva Peninsula used to use ______ in chicken houses to provide fresh air.
| A．trees | B．tunnel fans | C．windows | D．poles |
It can be learned from the last two paragraphs that ______.
| A．three rows of trees are really good to the environment |
| B．researches began to realize the problem in 2000 |
| C．most farmers show interest in planting trees |
| D．the trees growing quickly can be cut off in a few years |
Our listener question this week comes from Abdullahi Farah, who wants to know about the life and work of Doctor Benjamin Carson.
Doctor Carson is an internationally recognized doctor at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He has been the director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the hospital for twenty-five years. At the age of thirty-three, he became one of the youngest doctors in the United States to hold that position. And he was the first African-American to have that position at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Ben Carson is known for his work as a brain surgeon for children. For example, in nineteen eighty-seven, he led a team of seventy doctors and nurses in an operation to separate two babies joined at the head. Earlier attempts by other surgeons on other babies had failed. Doctor Carson successfully performed the operation. Both babies were able to survive independently.
Doctor Carson has written four books. His first book, "Gifted Hands," tells the story of his life. Benjamin Carson was born in nineteen fifty-one in Detroit, Michigan.
As a boy, Ben was not a good student. In fact, he was the worst in his class. When his mother learned of his failing grades she asked her sons to read two library books every week. She limited the amount of time they watched television. And she told them to respect every person.
Ben Carson soon became the top student in his class. He went on to study at Yale University, one of the best universities in the country, and later to medical school at the University of Michigan.
Doctor Carson has received many awards and honors. Last year he received the nation's highest civilian honor. Former President George W. Bush presented Benjamin Carson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a ceremony at the White House.The passage is probably taken from _____.
| A．a radio | B．a magazine | C．TV | D．a paper |
What does the word “surgeons” in paragraph 3 mean?
| A．nurses | B．doctors | C．hospitals | D．points |
Benjamin Carson’s change in study was largely because of ______
| A．his hard work | B．his teacher |
| C．his mother | D．his father |
What’s the aim to write the passage?
| A．To call on us to learn from Benjamin Carson. |
| B．To praise Benjamin Carson for his achievements. |
| C．To show us how Benjamin Carson succeeded |
| D．To introduce Benjamin Carson’s life and work |
Diane Arbus is known for creating intense black and white photographs of very unusual people. She used a special camera that produced square shaped images. One art expert said Diane Arbus turned photography inside out. Instead of looking at her subjects, she made them look at her.
Diane Arbus was born in 1923 to a wealthy family in New York City. After finishing high school at the age of 18, Diane married Allan Arbus. Mr. Arbus worked in the advertising department of her father’s store.
It was Mr. Arbus who gave Diane her first camera. Diane soon decided to take a class with the famous photographer Berenice Abbott. The Arbuses eventually started taking photographs of clothing. These images were used as advertisements for Diane’s father’s store. After the birth of their daughter, Doon, the Arbuses started a business together. Their purpose was to photograph clothing fashions. Diane Arbus was the stylist. She would prepare the hair and faces of the fashion models who wore the clothing being photographed. Allan Arbus took the pictures.
The couple soon had jobs from important fashion magazines such as “Vogue” and “Harper’s Bazaar”. Their work was very successful during the 1950s. They became part of a group of artists that were helping to redefine visual culture. They were breaking with past traditions to create a new look for a new decade, the sixties.
But Diane was not satisfied with her secondary role. She wanted a more active part in making photographs. She wanted to explore her own artistic expression and freedom. To do this, she stopped working with her husband. Then she started taking photography classes at the New School in New York City.
Arbus’ teacher, Lisette Model, influenced her in many ways. She showed Diane how to use a camera like an expert. She also taught Diane to use her art to face her doubts and fears. Miss Model once said that Diane soon started “not listening to me but suddenly listening to herself.”Diane Arbus got her first camera ______.
| A．from her father | B．from her husband |
| C．in a shop | D．in the advertising department |
Why did the Arbuses start a business together?
| A．To film clothing fashions. | B．To make their daughter happy. |
| C．To prove themselves. | D．To make friends with more people. |
The Arbuses ______ in the 1950s according to the passage.
| A．were in charge of “Vogue” | B．earned more than other artists |
| C．were recognized as great artists | D．were proud of their achievements |
We can learn from the last two paragraphs that ______.
| A．Diane was hard to dealt with |
| B．Diane care more for freedom |
| C．Diane was tired of working with husband |
| D．Diane learned more from Lisette Model |
Some people bring out the best in you in a way that you might never have fully realized on your own.My mom was one of those people.
My father died when I was nine months old,making my mom a single mother at the age of eighteen.While I was growing up,we lived a very hard life.We had little money,but my mom gave me a lot of love.Each night,she sat me on her lap and spoke the words that would change my life,“Kemmons,you are certain to be a great man and you can do anything in life if you work hard enough to get it.”
At fourteen,I was hit by a car and the doctors said I would never walk again.Every day,my mother spoke to me in her gentle,loving voice,telling me that no matter what those doctors said,I could walk again if I wanted to badly enough.She drove that message so deep into my heart that I finally believed her.A year later,I returned to school—walking on my own!
When the Great Depression(大萧条)hit,my mom lost her job.Then I left school to support the both of us.At that moment,I was determined never to be poor again.
Over the years,I experienced various levels of business success.But the real turning point occurred on a vacation I took with my wife and five kids in 1951.I was dissatisfied with the second-class hotels available for families and was angry that they charged an extra $2 for each child.That was too expensive for the average American family.I told my wife that I was going to open a motel(汽车旅馆)for families that would never charge extra for children.There were plenty of doubters at that time.
Not surprisingly,mom was one of my strongest supporters.She worked behind the desk and even designed the room style.As in any business,we experienced a lot of challenges.But with my mother’s words deeply rooted in my soul,I never doubted we would succeed.Fifteen years later,we had the largest hotel system in the world—Holiday Inn.In 1979 my company had 1759 inns in more than fifty countries with an income of $1 billion a year.
You may not have started out life in the best situations.But if you can find a task in life worth working for and believe in yourself,nothing can stop you.What Kemmons’ mom often told him during his childhood was_______.
| A．caring | B．moving |
| C．encouraging | D．interesting |
According to the author,who played the most important role in making him walk back to school again?
| A．Doctors. | B．Nurses. | C．Friends. | D．Mom. |
What caused Kemmons to start a motel by himself?
| A．His terrible experience in the hotel. |
| B．His previous business success of various levels. |
| C．His mom’s support. |
| D．His wife’s suggestion. |
Which of the following best describes Kemmons’ mother?
| A．Modest,helpful and hard-working. |
| B．Loving,supportive and strong-willed. |
| C．Careful,helpful and beautiful. |
| D．Strict,sensitive and supportive. |
Which of the following led to Kemmons’ success according to the passage?
| A．Self-confidence,hard work,higher-education and a poor family. |
| B．Mom’s encouragement,clear goals,self-confidence and hard work. |
| C．Clear goals,mom’s encouragement,a poor family and higher education. |
| D．Mom’s encouragement,a poor family,higher education and opportunities. |
Thinking
| ·Some scientists claim that we humans are the only living things that are conscious(有意识的)—we alone are aware that we are thinking. ·No one knows how consciousness works—it is one of science’s last great mysteries. ·All your thoughts take place in the cerebrum(大脑皮质),which is at the top of your brain,and different kinds of thought are linked to different areas,called association areas. ·Each half of the cerebrum has four rounded ends called lobes(脑叶)—two at the front(frontal and temporal lobes)and two at the back(occipital and parietal lobes). ·The frontal lobe is linked to your personality and it is where you have your bright ideas. ·The temporal lobe is where you hear and understand what people say to you. ·The occipital lobe is where you work out what your eyes see. ·The parietal lobe is where you record touch,heat and cold,and pain. ·The left half of the brain controls the right side of the body.The right half controls the left side. ·One half of the brain is always dominant(in charge).Usually,the left brain is dominant,which is why 90% of people are right-handed. |
Which part of your cerebrum is most active when you are making a telephone call?
| A．The frontal lobe. | B．The temporal lobe. |
| C．The occipital lobe. | D．The parietal lobe. |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．One’s personality has something to do with the frontal lobe. |
| B．Bright ideas come from the parietal lobe. |
| C．The occipital and temperal lobes are at the back of the cerebrum. |
| D．The occipital lobe is in charge of sound. |
From the passage,we know the reason why around 10% of people are left-handed is that_______.
| A．their frontal lobe is usually dominant |
| B．their temporal lobe is usually dominant |
| C．their right brain is usually dominant |
| D．their left brain is usually dominant |