When Jeff Sparkman draws his cartoon superheroes with colored pencils, he often has to ask other people to tell him what color his masked men turned out to be because he's color-blind. Now, a new smart phone application (app) can help him figure out what colors he's using and how the picture looks to most everyone else.
The DanKam app, available for iPhone and Android for $2.99, is an application that turns the vague colors that one percent of the population with color-blindness sees into the "true" colors as everyone else sees them. In America, an estimated 32 million color-blind Americans---95% are males---can soon have their life improved.
"DanKam takes the stream of data coming in through the phone's camera and changes the colors slightly so they fall within the range that people who are color-blind see," developer Dan Kaminsky told CNET. He came up with the idea after watching the 2009 film Star Trek with a color-blind friend.
It was then that he got to know more about colorblindness like its varying types and degrees. A vast majority, for instance, have trouble seeing red or green due to a genetic defect(遗传缺陷). Blue-yellow colorblindness, however, is rarer and develops later in life because of aging, illness or head injuries, etc. He started experimenting with one of the most common representations of points in the RGB color model. What the DanKam app attempts to do is to clean up the color space of the image or video signal so that colors can be visible to those suffering from viewing problems. “You can adjust the app to fit your needs. There is a range and not everyone who is color-blind sees things the same.” Says Kaminsky.
Sparkman, a copy editor at CNET, tried out the app and was pleased with the results. "It would be useful for dressing for a job interview," he said. But using it for his art is “the most practical application." It worked well on LED and other lights on electronic gadgets, which means Sparkman can now identify the power light on his computer display as green.According to the first two paragraphs, we can know that DanKam ___________.
| A．appeared in the movie Star Trek |
| B．can turn vague colors into real ones |
| C．is a phone used to help drawing pictures |
| D．is designed to help people with colorblindness |
How does DanKam’s app work?
| A．It puts LED and other lights on electronic gadgets. |
| B．It changes the colors so that color-blind people can see them. |
| C．It checks color-blind people’s types of degrees of colorblindness. |
| D．It shows common representations of points in the RGB color model |
It can be inferred from the passage that colorblindness __________.
| A．cannot be cured by any methods |
| B．is more commonly seen in women |
| C．is not necessarily inborn disease |
| D．makes people unable to tell any colors |
Which of the following is NOT included in the things that DanKam helps Sparkman with?
| A．Choosing clothes. |
| B．Drawing his pictures. |
| C．Playing computer games |
| D．Handling electronic gadgets. |
In today’s Internet age, online games can be a change from the pressure of school and work. However, they can also cause problems and unhealthy addictions. This is most clearly seen in the example of South Korea. This country has the world’s highest percentage of high – speed Internet services. It has also a high number of game players who are addicted to online games.
In 2004, a young man died after playing online games almost nonstop for 86 hours. A 12 – year – old boy stole $ 16,000 from his father to continue online games which he could not get away from. Such problems are spreading to other parts of Asia as well. In 2005, it was reported that about 80 percent of China’s 13.8 million online game players were under 25. And many of these were said to be addicted. Such numbers point toward a growing problem among Chinese youth.
Dr. Sue – Huei Chen, a psychologist , discovered some signs of at – risk people. Such people often go online to escape from their problems. And they usually have no friendship or good social skills. They feel the need to spend more and more time online, so they may be absent from school or family. And they become upset if anyone tries to limit their online game playing.The passage is mainly about .
| A．online games | B．problems caused by online games |
| C．computer problems in Asia | D．problems caused by young people |
In the passage, the writer tells us a fact that .
| A．South Korea has a large number of Internet schools |
| B．More and more young men are stealing money for online games |
| C．China’s online game players are all under the age of 25 |
| D．Online game addiction is a very common problem in South Korea |
After reading the passage, we know that in China .
| A．many young people are playing online games for fun |
| B．many young people are getting addicted to online games |
| C．only those under 25 like to play online games for long periods |
| D．80 percent of the Chinese depend on online games to get relaxed |
According to the passage, are more likely to become addicted to online games.
| A．people under great pressure from school and work. |
| B．people well known in the field of computer games |
| C．people with unsolved problems and few friends |
| D．people who’d like to take a risk in computer games |
Losing a baby tooth can be fun for a kid. You can put it under your pillow and look forward to finding some money there in the morning. And then you can watch your new permanent(永恒的) tooth grow in its place.
But if a permanent tooth falls out, that’s a problem. There isn’t another one under the gum(齿龈)that can replace it. Unfortunately, this happens to some older people. And if permanent teeth fall out-or need to be pulled-an older person might need dentures.
Dentures, known as false teeth, are a set of replacement teeth for any teeth that are missing. There are partial dentures, which take the place of only a few teeth and prevent the others from changing position. If all the teeth are gone, the person would need complete dentures, which replace every tooth in the mouth.
Dentures can cause pains at first and take some time to get adjusted to. They also need special care. They should be brushed daily with a special denture brush and cleanser and soaked in denture solution when not in the mouth.
Dentures are important for older folks because, without teeth, it’s hard to smile, talk, and eat properly. But it can be a little weird if you see someone take out his or her dentures. It can also be strange to see someone, like a grandparent, without dentures in because he or she won’t have any teeth. Try not to make fun of the person because this could cause hurt feelings.
People usually lose their permanent teeth due to periodontal disease, or gum disease, which is caused by bacteria that attacks the gums. Diseased gums aren’t strong and healthy, so teeth can get loose and fall out. Older people often have many cavities(洞)that have been filled over the years, and these fillings can weaken over time, leading to more tooth decay(腐烂).If one of your baby teeth falls out, he or she .
| A．should have a false tooth fixed in its place |
| B．have to put it under your pillow at once |
| C．will gain a permanent tooth in future |
| D．can exchange it for some money |
A person wearing dentures .
| A．should brush them with a special denture brush every few days |
| B．will take a very long time to adjust himself or herself to them |
| C．will experience unpleasant feelings at the beginning of fixing them |
| D．should use denture solution to soak them in his or her mouth |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Partial dentures can prevent the remaining teeth from changing position. |
| B．Old people will find it hard to smile, talk, and eat properly without teeth. |
| C．A person’s teeth will possibly get loose if diseases strike his gums. |
| D．It is hard for a person to wear dentures if all his teeth have fallen out. |
What does the underlined word “weird” mean in the fifth paragraph?
| A．inconvenient | B．strange | C．uncomfortable | D．impolite |
American society is not nap (午睡)friendly . In fact , says David Dings , sleep specialist at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine , “There’s even a prohibition (禁止) against admitting we need sleep”. Nobody wants to be caught napping or found asleep at work . To quote a proverb : “Some sleep five hours , nature requires seven , laziness nine and wickedness(淘气的) eleven.”
The way not to fall asleep at work is to take naps when you need them . “We have to totally change our attitude toward napping ,” says Dr. William Dement of Stanford University , the godfather of sleep research .
Last year a national commission led by Dement identified(发现) an “American sleep debt” which one member said was as important as the national debt . The commission was concerned about the dangers of sleepiness : people causing industrial accidents or falling asleep while driving . This may be why we have a new sleep policy in the White House . According to recent reports , President Clinton is trying to take a half---hour snooze (瞌睡) every afternoon .
About 60 percent of American adults nap when given the opportunity . We seem to have “a mid afternoon quiet phase ,” also called “a secondary sleep gate .” Sleeping 15 minutes to two hours in the early afternoon can reduce stress and make us refreshed . Clearly , we were born to nap .
We superstars of snooze don’t nap to replace lost shut--eye or to prepare for a night shift . Rather , we “snack” on sleep ,whenever , wherever and at whatever time we feel like it . I myself have napped in buses , cars , planes and on boats ; on floors and beds ;and in libraries , offices and museums . The research done by the Dement Commission shows that Americans .
| A．don’t like to take naps |
| B．are terribly worried about their national debt |
| C．think that lack of enough sleep causes many accidents |
| D．have caused many industrial and traffic accidents |
The purpose of this article is to .
Many of us already know about several American superstitions(迷信). Having a black cat cross your path, walking under a ladder, and breaking a mirror are all bad luck. In addition to these, there are many other superstitions that are worth knowing. Understanding them will keep you safe from evil spirits—if you believe in such things—and impress your American friends when you mention them.
Like the superstitions in other cultures, American superstitions often involve the things important in daily life, such as health, numbers, and marriage. For example, have you ever had a cough that would not go away? According to one American superstition, you should take a piece of your hair and put it between two slices of buttered bread. Next, feed this hair sandwich to a dog and say, “Eat well, you hound, may you be sick and I be sound.”This will trick the evil spirits and help your cough. It will also raise some eyebrows if you try it.
In American superstitions, the number three is very important. Often, Americans will say, “All things come in threes.” Three is lucky because it represents the traditional family: mother, father, and child. Therefore, gifts, letters, and guests will often arrive at your home in groups of three. However, it is also possible for bad events, like accidents and funerals, to come in threes as well.
Another time people pay attention to superstitions is when they get married. During a wedding, brides must wear or carry“something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.”The old and borrowed things will bring luck to the person who gives them to the bride. The new and blue things will bring good fortune to the bride herself. The next time someone you know is getting married, be sure to recite this phrase.
As it would be unlucky to discuss one more superstition, we will wind things up here. Keep your fingers crossed, and stay lucky!The passage is most probably entitled(命名)“”.
| A．American’s Bad Luck | B．Cross-culture and Superstitions |
| C．American Superstitions | D．Daily Life in Superstitions |
The underlined sentence in the second paragraph“It will also raise some eyebrows if you try it”means:.
| A．When you try it, the dog will raise its eyebrows |
| B．You will make some people surprised when you try this trick |
| C．Only if you raise your eyebrows can the trick work |
| D．You will believe in the trick after you try it |
In American’s view, the number three is a(n)number.
| A．lucky | B．unlucky | C．special | D．ordinary |
On the wedding, the bride often uses old and borrowed things so as to.
| A．save some money for the wedding |
| B．bring good luck to the people who give them to the bride |
| C．give the good luck to the bride herself |
| D．pass the bad luck to others |
Imagine you’re at a party full of strangers. You’re nervous. Who are these people? How do you start a conversation? Fortunately, you’ve get a thing that sends out energy at tiny chips in everyone’s name tag (标签). The chips send back name, job, hobbies, and the time available for meeting – whatever. Making new friends becomes simple.
This hasn’t quite happened in real life. But the world is already experiencing a revolution using RFID technology.
An RFID tag with a tiny chip can be fixed in a product, under your pet’s skin, even under your own skin. Passive RFID tags have no energy source – batteries because they do not need it. The energy comes from the reader, a scanning device (装置), that sends out energy (for example, radio waves) that starts up the tag immediately.
Such a tag carries information specific to that object, and the data can be updated. Already, RFID technology is used for recognizing each car or truck on the road and it might appear in your passport. Doctors can put a tiny chip under the skin that will help locate and obtain a patient’s medical records. At a nightclub in Paris or in New York the same chip gets you into the VIP (very important person ) section and pays for the bill with the wave of an arm.
Take a step back: 10 or 12 years ago, you would have heard about the coming age of computing. One example always seemed to surface: Your refrigerator would know when you needed to buy more milk. The concept was that computer chips could he put everywhere and send information in smart network that would make ordinary life simpler.
RFID tags are a small part of this phenomenon. “The world is going to be a loosely coupled set of individual small devices, connected wirelessly.” Predicts Dr. J. Reich. Human right supporters are nervous about the possibilities of such technology. It goes too far tracking school kids through RFID tags, they say. We imagine a world in which a beer company could find out not only when you bought a beer but also when you drank it. And how many beers, accompanied by how many biscuits.
When Marconi invented radio, he thought it would be used for ship – to – shore communication, not for pop music. Who knows how RFID and related technologies will be used in the future. Here’s a wild guess: Not for buying milk.The article is intended to .
| A．warn people of the possible risks in adopting RFID technology |
| B．explain the benefits brought about by RFID technology |
| C．convince people of the uses of RFID technology |
| D．predict the applications of RFID technology |
We know from the passage that with the help of RFID tags, people.
| A．will have no trouble getting information about others |
| B．will have more energy for conversation |
| C．will have more time to make friends |
| D．won’t feel shy at parties any longer |
Passive RFID tags chiefly consist of .
| A．scanning devices | B．radio waves | C．batteries | D．chips |
The last paragraph implies that RFID technology .
| A．will not be used for such matters as buying milk |
| B．will be widely used, including for buying milk |
| C．will be limited to communication uses |
| D．will probably be used for pop music |