How fit are your teeth? Are you lazy about brushing them? Never fear: An inventor is on the case. An electric toothbrush senses how long and how well you brush, and it lets you track your performance on your phone.
The Kolibree toothbrush was exhibited at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. It senses how it is moved and can send the information to an Android phone or iPhone via a Bluetooth wireless connection.
The toothbrush will be able to teach you to brush right(don’t forget the insides of the teeth!)and make sure you’re brushing long enough.“It’s kind of like having a dentist actually watch your brushing on a day-to-day basis,” says Thomas Serval, the French inventor.
The toothbrush will also be able to talk to other applications on your phone, so developers could, for instance, create a game controlled by your toothbrush. You could score points for beating monsters among your teeth.“We try to make it smart but also fun,” Serval says.
Serval says he was inspired by his experience as a father. He would come home from work and ask his kids if they had brushed their teeth. They said“yes,” but Serval would find their toothbrush heads dry. He decided he needed a brush that really told him how well his children brushed.
The company says the Kolibree will go on sale this summer, for $99 to $199,depending on features. The U.S.is the first target market.
Serval says that one day, it’ll be possible to replace the brush on the handle with a brushing unit that also has a camera. The camera can even examine holes in your teeth while you brush.Which is one of the features of the Kolibree toothbrush?
| A.It can sense how users brush their teeth. |
| B.It can track users’ school performance. |
| C.It can detect users’ fear of seeing a dentist. |
| D.It can help users find their phones. |
What can we learn from Serval’s words in Paragraph 3?
| A.You will find it enjoyable to see a dentist. |
| B.You should see your dentist on a day-to-day basis. |
| C.You can brush with the Kolibree as if guided by a dentist. |
| D.You’d like a dentist to watch you brush your teeth every day. |
Which of the following might make the Kolibree toothbrush fun?
| A.It can be used to update mobile phones. |
| B.It can be used to play mobile phone games. |
| C.It can send messages to other users. |
| D.It can talk to its developers. |
What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?
| A.How Serval found out his kids lied to him. |
| B.Why Serval thought brushing teeth was necessary. |
| C.How Serval taught his kids to brush their teeth. |
| D.What inspired Serval to invent the toothbrush. |
Most people know that Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, and the first person to win it twice. However, few people know that she was also the mother of a Nobel Prize winner.
Born in September, 1897, Irene Curie was the first of the Curies’ two daughters. Along with nine other children whose parents were also famous scholars, Irene studied in their own school, and her mother was one of the teachers. She finished her high school education at the College of Sévigné in Paris.
Irene entered the University of Paris in 1914 to prepare for a degree in mathematics and physics. When World War I began, Irene went to help her mother, who was using X-ray facilities to help save the lives of wounded soldiers. Irene continued the work by developing X-ray facilities in military hospitals in France and Belgium. Her services were recognized in the form of a Military Medal by the French government.
In 1918, Irene became her mother’s assistant at the Curie Institute. In December 1924, Frederic Joliot joined the Institute, and Irene taught him the techniques required for his work. They soon fell in love and were married in 1926. Their daughter Helene was born in 1927 and their son Pierre five years later.
Like her mother, Irene combined family and career. Like her mother, Irene was awarded a Nobel Prize, along with her husband, in 1935. Unfortunately, also like her mother, she developed leukemia because of her work with radioactivity (辐射能). Irene Jolioc-Curie died from leukemia on March 17, 1956.Why was Irene Curie awarded a Military Medal?
| A.Because she received a degree in mathematics. |
| B.Because she contributed to saving the wounded. |
| C.Because she won the Nobel Prize with Frederic. |
| D.Because she worked as a helper to her mother. |
Where did Irene Curie meet her husband Frederic Joliot?
| A.At the Curie Institute. | B.At the University of Paris. |
| C.At a military hospital. | D.At the College of Sévigné. |
When was the second child of Irene Curie and Frederic Joliot born?
A. In 1932. B. In 1927. C. In 1897. C. In 1926.In which of the following aspects was Irene Curie different from her mother?
| A.Irene worked with radioactivity. | B.Irene combined family and career. |
| C.Irene won the Nobel Prize once. | D.Irene died from leukemia. |
It seems school children all over the world complain about their school food. Cherie Blair, the wife of previous Prime Minister Tony Blair, said that she would prepare a packed lunch for her son if school dinners do not improve. So what do students of your age eat for lunch at school?
Japan
High schools have canteens(食堂), which serve everything from noodles to rice, but not burgers and chips. Other children bring food from home such as cold rice balls, meat or fish, pickles(泡菜) and vegetables.
Students take home a menu for the coming month containing notes on nutrition(营养)value. Twice a year parents are invited to have a taste of the food. The class with the fewest leftovers(剩饭) at the end of the month receives a prize.
Untied States
A typical menu from a US school is made up of a hamburger with fried potatoes or roast chicken, lettuce and pickles, fruit and cookies. School lunches must also provide at least one-third of the daily dietary allowances (定量) of protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, and calories.
Australia
Meat pies, sausage rolls and hotdogs are all traditional dishes in Australian school shops. But as the nation pays more attention to children’s health, healthier foods have started to find their way onto school menus.
Many schools have used a traffic light system. The sale of red-labelled foods, including pastries, chocolate and soft drinks, is served only twice a week. Healthier green-labelled foods such as sushi (寿司), sandwiches, corn and watermelon, however, are available every day.
In some schools, students have a choice of up to 89 foods to choose from, including popcorn and rice.
South Africa
Most of South Africa’s schools do not serve meals at all. Classes end at 1:30pm and students get their own lunches. Many students bring food from home, usually sandwiches.
Fast food and fried food sell the best among students, which has led to a rise in obesity among children. But as more people began to realize the fact that being too fat may cause different diseases, some schools in towns have led the way towards better nutrition. Now students at these schools are provided with lunches of porridge with vegetables, such as cabbages, onions, beans, carrots and tomatoes.What does the underlined word “obesity” in the last paragraph probably mean?
| A.Nutrition. | B.Addiction. | C.Food shortage. | D.Overweight. |
We can infer from the passage that ________.
| A.a typical menu from a US school consists of enough nutrition. |
| B.most students in South Africa eat their lunch at home. |
| C.many schools in Australia have traffic lights outside their school. |
| D.you can have whatever you like in school canteens in Japan. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A.Schools should try to satisfy the needs of students. |
| B.Schools serve different foods from country to country. |
| C.Food served in the US is the best of all. |
| D.School children all over the world dislike their school food. |
The article is written for ________.
| A.parents | B.schoolmasters |
| C.students of your age | D.nutritionists |
I had been rather proud of myself when my friends and family got the ticket, whether it was for speeding, parking or stop sign violations (违反). It was something that happened to others. But last Friday I joined the club.
I was asked to do a new project last week. On Friday morning on my way to work, I suddenly remembered that I had spent the past six weeks without considering that I had a week’s vacation planned during that time. I was very disappointed with myself for not remembering it.
The truth is that I was not paying enough attention to my driving and I did not come to a complete stop at the stop sign in front of a school. I was so distracted (思想不集中的) that I didn’t even notice I had a policeman on my tail with his lights flashing. Finally I looked in my mirror and caught on.
The policeman was rude and took my papers. Fortunately, I had everything up to date and since I had never had a ticket before, there was nothing for him to do but write me a ticket. While I was sitting there in the seat of “shame”, I felt bad. If I had been that distracted and a child had run onto the road, perhaps I would have not reacted as well as I could have. It was a wake-up call.
People at work asked me if I tried to talk my way out of it(为自己开脱). Frankly, it never occurred to me. I felt sorry. Now I no longer have a clean driving record. Please be careful out there, as a moment’s distraction can lead to tragedy.What is this passage mainly about?
| A.The writer’s most unforgettable experience. |
| B.How the writer got her first ticket. |
| C.An accident caused by the writer. |
| D.Why the writer is always so careful. |
The underlined part “the club” in Paragraph I here refers to __________.
| A.people who are crazy about driving cars |
| B.a club for drivers without much experience |
| C.people who get tickets for breaking traffic rules |
| D.a club for people to talk about their driving stories |
What made the writer unable to focus on her driving?
| A.Planning how to spend the vacation. |
| B.Thinking of the forgotten vacation. |
| C.Thinking about her work |
| D.Missing her children. |
When the writer received the ticket, she __________.
| A.felt lucky that she was an experienced driver |
| B.was so nervous that she shook all over |
| C.was ashamed(愧疚的)of herself for being distracted |
| D.was worried about being laughed at |
Early in the 16th century men were trying to reach Asia by travelling west from Europe. In order to find Asia they had to find a way past South Africa. The man who finally found the way from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific was Ferdinand Magellan.
Magellan sailed from Seville in August 1519 with five ships and about 280 men. Fourteen months later, after spending the severe (凌冽的) winter on the coast of Patagonia, he discovered the channel (海峡) which is now called Magellan Straits. In November 1520, after many months of dangers from rocks and storms, the three remaining ships entered the ocean on the other side of South America.
They then continued, hoping to reach Asia. But they didn’t see any land until they reached the islands off the coast of Asia. Before they arrived at these islands, later known as Philippines, men were dying of starvation. While they were in the Philippines., Magellan was killed in battle.
The remaining officers then had to get back to Spain. They decided to sail around Africa. After many difficulties, one ship with eighteen men sailed into Seville after leaving. They were all that remained of Magellan’s expedition (探险队).Magellan Straits were discovered by Magellan ______.
| A.in August 1519 | B.in October 1520 |
| C.in November 1520 | D.in December 1520 |
The number of the ships lost on the whole expedition was ______.
| A.two | B.three | C.four | D.five |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the text?
| A.Dangers from rocks and storms | B.Lack of fresh food and water |
| C.Severe winter in Patagonia | D.The death of Magellan |
For more than twenty years scientists have been searching for signs of life on other planets. Most of these searches have been done over the radio. The hope is that someone in outer space may be trying to get in touch with us. Scientists also have sent radio and television messages on spaceships traveling through space, on the chance that someone may be receptive (善于接受的) to such messages.
Scientists are using powerful radio telescope to listen to signals from about 1,000 stars, all within 100 light years of earth. In addition, they will scan (扫视) the entire sky to “listen” for radio messages from more distant stars. Using a computer, they will be able to monitor more than eight channels at one time. Scientists are looking for any signal that stands out from the background noise.
Of the 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy (银河星系), scientists find that five percent are like our sun. Perhaps half of them have a planet like earth. Such a planet would be a reasonable distance from the star for temperatures to be right for the evolution of life. Based on the inhabitable (that can be lived in) planets in our galaxy, most scientists agree that chances are likely that one or more of these planets support some life.
However, many scientists wonder whether intelligent (有智力的) life exists on other planets. Some believe that twenty years of searching without any intelligible (可理解的) messages shows that no one is out there. They say that the evolution of intelligence comparable to ours is unlikely.
Other scientists believe that our search hasn’t been long enough to rule out the possibility that intelligent life exists in our galaxy. Although our sun family in only about five billion years old, our galaxy is about 20 billions years old. In that time, some scientists think it is likely that civilizations are much more advanced than ours. Perhaps these civilizations (文明) send us no signals; perhaps we have not recognized the signals they have sent us. If we hope to find intelligent life, these scientists believe that we have to keep looking.According to the passage, how many planets in our galaxy might be inhabitable?
| A.5 billion | B.10 billion | C.15 billion | D.200 billion |
The first paragraph in this passage is mainly about ______.
| A.how scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets |
| B.why scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets |
| C.where scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets |
| D.when scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets |
The underlined word “monitor” in the passage means “______”.
| A.find | B.follow | C.check | D.form |
Which of the statements is TRUE based on the information in the passage?
| A.The earth is one of the oldest planets in our galaxy. |
| B.Most scientists believe that there is intelligent life on other planet. |
| C.Scientists are trying different ways to find signs of life on other planet. |
| D.Scientists don’t believe that there might be life on other planets. |