Smart phones, tablets, fitness trackers, headphones and most of the electronic devices we use today are made of metal, plastic and glass. But electronics don’t have to be. Sala de Medeiros and her colleagues found a way to turn an ordinary piece of paper into a simple electronic keypad. Many teams around the world are working on paper-based electronics. But this new device is different from any other device. It’s the first to power itself and also resist water and dust. The user’s touch gives it all the power it needs to run.
No single moment inspired her paper keypad. Instead, she focused on devices other engineers have been working on. Then she discovered that high cost was a problem with some flexible electronics. So she decided to work with low-cost materials.
Teflon(聚四氟乙烯) is a chemical coating that keeps food from sticking to pots and pans. Similar com-pounds(复合物) can also make paper waterproof. So she started testing the chemical but the one that was sup-posed to do the best job didn’t work at all. After some research, Sala de Medeiros found out that this chemical reacts with air. She had to buy special equipment that forbade any air getting in the way. Now, the chemical works as planned. Then the team placed a stencil(钢板) with the shape of a circuit(电路) onto the back of the paper and sprayed on several layers of materials. Finally, the team flipped over the paper and printed a keypad of numbers on the other side. They also added a tiny Bluetooth chip, which let their paper device talk to a computer. The source of electricity comes from the tap of a finger. When you’re typing we can create the energy by touching or rubbing.
The electronic keypad is regular paper most people could afford but wouldn’t easily get wet or dirty. It also should fit in your pocket.
1. Which of the following is the unique feature of the new device?A.It’s the first device made of paper. | B.It has little electricity or metal. |
C.It gets powered through touch. | D.It has no trouble cleaning itself. |
A.It was exposed to the air. | B.It was of low quality. |
C.It damaged the equipment. | D.It kept food stuck to pots. |
A.The process of creating the device. | B.The significance of the research. |
C.The application of the device. | D.The way to develop Teflon. |
A.Cleaned up. | B.Cut up. | C.Held onto. | D.Turned over. |
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【推荐1】Last Friday, a robot called EveR6 led an orchestra (管弦乐队) in a performance of Korean music at the National Theater of Korea. EveR 6 is about as tall as a person, and has a human-like face that can show emotions. Its joints (关节) allow it to move its arms quickly and smoothly in many different directions.
But EveR 6 doesn’t think on its own like some advanced Artificial Intelligence programs. Instead, it has a limited group of movements that it has been trained to perform. To make these movements as natural as possible, EveR 6’s movements are based on those captured from real human conductors.
In Friday’s performance, the National Orchestra of Korea presented a concert titled “Absence”. The concert included five different pieces of music. Two were conducted by EveR 6, and two were conducted by Soo-Yeoul Choi, who leads the Busan Philharmonic Orchestra. Both conductors worked together on the final piece.
Mr. Choi was impressed with the way EveR 6 moved. “The robot was able to present such detailed moves much better than I had imagined,” he said.
But Mr. Choi added that the robot’s biggest weakness is that it can’t hear. “Some people think that conducting is just a combination of hand waving and keeping the beat,” said Mr. Choi. “But a good conductor needs to listen to the orchestra, so that he or she can correct and encourage the orchestra as it plays.”
Mr. Choi and EveR 6 both conducted a piece of music called “Sense”. Instead of musical notes, EveR 6 had instructions for how to play the piece. The conductors and musicians had to work together to create the music. Mr. Choi communicated with the musicians while EveR 6 kept the beat. Mr. Choi said that once EveR 6 started, the musicians had “no choice but to follow its beats”.
Mr. Choi doesn’t think robots are likely to replace human conductors. But he believes robots could be helpful in situations like practice sessions where the same thing needs to be repeated many times.
1. What do we know about EveR 6 from the text?A.It is an experienced conductor. | B.It has a lifelike appearance. |
C.It is able to listen to music. | D.It is much shorter than a person. |
A.Stolen. | B.Stopped. | C.Recorded. | D.Hidden. |
A.Waving hands. | B.Keeping the beat. |
C.Having instructions. | D.Communicating with musicians. |
A.A robot conducting an orchestra. | B.An orchestra having performed in Korea. |
C.Modern music combined with technology. | D.Two conductors getting worldwide recognition. |
【推荐2】Scientists at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore have found a new way to handle food waste. They are turning unuseddurian (榴莲) fruit coverings into anti-bacterial bandages.
The researchers took fibers from the fruit’s coverings after they were cut and dried. Then they mixed the fibers with a liquid calledglycerol(甘油). This mixture becomes a soft substance calledhydrogel (水凝胶), which is then made into bandages. The fruit’s coverings make up more than half of a durian’s structure. They are usually thrown away and burned, which adds to environmental waste.
William Chen is director of the food science and technology program at NTU. He said, “In Singapore, we consume about 12 million durians a year, so besides the flesh, we can’t do much about the coverings and the seeds and this causes environmental pollution. So we decided to do something to solve the problem.” Chen added that the technology can also turn other food waste, such as soybeans and grains into hydrogel.
The hydrogel bandages can keep wound areas cooler and moremoist (湿润的) than normal bandages which can help speed up healing. The researchers say using waste materials for the antibacterial bandages is less costly than using normal bandages, for the traditional bandages use metallic compounds like silver or copper, which are more costly than natural waste.
Fruit seller Tan EngChuan said he goes through as much as 1,800 kilograms of durian each day during durian season. He said being able to use the parts of the fruit that are usually thrown away would make enjoying durian, in his words, “more cheerful.”
1. What motivated the researchers to develop the new bandages?A.The shortage of bandages. |
B.The popularity of durian. |
C.Pollution caused by durian waste. |
D.The rapidly-developing medical industry. |
A.They can shorten the healing process. |
B.They contain less silver and copper. |
C.They bring higher sales of durian. |
D.They are better-received by customers. |
A.Critical. | B.Objective. | C.Doubtful. | D.Favorable. |
A.Food Waste Arousing Great Concern of Scientists |
B.Singapore Scientists Turning Fruit Leftovers into Bandages |
C.Fruit Sellers Witnessing a Rapid Increase in Durian Sales |
D.Hydrogel Bandages Functioning Better than You Thought |
【推荐3】Something in chocolate could be used to stop coughs and lead to more effective medicines, say UK researchers.
Their study found that theobromine, found in cocoa, was nearly a third more effective in stopping coughs than codeine, which was considered the best cough medicine at present.
The Imperial College London researchers who published their results online said the discovery could lead to more effective cough treatment. “While coughing is not necessarily harmful, it can have a major effect on the quality of life, and this discovery could be a huge step forward in treating this problem,” said Professor Peter Barnes.
Ten healthy volunteers were given theobromine, codeine or placebo, a pill that contains no medicine, during the experiment. Neither the volunteers nor the researchers knew who received which pill. The researchers then measured levels of capsaicin, which is used in research to cause coughing and as a sign of how well the medicine are stopping coughs.
The team found that, when the volunteers were given theobromine, the capsaicin need to produce a cough was around a third higher than in the placebo group. When they were given codeine they need only slightly higher levers of capsaicin to cause a cough compared with the placebo.
The researchers said that theobromine worked by keeping down a verve activity(神经活动), which cause coughing. They also found that unlike some standard cough treatments, theobromine caused no side effects such as sleepiness.
1. According to Professor Barnes, theobromine ______.A.cannot be as effective as codeine | B.can be a more effective cure for coughs |
C.cannot be separated from chocolate | D.can be harmful to people’s health |
A.Capsaicin. | B.Codeine. |
C.Theobromine. | D.Placebo. |
A.were patients with bad coughs | B.suffered little side effects |
C.received standard treatments | D.were divided into the three groups |
A.Codeine: A New Medicine | B.Cough Treatment: A Hard Case |
C.Chocolate May Cure Coughs | D.Theobromine Can Cause Coughs |
【推荐1】Most of us lead unhealthy lives; we spend far too much sitting down. If in addition we are careless about our diets, our bodies soon become loose and fatty and our systems slow moving. There are some aspects (方面) of our unhealthy lives that we cannot avoid. I am thinking of such features of modern city life as pollution, noise, rushed meals and stress. But keeping fit is a way to reduce the effects of these evils. The usual suggestion to a person who is looking for a way to keep fit is to take up some sport or other. While it is true that every weekend you will find people playing football and hockey in the local park, they are outnumbered a hundred to one by the people who are simply watching them.
For those who do not particularly enjoy competitive sports—and it is especially difficult to do so if you are not good at them—there are such separate activities as cycling, walking, jogging and swimming. What often happens though is that you do them in such a leisurely way, so slowly, that it is doubtful if you are doing yourself much good, except for the fact that you have at least managed to get up out of your armchair.
Even after you have found a way for keeping in shape, through sport or gymnastics, you are still only half way to good health, because, according to the experts, you must also master the art of complete mental and physical relaxation. It has to do with deep breathing, emptying your mind of all thoughts, meditation, and so on. Yoga, as practiced in the West, is the most widely known and popular of the systems for achieving the necessary state of relaxation. It seems ironical (讽刺性的), though, that as our lives have improved in a material sense we have found it increasingly necessary to go back to forms of activity—physical effort on the one hand and relaxation on the other—which were the natural way of life of our forefathers.
1. Pollution, noise and stress are examples of ________.A.causes of unfitness |
B.bad features of living in cities |
C.the things we can completely do away with |
D.unavoidable things in town |
A.keep fit and active |
B.keep fit and learn to relax |
C.be active and practise Yoga |
D.have a sound mind |
A.their way of life closely connected with both exercise and relaxation |
B.they were careful to get plenty of fresh air |
C.they spent most of the time out of doors |
D.their environment was not polluted |
A.How to Keep Fit |
B.How to Learn to Relax |
C.How to Live a Healthy Life |
D.How to Practice Yoga |
【推荐2】Plants need phosphorus(磷) to grow. At first, people used organic or natural fertilizer. In1842 English agricultural chemist John Bennet Lawes patented a process for treating phosphorus-rich bones and rocks with acid, making it easier for plants to obtain, and soon the world’s first human -made fertilizer began selling.
Later scientists discovered that phosphorus was a bit tricky. The fertilizer Lawes produced contained a form of phosphorus that plants can easily use. But as soon as the phosphorus hit the soil, a large part of it reacted with soil minerals, forming substances that crops can’t access. Some also got locked away in equally unavailable organic forms.
So scientists concluded farmers shouldn’t cut back phosphorus. They should use more, especially as they raced to feed the world’s growing populations during the 20th century. In fact, it was once soil scientist Paul Withers’ job to spread the word. As a government farm advisor in the 1980s, he drove a red Volvo station wagon around the winding roads of rural England telling farmers to make sure their crops got plenty of key nutrients. This method, which Withers calls “insurance-based farming”, is still widely used around the world.
But is the large amount of unused phosphorus in the soil-so-called legacy (遗漏的) phosphorus actually as difficult to obtain as scientists once thought? English crop scientist Roger Sylvester-Bradley has taken a first common sense step: They stopped adding phosphorus fertilizer to half the barley field to see how the plants would grow. Eight years later, they have only just started to observe the first signs of phosphorus shortage. Barbara Cade-Menun, who oversees similar experiments in Canada, says, “Our production isn’t changing. ”
“The plants can use our mistakes from the past,” says Sheida Sattari, whose 2012 analysis found global soils contain enough legacy phosphorus to cut the expected demand for new fertilizer in half by 2050.
1. What was the disadvantage of Lawes’fertilizer?A.The cost of producing it was a bit high. |
B.Too much of it would do harm to plants. |
C.It could only be partly absorbed by plants. |
D.It led to the loss of some minerals in the soil. |
A.He felt uncertain of it. |
B.He was in favor of it. |
C.He was worried about it. |
D.He showed no interest in it. |
A.The increasing costs of fertilizer. |
B.The shortage of phosphorus resources. |
C.The ineffectiveness of “insurance-based farming ”. |
D.The phosphorus pollution of the environment. |
A.Crops can live on legacy phosphorus. |
B.Phosphorus is a necessity to grow crops. |
C.Unused phosphorus is causing big trouble. |
D.It is wrong to use a large amount of phosphorus. |
【推荐3】In a time when many people around the globe are in lockdown (封锁) and unable to attend the gym, home exercising is becoming important. Fears of piling on the pounds are forcing many to find novel ways to move the body. You don’t need to pump iron or have expensive equipment like rowing and cycling machines to help you stay fit.
Exercising is not just important for your body, but also your mind. A study by Dr. Andrea Dunn at the Cooper Research Institute in Dallas, Texas found patients who did daily 35-minute walks per week experienced a 47% reduction in their depression (抑郁) levels.
Cardiovascular (心血管的) exercise, often simply called cardio, is designed to keep your heart rates up, which in turn will strengthen your heart and improve your general fitness. Many of us are turning to activities like skipping with an old rope, or watching one of the many “fitness experts” who produce exercise videos online.
Walking is another great activity to help you increase your blood circulation. There are many affordable pedometers which can be worn like a watch and used to track your steps, heart rates and sleeping patterns. You don’t even have to step outside, with many people simply doing some power walking or running round their gardens or up and down their hallways.
Practicing yoga or Tai Chi can help to increase our body flexibility, which in turn can lower joint pain and help to protect us from injury. Finally, strength and resistance training can be done at home by simply lifting bags of rice or boxes instead of heavy weights in the gym.
There are many ways to help us stay active, and indeed these exercise habits can be carried over in our lives long after lockdown is lifted. For those of us who complain about our busy lives stopping us from hitting the gym, ten minutes a day with a rope or a bag of rice may not only help our fitness, but our mental health too.
1. What may encourage us to find new ways to exercise according to Paragraph 1?A.Living a boring life. | B.Gaining weight. |
C.Being mentally ill. | D.Losing connection. |
A.Rope skipping. | B.Pumping iron. |
C.Power walking. | D.Lifting bags. |
A.Losing weight quickly. |
B.Making our bodies stay flexible. |
C.Letting us recover from injury slowly. |
D.Reducing your depression levels efficiently. |
A.How to Exercise at Home | B.What to Do in Lockdown |
C.Different Ways to Keep Healthy | D.The Importance of Staying Fit |
【推荐1】This is an opportunity open to students who have achieved an above average Key Stage 2 score. Students will need to apply about 2 hours per week. This will include extra-curricular activities, experiences and study beyond the normal expectations of the school curriculum.
Over the next academic year, the West Exe Reach Programme will offer students opportunities to participate in:
• Team building residential activities
• Visits to top UK Universities including Oxford and Cambridge
• Inspirational, informative and engaging lectures from leaders in a range of different professions
• Meetings with students from Universities who have followed a similar pathway to the student’s ambitions
The ambition of this is to see students’ understanding of the available opportunities to widen and to encourage them to set the bar high and achieve more.
Students will receive support through additional tutoring. To ensure that all students are able to move onto an elite(精英) destination of their choice, the West Exe School Reach Programme will provide assistance with the completion of strong Exeter College Reach Academy applications.
For further questions, please email admin@westexe.devon.sch.uk.
1. What activity is accessible to students in the West Exe Reach Programme?A.Visits to Universities in the USA. |
B.Team building residential activities. |
C.Meetings with students from senior high. |
D.Public speaking or debating opportunities. |
A.To ensure students achieve a good Key Stage 2 score. |
B.To ensure students apply about 2 more hours per week. |
C.To encourage students to dream big and achieve more. |
D.To encourage students to apply for additional tutoring. |
A.Students who have finished Key Stage 2. |
B.Students from top universities in the UK. |
C.Leaders in a range of different professions. |
D.Elites who have completed Exeter College. |
【推荐2】When I met and married a Japanese man in New York, I thought he would learn a bit more English and we would continue to live our lives there. But in life’s twists and turns, we ended up living in Tokyo! I was the one who needed to learn Japanese and fast ! There is no experience quite as lonely as living in a foreign country without a grasp of the language. Especially to make friends and to break that loneliness, it is the first and foremost goal to attain… always an uphill climb, while totally awkward!
I was a trained English Language teacher, and while I lived abroad I did that work, and when we moved back to America I planned to continue it. The country’s financial difficulties at the time, however, saw deep cuts to the English as a Second Language positions in the schools and to refugee language programs. So I simply took a job in a department store, at its Child Playroom.
But this store was located near a major company that hired some of its workforce from many other countries. Often a preschooler in my playroom could not speak a word of English, and would look so lost and lonely !My heart flew to them! We interacted with each other a lot. We would play English language games and they would teach their language to me.
Years later, when a small girl who had come from South America could speak good English, she said to me, “Teacher, remember when I called you Maestra?” Another child whose language was only Russian originally —we built a robot from blocks and fed it block food and leaned English words that way—would come years afterwards and continue to play that same game! These moments became my life compass—due north is that place where when persons are different, Love Matters !
1. What was the author’s challenge after marriage?A.She had to give up her job. | B.She lost all her best friends. |
C.She needed to learn a new language. | D.She was forced to live overseas. |
A.She set up her own company. | B.She lost interest in teaching. |
C.Better teachers were needed. | D.Teaching jobs were greatly reduced. |
A.They learned each other’s languages. | B.They took language tests. |
C.They cared for each other. | D.They encouraged each other in learning. |
A.Tiring. | B.Helpful. | C.Simple. | D.Humorous. |
We’re looking for producers to join us on the sound of London Kiss 100 FM.You’ll work on the station’s music programs.Music production experience in radio is necessary,along with rich knowledge of modern dance music.Please apply in writing to Producer Vacancies,Kiss 100.
Father Christmas
We’re looking for a very special person,preferably over 40,to fill our Father Christmas suit.
Working days:Every Saturday from November 24 to December 15 and every day from December 17 to December 24 except Sundays,10∶ 30 -16∶ 00.
Excellent pay.
Please contact the Enterprise Shopping Centre,Station Parade,Eastbourne.
Accountants Assistant
When you join the team in our Revenue Administration Unit,you will be providing assistance within all parts of the Revenue Division,dealing with post and other general duties.If you are educated to GCSE grade C level we would like to talk to you.This position is equally suitable for a school leaver or for somebody who has office experience.
Wealden District Council
Software Trainer
If you are aged 24—45 and have experience in teaching and training,you could be the person we are looking for.You should be good at the computer and have some experience in program writing.You will be allowed to make your own decisions,and to design courses as well as present them.Pay upwards of £15,000 for the right person.Please apply by sending your CV (简历)to Mrs.R.Oglivie,Palmlace Limited.
1. Who should you get in touch with if you hope to work in a radio station?
A.Wealden District Council. | B.Producer Vacancies,Kiss 100. |
C.The Enterprise Shopping Centre. | D.Mrs Oglivie,Palmlace Limited. |
A.is aged between 24 and 40 | B.may do some training work |
C.should deal with general duties | D.can work for about a month |
A.Accountants Assistant. | B.Father Christmas. |
C.Producer,London Kiss. | D.Software Trainer. |
A.One with GCSE grade C level. |
B.One having good computer knowledge. |
C.One with some office experience. |
D.One trained in producing music programs. |
【推荐1】In the US, tornadoes(龙卷风) are responsible for 80 deaths and more than 1,500 injuries each year. Although they happen quite frequently, tornadoes are difficult to predict. Why? Tornadoes develop from storms, but only some storms are likely to become tornadoes. Scientists don’t know where and when a storm will touch the ground and turn into a tornado. Today, the warning time for a tornado is usually just 13 minutes.
Time Samaras is a storm chaser. His job is to find tornados and follow them.When he gets close to a tornado, he puts a special tool called a turtle probe on the ground. This tool measures things like a tornado’s temperature, humidity (湿度), and wind speed. With this information, Samaras can learn what causes tornadoes to develop. If meteorologists(气象学家) understand this, they can warn people about tornadoes sooner and save lives.
How does Samaras hunt tornadoes? It’s not easy. First, he has to find one Tornadoes are too small to see using weather satellites. So Samaras can’t rely on these tools to find a tornado. Instead, he waits for tornadoes to develop. Every May and June, Samaras drivers about 40,000 kilometers across an area known as ToknownTornado Alley, looking and hoping to spot a tornado.
Once Samaras sees a tornado, the chase begins. But a tornado is hard to follow. Some tornadoes change direction several times—for example,moving east and then west and then east again. When Sanaras finally gets near a tonrnado, he puts the turtle probe on the ground. Being this close to a tornado is terrifying. Debris (碎片) is flying in the air . Then wind is blowing at high speed. He must get away quickly.
The work is risky, even for a skilled chaser like Samaras. But danger won’t stop his hunt for the perfect storm.
1. What do we know about tornadoes?A.They can be predicted by satellites. | B.They usually come down in winter |
C.The warning time for them is very short . | D.They often develop into storms. |
A.predict tornadoes | B.collect information about tornadoes |
C.chase tornadoes | D.decrease the power of tornadoes |
A.how tornadoes develop | B.how the turtle probe works |
C.how powerful Tornado Alley is | D.how Samaras chases a tornado |
A.difficult and dangerous | B.stressful and troublesome |
C.mysterious and interesting | D.exciting and popular |
【推荐2】Helping voters out
The US 2020 presidential election has captured people’s hearts around the world. In order to allow voters to vote in person, poll (投票站) workers need to work at different vote centers. In past elections, most poll workers were elderly, but now that they are more at risk of severe symptoms from COVID-19, there was a growing need for young people to serve as poll workers.
I first became aware of the opportunity to become a poll worker from a story on my Instagram feed from an account called “Poll Hero”. It mentioned a large-scale recruitment (招聘) effort for young poll workers, and I immediately became interested in participating. I signed up to be a poll worker from the website, and a few days later, I registered through the High School Student Election Worker Program with the assistance of a Poll Hero volunteer.
After registering, there were two steps I had to take in order to become certified to serve in this election. The first was an online training course. The course takes around three hours but can be completed in multiple sittings. It covers the different roles workers have, different procedures workers must follow and provides information on how to use tools such as the electronic pollbook. The session is interactive, and I often engaged in simulated (模拟的) situations and knowledge checks to ensure that I understood each lesson. After taking the online course, I had to pass an exam with an 80 percent score or higher to complete that part of my certification. On my first attempt, I passed with a score of exactly 80 percent.
After passing the online course, I attended a two-hour in-person training session where I worked with a real electronic pollbook to practice what I would do on Election Day. The instructor took us through many different scenarios where we practiced assisting different types of voters. I was pleased to see many fellow young people attend the session!
In total, I spent 37 hours helping voters vote during this election. With my mask on the entire time, I checked in voters and helped them use the ballot (投票) marking devices where they could cast their vote. I also loved meeting fellow workers who are passionate about being engaged and helping our community. Taking part in this historic election is something I will never forget.
1. Why did the author decide to serve as a poll worker?A.He considered it his duty to help his community. |
B.He was inspired by a Poll Hero volunteer. |
C.Young poll workers were in huge demand. |
D.It was one of his school’s volunteering programs. |
A.This course must be completed all at once. |
B.It uses a lecture-style teaching method. |
C.Those who pass the exam get a service certification. |
D.To pass the exam, one has to score at least 80 percent. |
A.What difficulties the author ran into. |
B.What the author learned from the in-person training session. |
C.How the author cooperated with other young poll workers. |
D.How the author assisted different types of voters on Election Day. |
A.Proud. | B.Exhausted. |
C.Bored. | D.Nervous. |
【推荐3】Next time you go on holiday, it’s going to feel pretty different. You may have to wear a face mask. And that means getting your point across in an unfamiliar language—all while keeping your mouth covered—could become a bit of a problem.
That’s where the C-mask, by Japanese company Donut Robotics,comes in.It’s a smart, Internet-connected mouth covering that can make calls, raise the wearer’s voice, and most helpfully for travelers,translate conversations into eight different languages.
If need be, you simply place it over a standard face mask and connect it via Bluetooth to a smartphone. A special app will then allow you to record live conversations, turn them into text and translate them into English, Chinese,French, Korean, Thai, Indonesian, Spanish or Vietnamese(currently only from Japanese)—making it easy to understand what people are saying. It won’t actually speak the translated phrases for you, but it does have a built-in amplifier(扩音器)to help you make yourself heard.
“We worked hard for years to develop a robot and we have used what we’ve researched to create a product that responds to how COVIP-19 has reshaped society,” Donut’s CEO recently told reporters. The firm has already raised more than 28 million yen via crowdfunding(众筹)to develop the product, which will go on sale for 3,980yen in Japan.
There are all manner of fashionable, eco-friendly masks you can now get your hands on—check out these in London, Singapore and Barcelona.But in creating an affordable,high-tech mask, Donut could well be on to something.
1. The C-mask is developed to___________.A.seek fashion | B.reshape society |
C.replace cellphones | D.improve communication |
A.How the C-mask speaks. | B.How the C-mask works. |
C.What advantages the C-mask brings. | D.What languages the C-mask translates. |
A.Health. | B.Tourism. | C.Technology. | D.Education. |