【推荐1】Feel the Music

We’ve all heard of smart phones, but how about smart clothing? The CuteCircuit company has stepped up the technology beat and invented the SoundShirt, which was designed specifically for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. How does this incredible shirt work?

First, let’s talk about a little science. People who have either all or some hearing loss don’t actually listen to music the way that hearing people do, but they can feel it. Sound is made up of vibrations, called sound waves, which hearing people can hear through their ears with the help of the brain. What’s really cool is that deaf people sense vibrations in the part of the brain that others use for hearing!

So how is this remarkable technology able to function? First, CuteCircuit had to figure out a way to send signals to the body, kind of like how you can feel when your phone vibrates in silent mode. Those connections the body can feel are called haptics, a use of technology that simulates the senses of touch and motion. The SoundShirt has tiny sensors woven into the shirt to pick up sound and transfer signals to the brain and body.

To test this music-to-shirt-to-wearer’s brain connection, CuteCircuit set microphones around the stage of a symphony orchestra. The shirt’s computer system digitally received the sounds coming from the instruments. Then the sensors, working like little motors, changed the signals into vibrations and the shirt wearer’s brain did the rest.

The SoundShirt lets people who are deaf or hard of hearing enjoy music in a unique way. The very deep musical sound, or pitch, of instruments like drums and basses vibrates in the lower part of the shirt. Higher pitched sounds from instruments like the flute or violin vibrate higher, around the neck and arms. As the music plays, the sensations combine while the brain gets to work putting together all the different vibrations, allowing the wearer to “hear” the concert.

You might think this innovation would look like something out of a science fiction movie, but in fact, these shirts are wireless! And the decorative laser-lined design on the shirt looks like an image of sound waves.

Technology’s purpose is to help people and make life better. Think of all the amazing things designers, engineers, and producers of wearable tech will be able to do for humankind.

1. What’s the passage mainly about?

A．Wearable technology like the SoundShirt is the wave of the future.

B．CuteCircut tested the SoundShirt with a symphony orchestra.

C．The SoundShirt lets people who are deaf or hard of hearing enjoy music.

D．Deep musical sounds from drums vibrate in the lower part of the SoundShirt.

2. Which of the following statements is an opinion?

A．Tiny sensors in the SoundShirt change sound signals into vibrations.

B．Those who have hearing loss are able to sense sound vibrations.

C．Deep musical sounds vibrate in the lower part of the SoundShirt.

D．It’s amazing that the SoundShirt is made without any wires.

3. What can be inferred about the SoundShirt described in the passage?

A．Before the SoundShirt, deaf people had no way of feeling sound.

B．The SoundShirt doesn’t work without the power of the human brain.

C．The SoundShirt works when the wearer is listening to a symphony orchestra.

D．CuteCircuit is giving away its SoundShirts to those deaf or hard of hearing.

4. The author probably wrote this passage to .

A．advise that companies should focus on applying wearable technology

B．advocate that technology can be used to create products that help others

C．prove that the design of wearable technology is a rewarding industry in future

D．exemplify that musical instruments can be used to change technology for the better

【推荐2】阅读理解
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

The human brain contains 10 thousand million cells and each of these may have a thousandconnections. Such enormous numbers used to discourage us and cause us to dismiss the possibility of making a machine with human-like ability, but now that we have grown used to moving forward at such a pace we can be less sure. Quite soon, in only 10 or 20 years perhaps, we will be able to assemble a machine as complex as the human brain, and if we can we will. It may then take us a long time to render it intelligent by loading in the right software (软件)or by altering the architecture but that too will happen.

I think it certain that in decades, not centuries, machines of silicon (硅) will arise first to compete and then do better than their human ancestors. Once they do better than us they will be capable of their own design. In a real sense they will be able to reproduce themselves. Silicon will have ended carbon’s long control. And we will no longer be able to claim ourselves to be the finest intelligence in the known universe.

As the intelligence of robots increases to match that of humans and as their cost declines through economies of scale we may use them to improve environments. Thus, deserts may bloom and the ocean beds be mined. Further ahead, by a combination of the great wealth this new age will bring and the technology it will provide, the construction of a vast, man-created world in space, home to thousands or millions of people, will be within our power.

1. In what way can we make a machine intelligent?

A．By making it work in such environments as deserts, oceans or space.

B．By working hard for 10 or 20 years.

C．By either properly programming it or changing its structure.

D．By reproducing it.

2. What does the writer think about machines with human-like ability?

A．He believes they will be useful to human beings.

B．He believes that they will control us in the future.

C．He is not quite sure in what way they may influence us.

D．He doesn’t consider the construction of such machines possible.

3. The word “carbon” (Line 4, Para.2) stands for _________.

A．intelligent robots

B．a chemical element

C．an organic substance

D．human beings

4. It can be inferred from the passage that _______.

A．after connections with phones, robots will be able to have self-reproduction

B．people have come to realize the possibility of making a machine with human-like ability

C．once we make a machine as complex as the human brain, it will have intelligence

D．robots will have control of the vast, man-made world in space

【推荐3】Today, roller skating is easy and fun. But a long time ago, it wasn't easy at all. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn't exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin's work was making musical instruments. In his spare time   he liked
to play   the violin. Joseph Merlin   was   a man   of   ideas and   dreams. People called him   a   dreamer.
One day Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make a grand entrance at the party. He had an idea. He thought he
would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.
Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of arriving at the party on wheels while playing the violin.
On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was astonished to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror
that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking to pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin's grand entrance for a long time!
1. The text is mainly about_________.

A．a strange man

B．how people enjoyed themselves in the 18th century

C．an unusual party

D．how roller skating began

2. People thought Merlin was a dreamer because he________.

A．often gave others surprises	B．was full of imagination
C．was a gifted musician	D．invented the roller skates

3. Merlin put wheels under his shoes in order to_______.

A．arrive at the party sooner

B．impress the party guests

C．test his invention

D．show his skill in walking on wheels

4. What is the main point the writer is trying to make in the last paragraph?

A．The roller skates needed further improvement.

B．Merlin got himself into trouble.

C．The party guests took Merlin for a fool.

D．Merlin succeeded beyond expectation.

【推荐2】In just a few decades the United States could eliminate fossil fuels and rely 100 percent on clean, renewable energy. That’s the vision of Mark Jacobson, a Stanford engineering professor who has produced a state-by-state road map of how the country could rid itself of coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear power.

By 2050, Jacobson expects the nation’s transportation network—cars, ships, airplanes—to run on batteries or hydrogen produced from electricity. He sees the winds blowing across the Great Plains powering vast stretches of the country’s middle while the burning sun helps electrify the Southwest. “There’s no state that can’t do this,” Jacobson says.

Today only 13% of U.S. electricity comes from renewables. Jacobson’s goal would be one of the nation’s most ambitious undertakings. This transformation would cost roughly $15 trillion, or $47,000 for each American, for building and installing systems that produce and store renewable energy.

What would it take? Seventy-eight million rooftop solar systems, nearly 49,000 commercial solar plants, 156,000 offshore wind turbines (风力涡轮机), plus wave-energy systems. Land-based wind farms would need 328,000 turbines, each with blades longer than a football field. These farms would occupy as much land as North Carolina.

For now, he says, prospects are encouraging. Thanks in part to government funding and large-scale production, costs are falling. The amount of power generated nationwide by wind and solar increased 15-fold each between 2003 and 2013. This summer the US President moved to reduce carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants, and Hawaii committed to having all its electricity provided by renewables by 2045.

Still, many experts aren’t convinced. “It has zero chance,” Stephen Brick, an energy fellow with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, says of Jacobson’s plan. Political, regulatory, and social barriers are huge, especially in a nation where the energy systems—and much of its political influence—is rooted in the oil, gas, and coal industries. Some critics are concerned about whether the resulting grid (输电网) would be reliable. And neighborhood battles would likely occur over wind farms and solar plants. Even outspoken scientist James Hansen, who warned the government a quarter century ago about climate change, insists that nuclear power is essential to rid the country of fossil fuels.

Yet Jacobson’s work at least offers a starting point. Scientists and policymakers may keep arguing about solutions, but as President points out, the nation must continue its march toward a clean-energy future—even if it’s not yet clear how that will look in 35 years. “If we don’t do it,” he said this summer, “nobody will.”

1. Which of the following does Professor Mark Jacobson engage in?

A．Organizing projects to build and install solar energy systems state by state.

B．Persuading the U.S. President to realize his renewable energy goal.

C．Outlining a plan detailing how energy in the U.S. could be carbon free by 2050.

D．Arguing about opportunities and obstacles of his plan.

2. Which of the following is the major obstacle to the transformation from fossil fuels to renewables?

A．The huge investment in solar and wind projects.	B．The solid foundation of traditional energy systems.
C．The job losses in oil and coal industries.	D．The inevitable land-use battles between states.

3. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A．at least one state of the U.S. will not use fossil fuels to generate electricity by 2050

B．developing clean-energy industry will drive the world’s market

C．fossil fuels will soon be eliminated in the U.S.

D．there will be no vacant land for wind farms

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．The Coexistence of Fossil Fuels and Renewables

B．A Blueprint for a Carbon Free America

C．One Man’s Dream: Determination and Innovation in Energy Future

D．Professor and his Solar and Wind Technology

【推荐3】Developed and developing nations can learn from each other seeking a low carbon economy, a Chinese government official said in Shanghai yesterday. “China doesn't lag developed nations in terms of energy saving and green economy”, said Zhou Changyi, director of the energy saving department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

“While we can learn many aspects from developed nations, they also should learn something from us, such as water conservation,” Zhou said in a speech during the new Path of China's Industrialization forum at the ongoing China International Industry Fair 2009.

He said industrialized nations and China are dealing with different issues to combat climate change. The United Kingdom, for example, is concerned about transport, buildings and new energy in reducing carbon emissions. For China, the most urgent task is how to realize new type of industrialization and avoid mistakes that other countries made when they industrialized.

As such, overseas exhibitors at this year's fair are showing ways to help China achieve low carbon emissions in the industrial section.

Swiss power and automation technology group ABB called for a stronger focus on product lifecycle assessment, or LCA, which is used to study the environmental impact of a product from the research and manufacturing stage through its usage and recycling.

Tobias Becker, head of ABB's process automation division for North Asia and China, said LCA is an effective tool in helping manufacturing industries to reduce carbon emissions.

LCA shows that industrial customers should focus on a product's environmental impact throughout its lifecycle instead of on its initial investment or ready to use stage. For example, a motor's initial investment accounts for only 3 percent of its lifecycle cost, while 94 percent goes to fuel consumption and the rest to maintenance.

Richard Hausmann, North East Asia CEO of Siemens, said, “The color of future industrialization is green.”

The Germany Company recently announces that it wants to receive orders worth more than 6 billion Euros (US 8.8 billion) for intelligent net power networks, Smart Grid, over the next five years. Siemens has set a 20 percent market share target for the global smart grid business.

A smart grid delivers electricity from suppliers to consumers using digital technology, advanced sensors specialized computers that save energy, reduce costs and increase reliability. The United States and China are considered the two biggest markets for smart grid.

1. “______” can replace the underlined word “lag” in paragraph 2.

A．Fall behind	B．Be superior to
C．Attack	D．Fear

2. We can infer ______ from the eleventh paragraph of this passage.

A．Siemens has occupied 20 percent market share for the global smart grid business

B．Siemens received orders worth 6 billion Euros recently

C．Siemens will earn $ 8.8 billion from intelligent power networks

D．Siemens' plan about Smart Grid may come true in the future

3. _______about Smart Grid isn’t mentioned in the passage.

A．Energy saving	B．Low cost
C．Security	D．Small in size

4. The best title for the passage is______.

A．Developed and Developing Nations Can Learn From Each Other

B．Low carbon Economy—a Shared Goal

C．Intelligent Power Networks

D．Two Biggest Markets for Smart Grid

【推荐2】The recent world chess championship saw Magnus Carlsen defend his title against Fabiano Caruana. But it was not a contest between the two strongest chess players on the planet, only the strongest humans. Soon after Garry Kasparov, the former world chess champion, lost his re-match against IBM’s Deep Blue in 1997, the short window of human-machine chess competition was shut forever. Unlike humans, machines keep getting faster, and today a smartphone chess app can be stronger than Deep Blue.

In the late 19th century, Alfred Binet hoped that understanding why certain people stood out at chess would unlock secrets of human thought. Sixty years later, Alan Turing wondered whether this sort of ability represents an essential difference between the potentialities of the machine and the mind. Much as airplanes don’t flap their wings like birds, machines don’t generate chess moves like humans do. Early programs that attempted it were weak.

But now things are different. Based on a common game-playing algorithm(算法), AlphaZero incorporates deep learning and other AI techniques to play against itself to generate its own chess knowledge.   AlphaZerostarts   out   knowing   only   the   rules   of   chess,   with   no   inserted   human strategies(策略). In just a few hours, it plays more games against itself than have been recorded in human chess history. It teaches itself the best way to play, reevaluating such fundamental concepts as the relative values of the pieces.It quickly becomes strong enough to defeat the best chess-players in the world, winning 28, drawing 72, and losing none in a victory over Stockfish, one of the strongest chess engines.

The conventional wisdom is that machines would approach perfection with endlessstrategies, usually leading to drawn games. But AlphaZero prefers positions that look risky and aggressive, and it programs itself, which allows it to outclass the world’s top traditional program despite calculating far fewer positions per second. It’s the example of the cliché, “work smarter, not harder.”

AlphaZero shows us that machines can be the experts, not merely expert tools. It’s not going to put chess coaches out of business just yet. But the knowledge it generates is information we can all learn from. AlphaZero is surpassing us in a profound and useful way.

Machine learning systems aren’t perfect, even at a closed system like chess. There will be cases where an AI will fail to detect exceptions to their rules. Therefore, we must work together, to combine our strengths. Instead of being angry against them, it’s better if we’re all on the same side.

1. According to the passage, Alan Turing might agree that     .

A．airplanes can be as good as birds.

B．the unlocked secrets of human thought are powerful.

C．machines are better than human in generating chess moves.

D．the potentialities of the human mind are better than that of the machine.

2. How is AlphaZero different from other machines?

A．AlphaZero have AI techniques.

B．AlphaZero can defeat the best chess players.

C．AlphaZero can play more games more quickly.

D．AlphaZero can generate its own chess knowledge.

3. What does the underlined word “outclass” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Become

B．Beat

C．Leave

D．Distinguish

4. The author argues in the last two paragraphs that        .

A．machine learning in chess is perfect.

B．human chess coaches are not needed yet.

C．AI will be learning to challenge their rules.

D．humans and AI can work together to advance.

【推荐3】One has to look a long time for an American politician of any political stripe who has failed to applaud small businesses. Still, many have little clue as to what makes such businesses succeed or fail.

Federal agencies aimed at helping small business, such as the Small Business Administration and the Minority Business Development Agency, have been around for half a century, yet persistent differences remain between the performance of businesses founded by white, male entrepreneurs and the rest. Blacks are less likely to be self-employed, for example, and when they are, their businesses, on average, have lower sales and profits than do their white-or Asian-owned counterparts. If researchers could explain the causes of these differences, policy-makers could (at least in theory) supply small businesses with more useful help.

Two researchers for the Census Bureau’s Centre for Economic Studies, Ron Jarmin and C.J. Krizan, recently published a working paper attempting to understand demographic （人口统计学的）differences behind small businesses’ success and failure. They concentrated on the years 2002 to 2005, with three databases at their disposal, hoping to create a more nuanced picture of business survival.

Some of their findings were not terribly surprising. A firm’s chances of survival, regardless of the race or sex of its owner, decreased in poorer areas; and the better the education of the founder, the more likely it was to succeed. Businesses owned by Asians, Hispanics, or Pacific Islanders were more likely to be exporters. Older entrepreneurs were more likely to use personal savings to start their businesses while younger owners were more likely to have to close up shops during the study period than were their middle-aged rivals.

However, the data also confirmed that black- and female-owned businesses tended to perform worse than the average. They were also less likely to have been funded by bank loans. Still, the businesses that survived, regardless of the owner’s race, tended to add employees at similar rates. Furthermore, after controlling for factors such as the education and race of the owner, there was no statistically significant difference in firms’ abilities to expand into different locations. Finally, black entrepreneurs were more likely to have a history of self-employment than their white counterparts. Messrs Jarmin and Krizan’s paper is not the first to suggest that black entrepreneurs, less likely to have other business owners in their family or personal networks, tend to “start small” when they venture out on their own.

Most researchers get to end their papers by speculating, usually without much fear of consequence, as to the policy implications of their work. The authors of this paper, not wishing to imply that the Census Bureau might have policy opinions, declined to do so. But the reader can make some guesses. One is that mentorship programmes may be particularly useful for promoting entrepreneurship among blacks. Another is that reaching out to businesses based on the owner’s race might be less useful than supporting businesses in poorer areas. And small businesses of all stripes would be helped by improving that other institution applauded by politicians: America’s education system.

1. Most politicians in the U.S. _________________.

A．have had some experience in running a small business

B．have made great efforts to help small businesses

C．have paid little attention to small businesses

D．have spoken highly of small businesses

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Federal agencies have failed in giving small businesses much help.

B．Older entrepreneurs were more keen on saving money.

C．Small businesses run by white males are generally more profitable.

D．More federal agencies aimed at helping small businesses will be established.

3. One of Ron Jarmin and C.J.Krizan’s surprising findings is that _______________.

A．successful businesses showed little difference in the rate of hiring employees

B．locations were essential factors for small businesses’ success or failure

C．most black entrepreneurs tended to set up companies by themselves

D．female-owned businesses were the least likely to survive for lack of funds

4. It can be inferred from the passage that ____________________.

A．the Census Bureau’s Center is sponsored by the government

B．mentorship programs have proved unsuccessful

C．education plays a role in running a small business.

D．researchers don’t have much say in how a company is run