【推荐1】If someone created a flying machine able to track you down by listening for your voice, you might be terrified. But what if you were trapped in ruins after a natural disaster and first responders couldn’t locate you? Maybe then a human-seeking drone (无人机) wouldn’t be such a terrible idea. That concept is the focus for engineers at Germany’s Fraunhofer FKIE Institute, who’ve built a drone to find people by detecting human screams.

The human seeking drone would be ideal for post-disaster situations, such as earthquakes, hurricanes and wildfires,” said Macarena Varela, one of the lead engineers. “They could hover over an area that rescue crews have difficulty getting to and locate exactly where people may be trapped.”

Locating people by sound presents its share of challenges. An auditory system would need to tell human cries from sounds that often happen in nature, such as animal calls and wind. It might also need to recognize patterns associated with kicking, clapping or other ways people try to get the attention of rescue teams.

Engineers took those situations into account when building out their concept drone. They recorded themselves screaming, tapping and creating other noises that might be a sign of people in trouble. Then, they analyzed each sound frequency to find common signatures and used those to train artificial intelligence software. They also worked to remove the noise created by the drone and other environmental sounds.

Once the software part was completed, the team placed tiny digital microphones under the drone and used signal processing techniques that enabled them to track where human noises are coming from. The microphones also enhanced the volume and clearness of the speech. So far, they have conducted successful open field experiments finding that the drone can estimate a victim’s location within a few seconds of picking up sound.

Next, they would like to add a higher frequency microphone to a drone to acquire more audio sound signals. The idea is to pick up noises from hundreds of meters away, Varela said. In the real world, victim’s location date might one day be sent wirelessly to emergency crews carrying a tablet.

1. What is the advantage of the human-seeking drone?

A．Its high speed of flying.	B．Its long working hours.
C．Its quick response to screams.	D．Its easy access to disaster scene.

2. What can the auditory system do?

A．Recognize human cries.	B．Send victim’s location data to a tablet.
C．Pick up sounds from far away.	D．Improve the quality of human screams.

3. What does the underlined word “signatures” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Effects.

B．Features.

C．Symbols.

D．Situations.

4. Up to now, engineers have successfully________.

A．developed higher frequency microphones for use on drones

B．coached Ai software to distinguish Human and natural sounds

C．rescued disaster victims by using drones to recognize human cries

D．completed outdoor experiments using drones to quickly locate victims

【推荐2】A Japanese company has announced the successful test drive of a flying car. SkyDrive Inc. conducted the public demonstration on August 25. The company said in a news release at the Toyota Test Field, one of the largest in Japan, “This is the first time the flying car was exhibited to the public.”

“We are extremely excited to have achieved Japan’s first-ever manned flight of a flying car in the two dozen months since we founded SkyDrive...” CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa said in a statement. “We want to realize a society where flying cars are an accessible and convenient means of transportation in the skies and people are able to experience a secure, and comfortable new way of life.”

The car, named SD-03, manned with a pilot, took off and circled the field for about four minutes. It is the world’s smallest electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle and takes up the space of about two parked cars, according to the company. It has eight motors to ensure “safety in emergency situations”.

“We wanted this vehicle to be futuristic, charismatic and desirable for all future customers, while fully incorporating the high technology of SkyDrive,” Design Director Takumi Yamamot said. The company hopes to make the flying car a part of normal life and not just a commodity. More test flights will occur in the future under different conditions to make sure the safety and technology of the vehicle meet industry standards.

The success of this flight means that it is likely the car will be tested outside of the Toyota Test Field by the end of the year. “The company will continue to develop technologies to safely and securely launch the flying car in 2024,” the news release said, “No price has been announced.”

1. What does the underlined word “demonstration” mean in the first paragraph?

A．Announcement.

B．Exhibition.

C．Experiment.

D．Statement.

2. What does Tomohiro Fukuzawa expect the flying cars to be?

A．Convenient and safe.	B．High-speed and splendid.
C．Comfortable and large-sized.	D．Space saving and economical.

3. What is SD-03 like according to the passage?

A．It is similar to plane.	B．It is self-driving.
C．It is bigger than a common car.	D．It is energy saving.

4. What will researchers do for the flying car next?

A．To make it safer.	B．To reduce its price.
C．To test it in the laboratory.	D．To put it to the market at once.

【推荐3】Soundwise, the world’s most affordable, advanced in-ear hearing aid uses advanced technology so powerful that it can even pick up a low voice across the room. Here is how you can get them today to hear more clearly and enjoy chatting with others.

Most modern hearing aids have some serious shortcomings:

* Everybody notices them — they’ll make you look 20 years older as soon as you put them on.

* They collect all sounds from everywhere — which makes hearing your friends in a restaurant or crowded room impossible and can cause even more hearing loss!

Fortunately, there is a better way. Soundwise uses advanced technology that was specially designed to pick up low voices, so hearing your loved ones or the television so much clearer is no problem.

No more afraid of going to noisy restaurants, movie theaters, or crowded places. You can hear your friends and enjoy life thanks to Soundwise.

These hearing aids are unbelievably advanced:

* Advanced noise cancelation (取消)

* Ultra lightweight and hides in the ear completely

* Backed by Certified Hearing Professionals

* Risk-Free Home Trial with ONE YEAR

* Free portable charging station so you’ll never have to worry about batteries (电池) — the charge lasts 2 full days!

And the best part: it costs only 10% of what a doctor will charge you for hearing aids.

Call 800-403-1325 or visit GetSoundwise.com/RD9

1. Where can the hearing aid Soundwise show its advantage?

A．At a quiet theatre.	B．At a faraway corner.
C．In a noisy restaurant.	D．In a dark room.

2. What feature may attract you most if you don’t want to look old?

A．It can be hidden in the ear completely.

B．It is designed by hearing professionals.

C．It costs much less than seeing a doctor.

D．It has batteries which work much longer.

3. How can you get more information about the hearing aid Soundwise?

A．By reading a report.	B．By visiting a website.
C．By writing an email.	D．By going to a clinic.

【推荐1】Life today is much easier than it was hundreds of years ago, but it has brought new problems. One of the biggest is pollution. Pollution comes in many ways. We see it, smell it, drink it and even hear it.

Men have been polluting the earth. Many years ago, the pollution was not so serious because there were not so many people. When the land was used up or the river was dirty in one place, men moved to another place.

Air pollution is now the most serious. Air makes people sick. And lots of people now are trying to use something to clear the air. Water pollution kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us become angry more easily.

Many countries are making rules to fight air pollution. They stop people from burning coal in houses and factories in the city, and from putting dirty smoke into the air.

Pollution by SO2 is now the most dangerous kind of air pollution. It is caused by heavy traffic. It is true that if there are fewer people driving, there will be less air pollution.

Although most of the pollution is caused by us, we are the ones who can change the situation. The earth is our home. We must take care of it. And we must pay more attention to the information in pollution at the same time.

1. Why was the pollution in the past less serious?

A．Because life in the past was easier.	B．Because there were not so many people.
C．Because men stayed in one place.	D．Because people used less coal to make fire.

2. According to the passage, which kind of pollution is the most serious?

A．Air pollution.	B．Noise pollution.
C．Light pollution.	D．Water pollution.

3. What do many countries do to fight air pollution?

A．Try to use something to clear the air.	B．Ask people to use public transport more.
C．Stop putting dirty smoke into the air.	D．Encourage people to move to another place.

4. What is probably the purpose of this passage?

A．To prove life is much easier today.	B．To call on us to take care of our earth.
C．To show the danger of pollution.	D．To introduce how to fight air pollution.

【推荐3】Tips for Green Travel with Kids

Travelling doesn’t mean letting go of all the eco-friendly choices we work so hard to achieve in our daily life. Here are a few tips for green travel with kids.

Booking nonstop flights whenever possible will reduce carbon emissions (碳排放). If the closest local airport doesn’t have nonstop flights to a certain place, check with other local airports to see if nonstop flights are available.     1    

It’s easy when travelling to pull in to fast food restaurants for snacks.     2     My kids love to help plan snacks. I let them create their own snacks for the trip at home.

    3     At the airport, keep your reusable bottles empty until you have passed through the security (机场安检区). Fill them up on the other side of the security checkpoint. Single-use plastic water bottles create unnecessary waste and the plastic can be harmful to your health.

    4     In addition, opening a few windows and turning off the air conditioner (空调) are also good ways to save energy. You should also help your children keep their good, green habits while travelling. Sometimes vacation can mean more than one shower each day-once in the morning and again after getting out of the pool. Pay attention to the number of showers (淋浴) and the length of showers.     5    

A．Walking is good for your health.

B．Try to cut back to save water and energy.

C．But you can pack healthy food from home.

D．Travelling is a great chance to introduce your kids to the world.

E．Reusable water bottles are easy to bring along wherever you travel.

F．Save energy by turning off the hotel room lights when you head out for the day.

G．You might have to drive a bit farther, but saving on carbon emissions makes it worthwhile.

【推荐2】A brand is a name, word, sign, symbol, design, or a combination of these, intended to identify the goods or services of a company or a group of companies. Another purpose of a brand is to contrast one company from another. The most important skill of professional marketers is the ability to create, maintain, protect, and enhance the brands of their products and services. Branding has become so important that today hardly any company or product is without one. Therefore, brand management is an increasingly important element in marketing.

Brand power refers to the relative strength of a company’s brand in the minds of consumers, and can influence consumers’ choice of products. Brands are powerful to the extent that they give high brand loyalty and strong brand associations, name recognition, perceived quality and other assets to a company. A strong brand can be one of a company’s most important assets.

High brand power provides a company with many competitive advantages. A powerful brand enjoys a high level of consumer brand awareness and loyalty. Because consumers expect stores to carry the brand, the company has more bargaining power when negotiating with retailers. And because the brand name brings high credibility, a company with a strong brand can more easily launch new products with the same brand name.

Many companies use the advantage of a strong brand power strategically to expand their business. When a company introduces an additional item with a new flavour, form, colour or package size in a given product category and under the same brand name, it is called a line extension. Another strategy is called brand extension. This involves the use of a successful brand name to launch new or modified products in a new category, thereby employing brand recognition in order to increase sales of new products.

Brand recognition is certainly important. Because consumers often hold long-standing perceptions about brands, high brand power ensure a company continued sales of its products.

1. What does the word “assets” in the 2^nd paragraph mean?

A．points

B．advantages

C．aspects

D．elements

2. All of the following statements are the advantages of a high brand power EXCEPT that________.

A．a high brand wins the loyalty of consumers

B．a high brand usually sets a much higher price

C．it’s easy for a high brand company to launch new products

D．a high brand company is more competitive when doing business with retailers

3. A brand extension ________.

A．happens when the company is developing a new product

B．means the expansion of a company’s business in its established field

C．takes place when the company introduces a similar item but with a new colour

D．refers to the use of an established brand name to promote a new product in a new category

【推荐3】Forests give us shade, quiet and one of the harder challenges in the fight against climate change. Even as we humans count on forests to soak up a good share of the carbon dioxide we produce, we are threatening their ability to do so. The climate change we are quickening could one day leave us with forests that emit more carbon than they absorb.

Thankfully, there is a way out of this trap — but it involves striking a subtle balance. Helping forests flourish as valuable “carbon sinks” long into the future may require reducing their capacity to absorb carbon now. California is leading the way, as it does on so many climate efforts, in figuring out the details.

The state’s proposed Forest Carbon Plan aims to double efforts to thin out young trees and clear brush in parts of the forest. This temporarily lowers carbon-carrying capacity. But the remaining trees draw a greater share of the available moisture, so they grow and thrive, restoring the forest’s capacity to pull carbon from the air. Healthy trees are also better able to be spared from insects. The landscape is rendered (致使) less easily burnable. The need for such planning is increasingly urgent. Already, since 2010, drought and insects have killed over 100 million trees in California, most of them in 2016 alone, and wildfires have burned hundreds of thousands of acres.

California plans to treat 35, 000 acres of forest a year by 2020, and 60,000 by 2030 — financed from the proceeds of the state’s emissions-permit auctions (拍卖). That’s only a small share of the total land area that could benefit, about half a million acres in all, so it will be vital to prioritize areas at greatest risk of fire or drought.

State governments are well accustomed to managing forests, but traditionally they’ve focused on wildlife, watersheds (分水岭) and opportunities for recreation. Only recently have they come to see the vital part forests will have to play in storing carbon. California’s plan, which is expected to be finalized by the governor next year, should serve as a model.

1. What does the author imply in paragraph 1?

A．Global climate change may get out of control.	B．People may misunderstand global warming.
C．Extreme weather conditions may arise.	D．Forests may become a potential threat.

2. What does the California’s Forest Carbon Plan intend to do?

A．To expand the forest planting area.

B．To reduce the density of some of its forests.

C．To find more effective ways to kill insects.

D．To restore its forests quickly after wildfires.

3. What is essential to California’s plan according to Paragraph 4?

A．To handle the areas in serious danger first.	B．To carry it out before the year of 2020.
C．To perfect the emissions-permit auctions.	D．To obtain enough financial support.

4. According to the author, California’s Plan is ________.

A．impractical

B．worthless

C．promising

D．appealing