3D printing is taking home construction(建筑)to new heights. A giant printer is building what designers say is the first 3D-printed two-story house in the US.
“While construction 3D printing has been around for over ten years, the technology has only started to break ground in the US homebuilding market over the last couple of years,” said Lok, the architectural designer for the project. Several 3D-printed homes have already been built or are currently in the works across a handful of states.
Lok, who co-founded X, a design company, said, “My team aims to eventually scale up(扩大)the designs to be able to efficiently 3D print multifamily homes.” With the Houston home, the team is pushing the industrial printer to its limits to understand how it can stream-line(使效率更高)the technology, in the search of quickly building cost-effective and well-designed homes.
“In the future, it has to be fast, simple design in order to compete with other building technologies,” said Zerle, the head of structural engineering. “We are not trying to beat the clock.” “It’s a case study. We’re learning the abilities of the machine, learning the reaction of the material under different weather conditions. We’re learning how to optimize(优化)the speed of printing. When this project is completed, we should have a very good idea of how to proceed in the future,” he added.
On the design side, Lok sees opportunity to one day offer customized features at a mass scale, without excessive labor costs. “The printer doesn’t care if you print the same chair 100 times or you print 100 different chairs,” she said. “This opens up the possibility of how we can actually offer customized design for the users, whether it’s a single-family house or whether it’s a multifamily building or apartment.”
1. What can we learn about 3D printing?| A．It is applied to two fields in the US. |
| B．It is widely used in homebuilding market. |
| C．It has been applied to building in a few states. |
| D．It has been used in construction for less than ten years. |
| A．To satisfy any customer’s need. |
| B．To increase the size of their designs. |
| C．To use the technology in other fields. |
| D．To understand what the technology can do |
| A．To show his advantages. |
| B．To state the purpose of the study. |
| C．To describe the process of the study. |
| D．To tell others how the technology works. |
| A．3D-Printed Homes Hopefully Come True |
| B．3D-Printed Houses Are Perfect For Living |
| C．3D Printing Levels Up Home Construction |
| D．3D Printing 1s Speeding Up High-rise Buildings |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Scientists based in Japan’s Osaka University have found a way to 3D print wagyu beef in a lab — a step they believe will one day help make widely available and sustainably-produced cuts of cultured meat that closely resemble original products.
Using stem cells that they took from wagyu cows, the scientists set out to create a structure with the characteristic marbling (or sashi) seen in wagyu beef that sets it apart from other cuts of beef.
By isolating beef cells, the scientists organized how the muscles, blood vessels and fat should be arranged. The researchers then shaped these tissues into the form of a steak using a technique called 3D bio-printing, where cell structures can be layered to resemble real tissues in living things.
The researchers believe that proving that a wagyu steak can be accurately 3D-printed could be a big step toward a sustainable future where cultured meat can be created that closely resembles existing products. Its origins from real meat also differentiate it from plant-based options, like those created by Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods.
“By improving this technology, it will be possible to not only reproduce complex meat structures, such as the beautiful marbling (sashi) of Wagyu beef but to also make delicate adjustments to the fat and muscle components.” Michiya Matsusaki, one of the project's researchers, said in a statement. Michiya Matsusaki said that with these adjustments, customers might one day be able to order a cultured cut of meat with the amount of fat they desire, tailor-made to their tastes and health concerns.
While this might be the first cut of wagyu beef ever to be 3D-printed, other attempts have been made to bio-print steaks. In February this year, Aleph Farms and the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology-jointly bio-printed and cultivated a steak using real cow cells.
1. What does the underlined word "isolating" in paragraph 3 probably mean?| A．Cutting. | B．Separating. | C．Testing. | D．Observing. |
| A．By taking stem cells from wagyu cows. |
| B．By copying the shape of a wagyu steak. |
| C．By arranging the printed cell structures in layers. |
| D．By creating the similar muscles, blood vessels and fat. |
| A．The First Attempt to Bio-print Steak | B．A New Way to Use 3D Bio-printing |
| C．A Replacement for Expensive Wagyu Beef | D．Wagyu Beef Can Be 3D-bioprinted in Japan |
| A．Science. | B．Health. | C．Education. | D．Entertainment. |
【推荐2】For the first time in his life, Pete Peeks was able to use both hands to hang Christmas lights outside his house—thanks to the help of a high school robotics team. Peeks, 38, was born without the full use of his right hand, and though many may take hanging holiday lights for granted, Peeks said it was beyond his wildest dreams.
Peeks was a client of the Sequoyah High School Robotics Team in Canton, Georgia. The team has designed an 3D-printed prostheses (假肢) to send for free to people around the world who need them.
Daniel McCrobie, the team leader, said that while the clients have said they are benefiting from the products, they are also benefiting by learning about the challenges other people face and how technology can make a difference. “Many of the prosthetics people can get the conventional way are very expensive, and even if you are fortunate enough to get coverage, children grow out of them like they grow out of shoes,” he said.
The inexpensive production through 3D printing opens up access to more people who need prostheses, and also means that they can be more customized to the clients’ unique bodies and specific needs. Peeks said the team was able to make educated recommendations for his prosthesis when he met with them. “They went beyond expectations in terms of really assessing the situation and learning what my specific needs were,” he said. “They were able to make some measurements to make sure everything was fitted correctly.” And within a couple of weeks, he said, he had a prototype (原型) ready to try on. “Their eagerness to want to help and use technology to really transform people’s lives has been a great example of humans helping humans,” Peeks said.
That practice of giving is something McCrobie hopes will continue when he graduates. The team is currently working on documenting their processes to pass them on to future classes.
1. Why does the author mention Peeks’ experience in the first paragraph?| A．To support an argument. |
| B．To introduce the topic. |
| C．To describe the main character. |
| D．To add some background information. |
| A．Shoes. |
| B．Challenges. |
| C．Conventions. |
| D．Prostheses. |
| A．They are tailor-made. |
| B．They are mass-produced. |
| C．They cost a lot to make. |
| D．They take a long time to make. |
| A．Doubtful. |
| B．Concerned. |
| C．Satisfied. |
| D．Worried. |
| A．Generous and honest. |
| B．Responsible and caring. |
| C．Productive and sensitive. |
| D．Cooperative and proud. |
【推荐3】For people who are interested in sound, the field of sound technology is definitely making noise. In the past, sound engineers worked in the back rooms of recording studios, but many of today’s sound professionals are sharing their knowledge and experience with professionals in other fields to create new products based on the phenomenon we call sound.
Sound can be used as a weapon. Imagine that a police officer is chasing a thief. The thief tries to escape. And the officer can’t let him get away. he pulls out a special device points it at the suspect, and switches it on. The thief drops to the ground. This new weapon is called a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD, 远程定向声波发射器). It produces a deafening sound so painful that it temporarily disables a person. The noise from the LRAD is directed like a ray of light and travels only into the ears of that person, but it is not deadly.
For those who hunger for some peace and quiet, sound can now create silence. Let’s say you are at the airport, and the little boy on the seat next to you is humming（哼唱）a short commercial song. He hums it over and over again, and you are about to go crazy. Thanks to the Silence Machine a British invention, you can get rid of the sound without upsetting the boy or his parents. One may wonder how the Silence Machine works. Well, it functions by analyzing the waves of the incoming sound and creating a second set of outgoing waves. The two sets of waves cancel each other out. Simply turn the machine on, point it at the target, and your peace and quiet comes back.
Directed sound is a new technology that allows companies to use sound in much the same way spotlights（聚光灯） are used in the theater. A spotlight lights up only one section of a stage; similarly, a “spotsound” creates a circle of sound in one targeted area. This can be useful for businesses such as restaurants and stores because it offers a new way to attract customers. Restaurants can offer a choice of music along with the various food choices on the menu, allowing customers more control over the atmosphere in which they are dining. Directed sound is also beginning to appear in shopping centers and even at homes.
1. What could be inferred from Paragraph 2 about the effect of the LRAD?| A．It causes temporary hearing loss | B．It slows down a running man |
| C．It makes it easy to identify a suspect | D．It keeps the suspect from hurting others |
| A．silence the people around you | B．remove the sound of commercials |
| C．block the incoming sound waves | D．stop unwanted sound from affecting you |
| A．They travel in circles | B．They clear the atmosphere. |
| C．They can be transformed into energy | D．They can be directed onto a specific area |
| A．creative designs of restaurant menus | B．ideal sound effects on the theater stage |
| C．different choices of music for businesses | D．strict control over any suspicious customer |
【推荐1】A new officer with the Huntington Park Police patrols local parks 24 hours a day seven days a week. He doesn't need rest, coffee breaks, a salary or medical insurance, and that is because it is a Robocop.
The main function of the Robocop is to scan and film the surroundings. Besides cameras with night vision that report 360 degrees, it also has a distress button which is located here, so if somebody is to need assistance or they want to contact the communication center, they can do it by way of that distress button. There are people that are monitoring on the other end.
This newest police employee is self-charging. It’s easy to program it and make changes to the software if necessary. Its maintenance costs are roughly 75 thousand dollars a year. It travels the entire park. It is a programmed path, but the police are able to change the path and adapt it.
The Robocop can record the license plates of passing cars and check them against an online database of stolen cars. It can also help locate a lost iPhone because it is able to determine a Smartphone’s MAC address. The police can see from the robot if something wrong happens and then come and figure it out.
The Robocop can't replace its human handlers. The whole goal is to give police more time to do things machines can't do. The police have been having some concerns about safety of the parks and want an extra set of eyes that will help patrol a 24/7. Robocop's creators believe this model known as K5 is best used for providing security at public places like hospitals, parking lots, parks and airports. So far, it seems to be working out just fine.
1. What is the distress button used to do?| A．Locate the Robocop. | B．Serve as an alarm device. |
| C．Communicate with visitors. | D．Monitor the neighborhood. |
| A．To direct traffic. | B．To build a database. |
| C．To prevent accidents. | D．To find lost cars. |
| A．It has limitation in use. | B．It has been widely used. |
| C．Its creators need more support. | D．Its security is still under test. |
(①=Para. 1 ②= Para. 2 ③= Para. 3 ④= Para. 4 ⑤= Para. 5 )
| A．①②③;④⑤ | B．①②;③④⑤ |
| C．①②③④;⑤ | D．①;②③④⑤ |
【推荐2】Slowly but surely, we’re moving closer and closer to 5G world. From smart-home security to self-driving cars, all the internet-connected devices in our life will be able to talk to each other at lightning-fast speeds with reduced delay. Objectively speaking, the fastest 4G download speeds in the US top out at an average of 19.42Mbps. But by comparison 5G promises gigabit (千兆) speeds.
“5G is one of those heralds (使者),along with artificial intelligence, of this coming data age.” said Steve Koenig, senior director of market research for the Consumer Technology Association. The self-driving vehicle is a great emblem of this data age, and that is to say, it is a sign of time, because with one single task, driving, you have massive amounts of data coming from the vehicle itself, and a variety of sensors are collecting a lot of information to model its environment as it moves. It’s pulling in data from other vehicles about road conditions down the lane. It could be weather information, and also connected infrastructure (基础设施) construction. There’s lots of data behind that task, which is why we need the high speed.
And virtual reality glasses and headsets haven’t yet broken the mainstream, but tech companies are joyfully betting that these devices will eventually replace our smartphones. With 5G, that could actually happen. This is notable because companies such as Apple are reportedly developing AR glasses to assist — or even replace — smartphones.
Ericsson stated at February's Mobile World Congress how smart glasses could become faster and lighter with a 5G connection, because instead of being weighed down with components, the glasses could rely on hardware for processing power.
But don’t get too excited. There’s still a lot of work to be done in the meantime, including various trials to make sure the radios play nicely with hardware and infrastructure construction so 5G isn’t concentrated only in big cities.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．The security of 5G. | B．The present world of 5G. |
| C．The future of 5G. | D．The super speed of 5G. |
| A．exhibition | B．symbol | C．sponsor | D．explanation |
| A．They will be heavier than present ones. | B．They will process power on their own. |
| C．They will bring a big fortune to tech companies. | D．They will take the place of smartphones. |
| A．How to fully expand 5G coverage. | B．How to effectively reduce 5G trials. |
| C．How to nicely operate 5G hardware. | D．How to widely construct 5G big cities. |
【推荐3】Nvidia, the chipmaker giant, has experienced a surge in its share price, skyrocketing by almost 450% since January 2023. Currently valued at nearly $2 trillion, Nvidia stands as the third-most valuable firm in the United States, following closely behind Microsoft and Apple. Its recent quarterly revenue s rose to 22billionfrom6 billion in the same period the previous year. Analysts anticipate continued rapid growth for Nvidia, primarily driven by its dominance in the market for specialized AI chips, commanding over 95% of it. What makes its chips so special?
Initially developed for gaming, Nvidia’s AI chips, also known as graphics processor units (GPUs) or “accelerators”, employ parallel processing, dividing computations into smaller tasks distributed across multiple cores within the chip. This parallel processing significantly enhances computational speed, crucial for exhibiting lifelike graphics in gaming applications.Happily for Nvidia, its chips have found much wider uses: cryptocurrency mining, self-driving cars and, most important, training of AI models. The efficiency of Nvidia’s accelerators in training AI models led the company to focus on optimizing them for this purpose. With the ability to handle thousands of calculations simultaneously, Nvidia’s GPUs have evolved together with increasingly complex AI models, achieving a thousand-fold increase in computational speed over the past decade.
But Nvidia’s soaring valuation is not just because of faster chips. It excels in networking, facilitated by Mellanox’s high-performance network technology, which Nvidia acquired in 2019. This enables Nvidia to optimize its chip network’s performance, surpassing competitors’ capabilities. Nvidia’s other strength is CUDA, a software platform that allows customers to fine tune the performance of its processors. Nvidia has been investing in this software since the mid-2000s, and has long encouraged developers to use it to build and test AI applications. This has made CUDA the industry standard.
Nvidia’s juicy profit and the rapid growth of the AI accelerator market have attracted competitors. Amazon and Alphabet are crafting AI chips for their data centres. Other big chipmakers and startups also want a slice of Nvidia’s business. In December 2023 Advanced Micro Devices, another chipmaker, unveiled a chip that by some measures is roughly twice as powerful as Nvidia’s most advanced chip. But even building better hardware may not be enough. Nvidia dominates AI chipmaking because it offers the best chips, the best networking kit and the best software. Any competitor hoping to displace Nvidia will need to beat it in all three areas. That will be a tall order.
1. The passage is written to ________.| A．analyze the potential risks of the surge in Nvidia’s share price |
| B．explain the factors contributing to Nvidia’s rapid growth |
| C．compare Nvidia’s share price with other technology companics |
| D．discuss the impact of Nvidia’s chips on global technology trends |
| A．They were initially developed for creating graphics. |
| B．They have been optimized for training automated vehicles. |
| C．They employ parallel processing to ensure high game picture quality. |
| D．They have widened the mining scope of cryptocurrency over the past decade. |
| A．its personalized software platform CUDA |
| B．its potential for gaining a handsome profit |
| C．its acquisition of Mellanox’s network technology |
| D．its reliance on building better hardware than its competitors |
| A．Nvidia will continue to rule the AI chipmaking industry. |
| B．Amazon has strengthened its position in the market with Nvidia. |
| C．Some startups have already cooperated to build better hardware. |
| D．Advanced Micro Devices now owns the most powerful chip in the world. |
【推荐1】Teens who are preparing to take cosmetic surgery often have unrealistic expectations. The growing numbers of beauty treatment television shows which make cosmetic surgery seem simple have encouraged adolescents to pursue surgery to improve their physical appearance. As a result, more teenagers are going under the knife to achieve a desired look．
When teens feel the need to have cosmetic surgery, they believe that it is not a huge deal, but they may not be mature enough to make such a life changing decision. If teens feel inadequate before surgery, they will most likely feel disappointed afterwards. Not only is surgery complex and risky for mature adults, it is extremely dangerous for younger people, and some doctors are performing these procedures on kids as young as fourteen!
The cost of procedures can add up to thousands of dollars. Insurance does not cover the costs of these procedures. Teenagers often pay for surgery themselves ----- a very costly purchase for a young person. Not only can surgery become addictive for insecure teens, the consequence can be disappointing. When surgery takes an unexpected wrong turn, permanent damage can occur. Any surgery on a young, undeveloped person has a risk of complication (并发症) such as infection, which can lead to death. Even if there are no complications, there is no guarantee that surgery will provide the perfect nose or a desired shape body. No matter how minor the procedure, it is not as effortless as it appears．
Of course, there are cases where cosmetic surgery is appropriate. If a child has a serious injury or scarring from an accident, it can be beneficial. In all cases, parents must be involved in the process for the welfare of their child, and must guide them in the right direction. Fortunately, parents or legal guardians must sign documents allowing their child to have plastic surgery. Doctors also need to be a part of the decision. Most experienced and trust-worthy physicians turn down the opportunity to operate on a teenager unnecessarily．
Cosmetic surgery is a life-changing experience. Hopefully, more teens will realize that there is more to a person than physical beauty, and learn to accept themselves for who they are．
1. Teenagers are encouraged to have cosmetic surgery by _________．| A．some surgeons | B．TV show hosts |
| C．lots of TV programs | D．their teen friends |
| A．Cosmetic surgery being too costly for teens． |
| B．The hidden danger in having cosmetic surgery． |
| C．The development of techniques of cosmetic surgery． |
| D．Cosmetic surgery making teens prettier without effort. |
| A．has an ugly scar | B．is not very beautiful |
| C．is supported by their grandparents | D．has got a doctor’ s permission |
| A．Disapproving． | B．Supportive． |
| C．Doubtful． | D．Curious． |
【推荐2】Faced with a decreasing population and dropping workforce, Japan has been increasingly turning to robots for help. Over the years, the androids have been employed to perform a large number of human tasks, including building products and providing care and companionship for the elderly. The latest addition to the Japanese “workforce” may be Model-T. Designed by Telexistence Inc., this seven-foot-tall robot is currently undergoing trials restocking (补充货源) sandwiches, drinks, and ready meals on shelves at select locations of local convenience store chains Lawson and FamilyMart.
Telexistence has received funding from technology investment company Softbank Group and cell phone service operator KDDI in Japan, with overseas investors including European passenger aircraft maker Airbus Ventures. It named its robot Model-T, a nod to the Ford Motor car that began the age of mass motoring a century ago.
Compared with the warehouse robots being used by companies like Walmart and Amazon, which are only able to accomplish single, repeated tasks, Model-T has a much wider range of movement and can be used to restock objects of various sizes, making it ideal for convenience and grocery stores.
“It is able to grasp or pick and place objects of several different shapes and sizes into different locations,” Matt Komatsu, head of business development and operations at Telexistence Inc., told CNN Business. However, Model-T is not self-controlled. Instead, it is operated by human “pilots” wearing a virtual reality (VR) headset and special gloves, which allow them to feel the product the robot is holding in their hands and guide it to the right shelf. Since the video connection between the robot and the human operator has a mere 50 milliseconds delay, the navigation (导航) process is smooth. Telexistence says the VR-controlled androids are easier to develop and repair. They are also ten times cheaper than self-controlled robots, which require complex programming
Though Model-T appears to have passed the trials, it is not quite ready to enter the labor force. Besides being a lot slower than human labour, it is also only able to lift packaged items, and cannot grasp loose items such as fruits and vegetables. Telexistence hopes to introduce a faster Model-T within the next two years.
1. What is the main reason for the invention of Model-T?| A．The shortage of labour force. |
| B．The demands of senior citizens. |
| C．The development of technology. |
| D．The appeal of convenience stores. |
| A．It is an updated version of Ford Motor. |
| B．It may create a new age like Ford Motor. |
| C．Its design is as fashionable as Ford Motor. |
| D．Its connection with Ford Motor is inseparable. |
| A．It doesn’t need repairs. |
| B．It performs tasks automatically. |
| C．It requires complex programming. |
| D．It depends largely on human’s operation. |
| A．Its applications. | B．Its advantages. |
| C．Its limitations. | D．Its functions. |
【推荐3】CTK Bio Canada (the “Company”) has developed a new bioplastic resin(树脂) designed to degrade(break down) by both industrial and home compostin( 堆制肥料), as well as in unmanaged environments like soil and seawater, in order to reduce microplastic pollution. The Company is now undertaking detailed experimental trials with academic partners to further strengthen and prove its technology ahead of expected commercial release in 2022, meanwhile a temporary patent(专利) has been applied for.
Over 360 million tons of plastic waste are now produced every year, with only 9% of that being recycled. CTK Bio Canada is aiming to replace conventional plastic used for packaging with a safer, more sustainable(可持续的) choice.
Bioplastics currently account for only 1% of global plastic production, and much of this requires specialized composting equipment in order to break them down. High costs, issues with production equipment, and poor long-term steady state have also limited the broader commercial consumption of bioplastics.
Now, CTK Bio Canada founded by JK Park and Daniel Shum believes they have found a solution. The company is the new Canadian subsidiary(附属公司) ofKorean cosmetic giant CTK Cosmetics (“CTK”). In a push to reduce their environmental footprint, CTK has paid much for the research being done by the Canadian team. “CTK shares our vision for the future of the packaging industry, and has been a perfect fit.”“Canada has tremendous strength in the bioresources sector, giving us a real competitive edge,” said Park, CEO of CTK Bio Canada. “The goals we set for ourselves were high, so we wanted to work with the very best in the field to produce a material that could do better than what was currently on the market.”
1. Why is the new bioplastic resin developed?| A．To degrade it by home composting. | B．To prove its technology. |
| C．To conduct detailed experimental trials. | D．To reduce microplastic pollution. |
| A．360,000,000. | B．32,400,000. | C．3,600,000. | D．Not mentioned. |
| A．Negative. | B．Unclear. | C．Positive. | D．Opposed. |
| A．A new sustainable material for the future. | B．Harmful effects of plastics. |
| C．Production of bioplastics. | D．Resolve ofCTK Bio Canada’s. |
