If you’ve ever had trouble finding your keys or remembering what you had for breakfast, you know that short-term memory is far from perfect. For people who’ve had a traumatic brain injury (TBI), though, recalling (回忆) recent events or conversations can be a major struggle.
“We have patients whose family cannot leave them alone at home because they will turn on the stove and forget to turn it off,” says Dr. Ramon Diaz-Arrastia, who directs the Traumatic Brain Injury Clinical Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania. So Arrastia and a team of scientists have been testing a possible treatment. It involves delivering a pulse (脉冲) of electricity to the brain at just the right time.
And it worked in a study of eight people with moderate or severe TBIs, the team reports in the journal Brain Stimulation. A precisely timed pulse to a brain area just behind the ear improved recall by about 20 percent and reduced the person’s memory deficit (缺失) by about half.
If the results pan out in a larger study, the approach might improve the lives of many young people who survive a serious TBI, says Diaz-Arrastia, an author of the study and a professor of neurology at Penn. “In many cases, the reason they’re unable to rejoin and fully participate in society is because of their memory problems,” he says. “And they often have this disability that goes on for many, many decades.” But the treatment is not for the timid. It requests patients to have electrodes surgically implanted in their brain. And scientists are still perfecting the system that delivers the electrical pulses.
While experimental, the results offer hope for individuals with memory deficits due to traumatic brain injuries. If the technique continues to show promise, it could transform memory recall and cognitive function improvement for those who need it most.
1. Why did Arrastia’s team do the research?| A．To cut the cost of treating TBI. |
| B．To show interest in electrical pulses. |
| C．To find the treatment of memory deficits. |
| D．To explain problems of short-term memory. |
| A．Change. | B．Occur. | C．Differ. | D．Disappear. |
| A．It is uncertain. | B．It is doubtful. | C．It is unsuccessful. | D．It is hopeful. |
| A．Scientists Work Hard at Brain |
| B．Brain Memory Is a Matter of Concern |
| C．Electrical Pulses Improve Brain Memory |
| D．Researchers Make Progress in Treating Illness |
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【推荐1】Electric vehicles are becoming a real hit. Yet sales of electric vehicles, or EVs, are expected to amount to less than four percent of passenger vehicle sales in the United States in 2021. One reason: the inability to easily recharge on long trips, known as range anxiety.
In July, the Indiana Department of Transportation and Purdue University announced plans to develop the world’s first touchless wireless-charging concrete highway. The project developed by the company Mament will enable wireless charging of electric vehicles as people drive them.
The project will test the electrified road. The most important test will assess the capability of the system to transfer (转移) high-levels of power wirelessly. While the idea is similar to cellphones that charge wirelessly, there is a significant difference: charging with a 10-to-15-inch gap. “The cellphone touches the surface to charge, so it’s pretty strongly coupled (连接),” Nadia Gkritza, a professor at Purdue University said. “Whereas now, if we increase the so-called air gap, the coupling weakens and so does the power transfer.”
A big challenge is clearly on the vehicle side, said Mauricio Esguerra, co-founder of Magment. “The vehicle industry is so busy with making batteries, making software, so that making them deal with inductive (电感应的) charging right now is a priority which is far away. The spirit of this project is to concentrate first on the technical challenges of showing that it works.” On-road charging will also need to “stand all the weight and weather influences. There may be particular applications where on-road charging infrastructure (基础设施) could be targeted to select locations, such as bus stops,” he said.
The Purdue team is mindful of these challenges, but optimistic. There are, however, legal barriers, Ms Gkritza said, “For example, in Indiana, if you’re not a utility (公共事业),” you cannot resell electricity. So, if you’re the roadway operator, you cannot charge the vehicles for the electricity they consume. Also, there are difficulties in using the interstate right of way right now to build this infrastructure. There are certain laws that need changing before this becomes a reality.”
1. Why did the author mention cellphone charging?| A．To stress the difficulty of on-road charging. |
| B．To introduce wireless charging technology. |
| C．To show the necessity of transferring power. |
| D．To explain the benefits of increasing the air gap. |
| A．It should be used on buses first. |
| B．It fails to stand weather influences. |
| C．It is in need of more financial support. |
| D．It’s an early-stage technology for the car industry. |
| A．Roadway conditions. | B．Electricity shortage |
| C．Government rules. | D．Location selection. |
| A．Could EVs rule? |
| B．Could roads recharge cars? |
| C．Could cars be more eco-friendly? |
| D．Could technology make car design easier? |
【推荐2】Scientists have created a new app designed to identify dangerous mosquitoes based on sounds the insects make. The app, called Abuzz, is aimed at helping fight major diseases spread by mosquitoes.
Haripriya Vaidehi Narayanan is one of the researchers who helped develop the app. Narayanan told VOA that anyone with a mobile phone could use the app to identify mosquitoes. “If they see a mosquito around, they just take out their phone, open up the app, point their phone towards the mosquito and hit the record button,”she said. “Then, when the mosquito flaps its wings and starts flying around, it makes that noise, that annoying buzzing noise. That noise is what gets recorded by the Abuzz app.” she added.
Many diseases that mosquitoes carry do not have cures or vaccines. So, targeting the flying insects is the best way to control them. “The most important step is to know where the mosquitoes are,” Narayanan said.
Traditional methods for hunting mosquitoes are costly and can take a very long time. The process also requires labor-intensive trapping as well as trained scientists to identify the insects.
Manu Prakash is a professor of bioengineering at Stanford University and a lead investigator on the project. He says that out of about 3,500 different mosquito species, only about 40 are dangerous to humans. Prakash says the goal of the project was to find out whether the mosquitoes around a person's house are just an annoyance, or whether they are possibly dangerous.
When mosquitoes move their wings up and down, they produce buzzing sounds. But each kind of mosquito makes a slightly different buzzing noise. The app records these sounds. Users of the app can get an answer by recording as little as one or two seconds of the buzzing sound. The app compares this recording to a collection of other recordings. It then predicts which species of mosquito it is most likely to be.
By making use of mosquito information worldwide, the app can help build maps of where dangerous mosquitoes are. This can help scientists and health officials identify areas where disease is likely to break out and where to target mosquito control.
1. Why is it important to locate mosquitoes?| A．Because they are very small and hard to find. |
| B．Because diseases carried by them are a big problem. |
| C．Because mosquitoes flap their wings very quickly. |
| D．Because the buzzing noise of mosquitoes is annoying. |
| A．Compare it to a database and identify its species. |
| B．Make a somewhat different buzzing noise. |
| C．Release some chemicals to kill the mosquito. |
| D．Draw a map of the place where the mosquito was. |
| A．It can help people control the number of mosquitoes. |
| B．It can help people avoid some species of mosquitoes. |
| C．It can help predict where mosquito-carried diseases are most likely to occur. |
| D．It can help record the mosquito hiding places very quickly. |
| A．The Different Species of Mosquitoes in the World |
| B．New Ways to Fight Disease Caused by Mosquitoes |
| C．How to Identify Sounds Made by Different Mosquitoes |
| D．A New App That Can Identify Dangerous Mosquitoes |
【推荐3】For many Americans, regular exercise is a complicated commitment—one made at the beginning of January that fades out within weeks or months. Busy work schedules, a lack of motivation and unease towards exercising in public all contribute to the discouraging statistics that only around a quarter of adults exercise enough per week.
This month, enterptiser Trent Ward and designer Yves Behar are uncovering their design for a mirror fitness system, Forme. Forme is reflective like a mirror, uses machine learning to heighten workouts, and offers attachments including ankle belts, rope handles and a heart rate monitor. When not in use, the two arms that form the resistance pulley (滑轮) system fold behind it and the display screen disappears, turning Forme into a simple full—length mirror.
Interest in home exercise has particularly increased recently around the world. Home workout apps have seen a significant uptick in downloads, and trendy brands like Peloton have rolled out free virtual workouts for everyone stuck indoors. One French athlete who was kept away from others chose to run an entire marathon on his 23-foot balcony.
But beyond the new restrictions affecting daily workout routines, Ward and Behar are tapping into the same concerns that have made every home workout appealing：the ability to save time and sweat in the privacy of one’s home. In an age of personal metrics (衡量标准)--where one can measure their heart rate and sleep cycles with smart watches and train for marathons with AI smart sneakers----Ward and Behar want to improve exercise through machine learning. Forme evaluates performance and adjusts weights accordingly. Easy access to one’s own performance data also makes it easier to track that progress and stay motivated.
Though it’s too soon to tell if mirror gyms will be the trend of the late 2010s to 2020s, Behar explained that having a screen in the home can become the basis for more than just fitness, such as shopping or telemedicine.
1. What does paragraph 2 mainly focus on?.| A．The ways to operate Forme. | B．The features of Forme. |
| C．The reasons to develop Forme. | D．The theory behind Forme. |
| A．By offering them online workouts for free. |
| B．By raising their interest in marathon. |
| C．By keeping them far away from others. |
| D．By entertaining them with all kinds of downloads. |
| A．The better results than outdoor activities. |
| B．The fresher air at home. |
| C．The privacy of home. |
| D．The convenient access to mass data. |
| A．Can Forme Have More Powerful Functions? |
| B．Does Regular Exercise Keep up with New Technology? |
| C．Is the New Trend of Smart Machines at Home available? |
| D．Is this AI—Powered "Mirror Gym" the Future of Home Exercise? |
【推荐1】We talk a lot about air pollution. Here in Hong Kong we always complain about light pollution as well. Then, there is noise pollution. It's the same in many cities around the world, and in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, people have been complaining about the noise made by drivers who continually sound their car horns (喇叭). That is until recently, when something was finally done about it.
The Chief District Officer of Kathmandu had received many complaints about horn pollution. He said that everyone felt the use of the car horn in recent years had become excessive. Researchers in Kathmandu found that for about 80 percent of the time, it really was not necessary for drivers to use their car horns. Sounding the horn to make a noise had become more of a habit. It was no longer being used as it was supposed to be used: to warn people of danger.
At the beginning of the Nepali New Year in 2017, the local government passed a law to ban the use of car horns unless used correctly. Within six months, 11,000 fines had been collected by the local traffic police. The fine was about HK $360. A taxi driver in Kathmandu can make about HK $1,000 per day, so he could lose about one-third of his money if he broke the law.
As usual, there were many complaints from drivers. They said that cows and dogs were free to walk on the roads. They always caused danger. Sounding a car horn was the only way to get them to move out of the way. And while there were quite a few traffic lights in the streets of Kathmandu, very few of them worked. This meant there was often a traffic mess.
The ban on using a car horn went ahead, and within a few weeks the streets of Nepal's capital were quieter — even though they were still just as busy. Because of the ban, drivers are a little more careful when they drive. Fewer accidents have been reported. The local government says the horn ban will now be copied in other areas of Nepal.
1. What do Hong Kong and Kathmandu have in common?| A．Both have been troubled by light pollution. |
| B．Both have succeeded in fighting air pollution. |
| C．Both have been faced with the problem of noise pollution. |
| D．Both have received many complaints about horn pollution. |
| A．Too much. | B．Quite simple. | C．Very correct. | D．More dangerous. |
| A．No traffic lights in the streets can work. |
| B．The traffic on the roads is usually very heavy. |
| C．Animals are not allowed to walk on the streets. |
| D．Drivers are required to drive on one-way streets. |
| A．It is unfair. | B．It is worrying. | C．It is interesting. | D．It is successful. |
【推荐2】You might think of martial arts movies when you see people performing graceful moves down a river, all standing on a bamboo strip, but actually it is a form of intangible cultural heritage: single bamboo drifting (独竹漂).
Over 2,000 years ago, the high-quality wood, nanmu, in Guizhou was in great demand by the royal court in the north. With no better transportation, people had to stand on one log to drift down the river. Later, local people began to compete along the way and the game of wood drifting was born. In the Qing Dynasty, wood drifting became single bamboo drifting because of bamboo’s lower price. Due to various skills it takes for one to master this act, single bamboo drifting was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2021.
Yang Liu, an inheritor(继承者) of single bamboo drifting, learned it at 7. “Usually, the bamboo under our feet is about 9 meters long, and the bamboo in our hands is about 5 meters. If the length of the bamboo is not long enough, it will not float. Keeping our feet firmly positioned on the narrow bamboo pole is the key, so we should fight against the current(水流) by constantly changing the angle. I lost my balance and fell into the water many times while practicing. Once I fell, I gave it another try until I knew how to handle the most difficult part,” she said.
The love for the ancient skill keeps Yang going. Yang also shows creativity when spreading the culture of single bamboo drifting. For example, she includes dance in single bamboo drifting to make it more graceful. As hanfu culture has been on the rise, Yang started wearing hanfu while performing, creating a more beautiful feel. In 2020, Yang began to post her videos on social media. “I’m extremely proud to get the response from viewers that single bamboo drifting makes the line between what is possible and impossible unclear. It’s my mission to keep it alive and make it known to more people,” Yang Liu told China Daily.
1. What can be learned from the first two paragraphs?| A．Nanmu was delivered to the north by land. |
| B．Single bamboo drifting needs lots of skills. |
| C．Bamboo was costly in Guizhou over 2,000 years ago. |
| D．The martial arts movie is a form of cultural heritage. |
| A．Keeping balance. |
| B．Maintaining a fixed angle. |
| C．Finding the proper bamboo. |
| D．Holding the bamboo firmly in hands. |
| A．It’s confusing. | B．It’s impossible. |
| C．It’s unbelievable. | D．It’s effortless. |
| A．Balancing with Grace |
| B．Chinese Cultural Heritage |
| C．Yang Liu: a Creative Performer |
| D．Transporting Bamboo down the River |
【推荐3】There has long been a view that in ancient times men were the hunters-out getting the neat — while women were gatherers-searching for fruit, vegetables and wild plants.
However, this stereotype has been overthrown by an archaeological discovery. Scientists found the remains of a teenage girl, who lived around 9,000 years ago, at a site in Peru alongside a hunting toolkit(工具箱).There was a knife and fakes(薄片)of rock for removing internal organs(内脏), and other hunting tools.
"It took a strong case to help us recognize that the archaeological pattern indicated actual female hunting behavior," said Randy Has, he lead author of the study.
The remains were recovered in 2018 when an archaeological site was being excavated(挖掘). Actually, Haas' team didn't plan to study female hunters. They found six bodies in a burial pit, a site 3,925 meters above sea level, on a windy plateau in southern Peru. The researchers used a new method to determine the sex of the found bones. The technique analyzed a protein in the remains' tooth enamel(釉质)to tell their gender. It turned out that the remains with an impressive hunting kit belong to a female.
According to the study and previous records of 107 other burial sites throughout North and South America, the team thinks that between 30 percent and 50 percent of big-game hunters who lived more than 10,000 years ago in the Americas could have been women.
However, some people think the hunting tools could have been placed there for symbolic or religious reasons, so the girl might not be a hunter.
In response, Haas pointed out the 9,00-year-old tomb contains a wide variety of tools-some are very rare, some are common — so this suggests that these tools were not some kind of sacrificial(献祭的)offering. Rather, they were the object that individuals used regularly.
Haas said this debate has great significance in today's world. "This insight-for me at least-stresses that many of the gender inequalities we see today do not have a biological basis," he said.
1. What is the word "overthrown" in paragraph 2 closest in meaning to?| A．Established. | B．Supported. |
| C．Explained. | D．Challenged. |
| A．It was aimed at learning about ancient female hunting behavior |
| B．A total of six bodies were discovered in northern Peru |
| C．A protein in the remains' tooth enamel was examined to know their gender |
| D．It suggested that most females in ancient times were hunters. |
| A．For daily uses. | B．For sacrificial offerings |
| C．For symbolic practices. | D．For religious purposes |
| A．Males should be to blame for gender inequalities. |
| B．There were fewer gender inequalities in ancient times. |
| C．Many gender inequalities are not supported by biology. |
| D．We should ignore biological differences between males and females. |
