【推荐1】We’ve all heard of smart phones, but how about smart clothing? The Cute-Circuit 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 (触觉学), 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．CuteCircuit 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. What’s the meaning of the underlined word?

A．to be made to look like something else.	B．to press something hard
C．to mark something	D．to join one thing to another.

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. Why does the writer write this passage?

A．To advise that companies should focus on applying wearable technology.

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

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

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

【推荐2】How fit are your teeth? Are you lazy about brushing them? Never fear: An inventor is on the case. An electric toothbrush senses how long and how well you brush, and it lets you track your performance on your phone.

The Kolibree toothbrush was exhibited at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. It senses how it is moved and can send the information to an Android phone or iPhone via a Bluetooth wireless connection.

The toothbrush will be able to teach you to brush right (don’t forget the insides of the teeth!) and make sure you’re brushing long enough. ＂It’s kind of like having a dentist actually watch your brushing on a day-to-day basis,＂ says Thomas Serval, the French inventor.

The toothbrush will also be able to talk to other applications on your phone, so developers could, for instance, create a game controlled by your toothbrush. You could score points for beating monsters among your teeth. ＂We try to make it smart but also fun,＂ Several says.

Serval says he was inspired by his experience as a father. He would come home from work and ask his kids if they had brushed their teeth. They said ＂yes,＂ but Serval would find their toothbrush heads dry. He decided he needed a brush that really told him how well his children brushed.

The company says the Kolibree will go on sale this summer, for $99 to $199, developing on features. The U.S. is the first target market.

Serval says that one day, it’ll be possible to replace the brush on the handle with a brushing unit that also has a camera. The camera can even examine holes in your teeth while you brush.

1. Which is one of the features of the Kolibree toothbrush?

A．It can sense how users brush their teeth.

B．It can track users’ school performance.

C．It can detect users’ fear of seeing a dentist.

D．It can help users find their phones.

2. What can we learn from Serval’s words in Paragraph 3?

A．You will find it enjoyable to see a dentist.

B．You should see your dentist on a day-to-day basis.

C．You can brush with the Kolibree as if guided by a dentist.

D．You’d like a dentist to watch you brush your teeth every day.

3. What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?

A．How Serval found out his kids lied to him.

B．Why Serval thought brushing teeth was necessary.

C．How Serval taught his kids to brush their teeth.

D．What inspired Serval to invent the toothbrush.

4. What can we infer about Serval’s children?

A．They were unwilling to brush their teeth

B．They often failed to clean their toothbrushes.

C．They preferred to use a toothbrush with a dry head.

D．They liked brushing their teeth after Serval came home.

【推荐3】Vaccines (疫苗) may soon make their first film appearance. Led by expert Maria A. Croyle, researchers have developed a thin sheet that preserves vaccines for long periods without refrigeration. This means the carefully cooled small bottles now used to ship vaccines could potentially be replaced by lightweight films that can be mailed in an envelope and stored on a shelf.

Croyle’s laboratory began developing the technology in 2007. Inspired by amber’s ability to preserve the DNA of insects, the researchers set out to create their own version of the substance by mixing “a lot of sugar and a little bit of salt, much like hard candy”, Croyle explains. The vaccine-containing film is administered by mouth — sweet news for many who dislike needles.

The film is tailored to suit each specific vaccine candidate and provide a protective coating. “We’ve learned over time that the key to really stabilizing whatever the film holds is to have it intermixed with all the components,” Croyle says, adding that the process is quick and uses affordable, standard equipment. “We really wanted to come up with something that would be transferable to developing countries.”

Immunization (免疫) programs depend heavily on keeping vaccines cold (2℃ — 8℃) as they are transported, sometimes over thousands of kilometers to far-away locations. Delivery can be difficult and costly, and transport disruptions can cause the vaccines to be ineffective.

But this new product can store live viruses, bacteria and antibodies for several months at 20℃. In a paper published in Science Advances, the scientists show that the live viruses in one vaccine were preserved in the film even after 36 months. They also find that a flu vaccine suspended in their film compares favourably with a traditional flu shot (流感预防针). “The study demonstrates early proof of concept for an exciting platform for vaccine product development,” says Lisa Rohan, a pharmacologist, who was not involved in the study. She also notes that each vaccine type would need a custom formulation (配方) for future stages of development.

Finding partners to mass-produce for clinical trials is the researchers’ most pressing problem, Croyle says. They are also exploring packaging methods to keep their films stable up to 40℃.

Size is a major advantage — a letter-sized sheet of the film can carry more than 500 doses (剂) of vaccine, about 1/900 the weight of the same amount of traditional doses. By making it easier and cheaper to ship and preserve vaccines efficiently, Croyle says, the technology could vastly improve immunization rates the world over, particularly in middle- to low-income countries.

1. What can we learn about the film?

A．It contains animal’s DNA.	B．It will replace vaccines.
C．It comes in different flavours.	D．It can hold bio-products.

2. The author mentions Lisa Rohan’s words to ______.

A．advise personalizing vaccines

B．suggest the product is promising

C．prove the study is supported widely

D．stress the functions of a new platform

3. What will be the next urgent task for Croyle’s team?

A．Advertising the film worldwide.	B．Improving the film’s capacity.
C．Reducing the shipping cost.	D．Seeking ideal manufacturers.

【推荐1】Destine Whitaker was in fourth grade when she learned that millions of people around the world lack clean water.

“It was a problem that confused me for a long time,” said Whitaker, from the United States city of Philadelphia. “Water is a necessity.”

When she got to Carver High School of Engineering and Science, Whitaker carefully researched the problem and felt that she must do something about it.

Early in her senior year, Whitaker approached fellow members of the school’s National Honor Society with a proposal: They should raise money to buy water purification systems for people in need. Whitaker, the National Honor Society president, knew the systems would have to be easy to carry and able to operate without electricity. So she checked with a microbiologist to make sure the system she had her eye on would fit the bill.

Once her classmates agreed to back the proposal, Whitaker took it upon herself to raise money. She organized a game where students bought tickets to guess how many pieces of candy ajar contained.

In the end, they raised $800—a large amount for a school where 70 percent of the students’ families are not well-off.

Whitaker soon found that raising money was the easier part of the project. However, finding an organization that could deliver the water purification systems was the toughest one. She approached some organizations about their possible connections but no one could help.

Then Whitaker connected with Joseph Sackor, who runs the Liberia Medical Mission—an organization that provides medical care to Liberians who lack health services. Sackor accepted the school’s money and agreed to deliver the systems to people who needed them.

Whitaker dreams of someday starting her own nonprofit organization to bring clean water to more people in need.

“Some students in Liberia can’t even go to school because their parents cannot afford to buy them bottled water,” Sackor said. “This money is huge.”

1. What problem did Whitaker want to solve?

A．Poverty of human beings.	B．Lack of clean drinking water.
C．Shortage of medical care.	D．Unawareness of healthy lifestyles.

2. The underlined phrase “fit the bill” in Paragraph probably means “________”.

A．meet their needs	B．be cheap enough
C．be difficult to operate	D．need improvement

3. What did Whitaker think the most difficult part of her project was?

A．Making a suggestion for the project.

B．Raising money to buy the equipment.

C．Calling on her classmates to give support to it.

D．Finding an organization to deliver the equipment.

4. What does Whitaker want to do in the future?

A．Go to live and work in Liberia.

B．Study medicine to help those in need.

C．Set up a charity to help more people.

D．Provide bottled water to Liberian student.

【推荐2】At Zhangpan Primary School in the mountainous areas in Central China's Henan Province, there is a football team. The football has enriched the pupils' school lives and might help realize their dreams.

"I don't believe that rural children can' t play football well!" said Song Haibo, principal of the primary school. In 2016, Song decided to develop a campus football culture. A physical education teacher Liang Yaowu began to teach students and hold training sessions on a concrete floor.

In 2010, 400,000 yuan （US $60,499） was raised to build a new standard football field, 2,400 square meters in size, at the school. Then the school invited a local football club to offer professional training. Football has since become an indispensable （必不可少的）part of the children's lives. At present, each of all the 245 students has his or her own football. Classes in the third to sixth grades have class teams respectively（分别地）.

Speaking of changes that the ball game has brought to the pupils, Song said, "The children now love and enjoy the sport very much. As well as keeping fit, football has cultivated（培养）their sense of competition and teamwork, and also enhanced（提高）their sense of responsibility and collective honor.”

The schoolgirls' football team has also grown into a strong one among local campuses over the past four years, and these rural girls' football dream has been sparked. “When I run on the field, I feel indescribable happiness. I enjoy playing football.” said Wang Mengyan with a smile, adding that she will work harder in study and training so as to be admitted to a top university.

In the past few years, the school’s football team has won many championships, including the U12 Girls' Competition of the Belt and Road International Youth Tournament. Five players of the team joined the National Campus Football Summer Camp, and one of them was selected for the first squad （班、组）.

Liang, head coach of the football team, is full of hope for the future. In his view, this sport is an important medium for these rural schoolgirls to move towards a wonderful outside world. He expects that more attention and care will be paid and given to schoolgirls' football team, facilitating them realize their dreams.

1. What may be the most difficulty for rural schools to develop campus football culture?

A．Financial support.	B．Sense of teamwork.
C．No professional teachers.	D．No playground .

2. Wang Mengyan is mentioned in Paragraph 5 as a（an）_______ of realizing dreams.

A．idol	B．example
C．exception	D．proof

3. What does Liang really want to tell us in the last paragraph?

A．The outside world is more wonderful.

B．Rural schoolgirls should be given more help.

C．All rural schools should have a football team.

D．All rural schoolgirls can succeed by playing football.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．Principal Matters Most	B．Football Team Gets Much Glory
C．Football Lights up Dreams	D．Rural School Builds Football Team

【推荐3】WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) ---- About 140 pilot whales that stranded(使...搁浅) themselves on a remote stretch of New Zealand beach have died, but conservation workers and volunteers are hoping the remaining 60 or so will survive after they managed to get them refloated, an official said Saturday.

The geography of Farewell Spit on the South Island seems to work against whales, which regularly become stranded there. The stranding of 198 whales on Friday was one of the largest in recent years and inspired 80 workers and volunteers to help out.

By late Saturday, 140 of the whales had died, said Department of Conservation area manager Andrew Lamason.

He said the workers and volunteers worked throughout the day to keep the surviving whales watered and covered before refloating them during Saturday night’s high tide.

“We’ve had a really good crew of volunteers, and people have been wanting to come from all over the country,”Lamason said.

He said the surviving whales had moved to deeper water. But he cautioned that although hopes for their survival were high, whales had been refloated in the past only to return and get stranded again.

Lamason said the scale(规模) of the stranding has been tough on the helpers, both physically and mentally.

“It’s very sad, they’re very intelligent animals,” he said. “The common view is that it’s part of nature.”

The focus will now turn to the dead whales, and the enormous task of dealing with the remains, Lamason said, adding that in the past helpers have typically buried them in the sand, but that he’s not sure what the approach will be this time.

He said the department had been experimenting with moving the the dead whales into the water, which has the advantage of providing food for other sea creatures.

1. What is the exact number of whales stranded last Friday?

A．140.

B．60.

C．80.

D．198.

2. Why did the volunteers have to wait until Saturday before they could refloat the whales?

A．Because they were very busy on Friday.

B．Because they had to wait for the sea water to rise.

C．Because the whales were too intelligent.

D．Because the whales were buried deep in the sand.

3. Which of the following words can be used to describe Lamason’s attitude towards the result of refloating the whales?

A．Doubtful.	B．Optimistic.
C．Positive.	D．Careless.

4. What did Lamason say about the feelings of the workers and volunteers?

A．They were very happy to see so many whales.

B．They thought refloating the whales was not a hard job.

C．They were physically tired and emotionally hurt.

D．They believed that this is very natural.

5. How will the volunteers deal with the dead whales this time according to Lamason?

A．They will bury them in the sand.

B．They will throw them into the ocean.

C．They do not have any exact idea yet.

D．They will feed them to other sea creatures.