China's box office numbers continue to grow rapidly. It is estimated that the revenues( 收入) may pass the U. S. market's as soon as this year. However, this cinematic party could be over just as it's getting started. Some companies are working to convince consumers that the ultimate viewing experience is not on the big screen.
Instead, it's on the small ones that are already in their pockets-thanks to the technology of virtual reality.
Already,VR experience centers are popping up in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai. They give customers the opportunity to watch VR movies or play VR games for about the same price as a discount movie ticket. Online video sites, meanwhile, are also moving into the VR field. Some of them, like Youku, have launched(推出) their own VR apps and channels.
China has more than 700 million smartphone users. A large percentage of them are already more than willing to download and watch TV shows and even full-length movies on their handsets. This potentially makes them more likely to embrace VR content than Americans and Europeans.
But in fact, it's not just Chinese companies and video websites that believe VR will pull viewers away from movie theaters. International production companies that, for years, have made block busters (大片) for cinema audiences are also warning that disruptive change is around the corner.
Maureen Fan, chief executive of the Silicon Valley VR start-up Baobab Studios, after bringing her company's animated VR short Invasion to the Shanghai International Film Festival last year, concluded that the field had been evolving much more rapidly than she expected. "What I thought would take ten years has happened in one or two," she said. However, she also noted that the industry needs more people who can create great stories to move VR beyond a niche product(小众产品 ) and into the mass market. "The technology is already there. What continues to be lacking is good content," Fan said. "There's a certain amount, but we would love to see more."
1. What is the main idea of the article?| A．China's box office numbers might see a slight decline in the coming years. |
| B．People don't need to mind their manners when watching VR movies. |
| C．Movie theaters in China will be increasingly challenged by virtual reality. |
| D．More and more Chinese online video sites have had their own VR channels. |
| A．China's box office numbers have been growing faster than those in the West |
| B．more Chinese people have experienced virtual reality than Westerners |
| C．China has been more supportive of the development of VR than Western countries |
| D．more Chinese people have been watching shows on handsets than Westerners |
| A．VR movies become available in theaters |
| B．online video sites launch more VR channels |
| C．VR experience centers appear in smaller cities |
| D．there is a larger amount of good content |
| A．VR movies will completely replace traditional movies sooner or later. |
| B．Virtual reality has been experiencing an enormous development. |
| C．Content matters more than technology when it comes to making movies. |
| D．The West will catch up with China in terms of the development of VR. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】AI(人工工智)makes our lives easier and better. Let’s see the amazing AI.
Cool driverless bus A bus door opens and you get on. Wait, where is the driver? Here is a new kind of driverless bus called Apolong. It can seat 14 people and doesn’t need a driver. The bus follows traffic rules. It stops every time it sees a stop light. | Your close friend Hi, everyone. I’m Xiao Bing, a chatbot(聊天机器人). I speak like a 17-year-old girl. If you feel lonely, you can talk with me. I’m good at singing, writing poems and telling stories. I want to be your friend! |
World’s first AI anchor Hey, look! The famous Chinese anchor(主播)Qiu Hao is reporting the news for us. But, is “he” really Qiu Hao? The answer is “no". This is the world’s first AI anchor. It looks and speaks just like a real person. It speaks both Chinese and English. It can work 24 hours without any mistakes. The AI anchor joins Xinhua’s reporting team. You might see it on TV soon. | Popular AI artist This beautiful painting was at an auction(拍卖)in 2018. It sold for about 3,000,000 yuan! But it is not a work by a famous painter, such as Vincent van Gogh. It was painted by an AI artist. Three Frenchmen created the AI. The AI artist studied over 15,000 paintings. In this way, it learned to paint. Now it is among the most popular artists in the world. |
| A．there is a driver in it | B．the door is opened by the passenger |
| C．there are 24 seats in it | D．it stops every time it sees a stop light |
| A．a work painted by Vincent van Gogh |
| B．worth about 3,000,000 yuan at an auction |
| C．studied by three French artists over 15,000 times |
| D．among the most beautiful paintings in the world |
| A．a guidebook | B．a notice | C．a novel | D．a newspaper |
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中选出最佳选项。
A
As prices and building costs keep rising, the “do-it-yourself” (DIY) trend (趋势) in the U.S. continues to grow.
“We needed furniture(家具) for our living room.” C, “and we just didn’t have enough money to buy it. So we decided to try making a few tables and chairs.” John got married six months ago, and like many young people these days, they are struggling to make a home at a time when the cost of living is very high. The Rosses took a 2-week course for $ 280 at a night school. Now they build all their furniture and make repairs around the house.
Jim Hatfield has three boys and his wife died. He has a full-time job at home as well as in a shoe making factory. Last month, he received a car repair bill for $ 420. “I was deeply upset about it. Now I’ve finished a car repair course, I should be able to fix the car by myself.”
John and Jim are not unusual people. Most families in the country are doing everything they can to save money so they can fight the high cost of living. If you want to become a “do-it-yourself”, you can go to DIY classes. And for those who don’t have time to take a course, there are books that tell you how you can do things yourself.
1. We can learn from the text that many newly married people _______.
| A．find it hard to pay for what they need |
| B．have to learn to make their own furniture. |
| C．take DIY courses run by the government. |
| D．seldom go to a department store to buy things |
| A．run a DIY shop | B．make or repair things |
| C．save time and money | D．improve the quality of life. |
| A．makes shoes in his home | B．does extra work at night |
| C．does his own car and home repairs | D．keeps house and looks after his children |
| A．his car repairs cost too much | B．the car repair class was not helpful |
| C．he could no possible do two job | D．he had to raise the children by himself |
【推荐3】Every year, there are some inventions that make our life so much easier, smarter. You’ll find the new inventions below are brilliant, and some of them are a little fun.
Voice - Activated Lights $ 70
About 50 percent of people in the United Kingdom admitted to keeping the lights on when they leave the house. The sad reality is that sometimes we forget to turn the lights off and other times, we’re just too lazy to walk over to the light switch. But there’s a simple solution: Voice - activated light switches. If you own a Google Assistant, then these automated lights will connect to your smart device so you can command them to dim, stay on for a specified period of time, or just turn off completely.
A Scent-Based Alarm Clock $ 59
Who wants the noisy beeping of an alarm clock waking them up every morning and starting their day off on the wrong foot? We believe, nobody. This special alarm clock replaces that sharp sound with a calming melody-oh, and a pleasant smell. Think: freshly ground coffee, freshly mown grass, and the fresh scent of flowers.
A Mug with a Customizable Temperature $ 80
Drinking boiled hot coffee is no fun - it may burn your mouth. Luckily, one company has come up with a solution for liquids that are too hot for a long time. They designed a mug that allows you to choose your ideal liquid temperature, and their technology will maintain the temperature as you sip leisurely. The mug is so high - tech that you can even connect it to your phone and it will keep you updated on the status of the temperature.
An Instant Voice Translator $ 85
Since many kinds of languages are spoken, being bilingual is a valuable skill. Most of us don’t exactly have the time on our hands to learn that many languages, so the next -best thing is this device that will translate over thirty-two languages in real time. One person tested the device and stated that it is “simple and readily understood, with proper information on word synonyms.”
1. Which of the following can give off the pleasant smell?| A．Voice - Activated Lights. | B．A Scent - Based Alarm Clock. |
| C．A Mug with a Customizable Temperature. | D．An Instant Voice Translator. |
| A．can communicate with people | B．can test a person’s language ability |
| C．offers translation in many languages | D．helps improve a person’s spoken skills |
| A．a fashion magazine | B．a new technology website |
| C．a science textbook | D．a health research report |
【推荐1】Years ago, students applying to colleges and universities had to have their applications and personal essays printed out and then send them by ordinary mail. Flash forward to today’s world of Facebook, Instagram and WeChat, where photos, videos and mobile phones rule, and several new tools are making it easier for college applicants to use technology to show off their personalities, skills and creativity.
ZEEMEE
One of the more popular innovations in college applications is ZeeMee, a free mobile app that allows students to upload personal profiles and videos to create visual resumes. More than 220 colleges and universities offer the ZeeMee option as part of the application process. The video can show the unique creative aspects of the applicants.
THE COALITION LOCKER
Another relatively new tool comes from the Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success, now used by more than 110 member colleges and universities. Among the group’s stated goals are getting students engaged in college preparation early and using technology to create a supportive application process that encourages reflection and self-discovery.
Students who sign up for the free platform get access to a digital “Locker”, which they can use all through high school to save class papers, artwork, newspaper stories, videos and photos to share with colleges when they eventually apply.
KIRA TALENT
At some schools, an interview with an admission officer is an important part of the application process. To make it easier, several virtual interviewing tools have appeared, such as the video-based platform — Kira Talent. More than 140 universities worldwide use Kira Talent’s video assessment tool to conduct real-time interviews with students. During the interview, candidates are shown the questions prerecorded by the particular school and must respond in real time by talking to the camera on their laptops or phones. In addition to showing their ability, applicants should speak fluently in English and think on their feet, which helps admission officers determine the “motivation, commitment and drive” of them.
UNIQUE SCHOOL TOOLS
Some universities have come up with their own ways to allow students to show their skills and personalities. For example, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology encourages applicants to display their technical abilities and creativity by submitting a “Maker Portfolio” — a written or videotaped description of a project that shows creative and problem-solving skills. The project could be anything from an origami design to a potato cannon.
1. Which of the following gives students more guidance during their high school?| A．ZEEMEE. | B．THE COALITION LOCKER. |
| C．KIRA TALENT. | D．UNIQUE SCHOOL TOOLS. |
| A．The video interview. | B．The description. |
| C．The application. | D．The student’s ability. |
| A．Creativity. | B．Braveness. |
| C．Willingness to share. | D．Personal commitment. |
【推荐2】Mountain gorillas (大猩猩) have been caught on camera as they“sing”during their supper,a behavior that has never before been documented on video. Filmmakers shot the astonishing footage of gorillas with the help from a very special camera: a robotic“spy”designed to look like a young gorilla.
Creating a realistic robot spy that could fool a gorilla means designing a face that is mobile and expressive, particularly around the eyes. “ Eye communication is very important among gorillas," said“Spy in the Wild" producer Matt Gordon.“You'll see in the film the gorillas came straight over to our spy gorilla and looked right into its eyes. So we made sure that the gorilla had the most amount of detail put into the face.”
Infiltrating communities of animals that live in groups requires a robot to smell like its animal subjects in order to get close to them, Sometimes animal waste is applied to the robot to allow it to be accepted into the group.
One tricky challenge for the gorilla robot is that it has to pass inspection by the chief male.“We wanted to make sure that we were not being threatening,so we avoided the stare of our spy gorilla ,”Gordon said. This display of obedience (顺从) convinced the male that the robot wasn't a danger; he then signaled to the troop that it was safe for them to take a closer look at the "stranger".
The robot was also able to beat its chest to respond to a baby gorilla' s chest- beating, allowing the filmmakers to shoot a rare sight of their playtime. “A young gorilla came over and beat its chest. For a baby gorilla, that means‘I want to play' ,and if our gorilla was lifeless, not moving, the gorilla would have lost interest. But our spy gorilla was able to beat its chest too,” Gordon said.
1. Why was the robotic spy made?| A．To record the songs gorillas sang at supper. | B．To produce a film called Spy in the Wild. |
| C．To test the spy's ability to communicate. | D．To study the environment gorillas live in. |
| A．Fitting in. | B．Focusing on. | C．Playing with, | D．Learning about. |
| A．By avoiding staring at the chief. | B．By beating its chest like a baby. |
| C．By putting some waste on itself. | D．By signaling to other gorillas. |
| A．Unusual daily behavior of mountain gorillas. |
| B．Scientific research on living habits of gorillas. |
| C．The procedures for making a robotic gorilla. |
| D．Ways to make a robotic spy close to gorillas. |
【推荐3】Helping yourself to a cup of coffee may seem like a small, everyday thing. But it is not the case if you are quadriplegic (四肢瘫瘓) . Quadriplegics have lost the use of all four limbs. Thanks to a project organized by John Donoghue of Brown University, in Rhode Island, and his colleagues, quadriplegics have hope.
One of the participants in his experiments, a 58-year-old woman who is unable to use any of her limbs, can now pick up a bottle containing coffee and bring it close enough to her mouth to drink from it using a straw. She does so using a thought-controlled robotics arm fixed to a nearby stand. It is the first time she has managed something like that since she suffered a stroke, nearly 15 years ago.
Arms are more complex pieces of machinery than legs, so controlling them via electrodes (多波段电极) attached to the skin of someone's scalp (头皮) is not yet possible. Instead, brain actively has to be recorded directly. And that is what Dr. Donoghue is doing. Dr. Donoghue and his team have had small, multichannel electrodes implanted in the parts of the motor cortexes (运动皮质) of participants' brains associated with hand movements.
Dr. Donoghue and his team decoded signals from their participants' brains as they were asked to imagine controlling a robotic arm making present movements. The woman and other volunteers were then encouraged to operate one of two robot arms by thinking about the movements they wanted to happen. When the software controlling the arms detected the signals concerned, the arms moved properly. The arm that the woman used to help herself to a drink is a lightweight device developed by DLR, German's Aerospace Centre, as part of its robotics program.
Dr. Donoghue and his colleagues have thus shown that a mechanical arm can be controlled remotely by the brain of a person with paralysis. Controlling an arm that is attached to the individual's body will be thicker, but in time even that may be possible. In the meantime, a robotic arm attached to a wheelchair will be a real boon. For people who have little or no ability to move their arms, Dr. Donoghue's work promises liberation in the form of daily action that the able-bodied take for granted.
1. Which is true according to the passage?| A．The woman is encouraged to control the mechanical arm by moving her body. |
| B．The woman in the experiment drinks a bottle of coffee with a robotic arm attached to her scalp. |
| C．Thanks to the research by Dr. Donoghue and his colleagues, a quadriplegic woman can get herself a drink. |
| D．The robotic arm the woman used is remotely controlled by DLR. |
| A．optimistic. | B．critical . |
| C．controversial. | D．negative. |
| A．bargain | B．benefit |
| C．arm | D．ability |
| A．Quadriplegics can use the artificial limbs developed by Dr. Donoghue and lead a good life by themselves. |
| B．The newly developed thought-controlled robotic arms can help the quadriplegics in their daily life. |
| C．Scientists have invented a kind of robotic arm attached to the individual's body. |
| D．A quadriplegic can be on his feet again due to the new invention. |
