1 . Imagine you can open your fridge, open an app on your phone and immediately know which items will go bad soon. This is one of the applications that a new technology developed by engineers at the University of California San Diego would enable.
The technology combines a chip (芯片) integrated into product packaging and a software update on your phone. The phone becomes capable of identifying objects based on signals the chip sends out from specific frequencies, in this case Bluetooth or WiFi. In an industrial setting, a smartphone equipped with the software update could be used as a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader.
The work uses breakthroughs in backscatter (反向散射) communication, which uses signals already generated by your smartphone and re-directs them back in a format your phone can understand. Effectively, this technique uses less power than the latest technology to generate WiFi signals.
The custom chip, which is roughly the size of a grain of sand and costs only a few pennies to produce, needs so little power that it can be entirely powered by LTE signals, a technique for wireless broadband communication for mobile devices. The chip turns Bluetooth signals into WiFi signals, which can in turn be detected by a smartphone with that specific software update.
The technology’s broader promise is the development of devices that do not need batteries because they can harvest power from LTE signals instead. This in turn would lead to devices that are significantly less expensive that last longer, said Dinesh Bharadia, one of the paper’s senior authors.
“E-waste, especially batteries, is one of the biggest problems the planet is facing, after climate change,” Bharadia said.
For future research, the team will integrate this technology into other projects to demonstrate its capabilities, and they also hope to commercialize it, either through a startup or through an industry partner.
1. How does the chip interact with the phone?A.By providing power for the phone. | B.By producing LTE signals for the phone. |
C.By giving Bluetooth signals to the phone. | D.By sending WiFi signals back to the phone. |
A.Reducing e-waste. | B.Making batteries cheap. |
C.Supplying power to LTE signals. | D.Decreasing the cost of LTE signals. |
2 . When “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” was first shown to the public last month, a group of excited animal activists gathered on Hollywood Boulevard. But they weren’t there to throw red paint on fur-coat-wearing film stars. Instead, one activist, dressed in a full-body monkey suit, had arrived with a sign praising the filmmakers: “Thanks for not using real apes (猿)!”
The creative team behind “Apes” used motion-capture (动作捕捉) technology to create digitalized animals, spending tens of millions of dollars on technology that records an actor’s performance and later processes it with computer graphics to create a final image (图像). In this case, one of a realistic-looking ape.
Yet “Apes” is more exception than the rule. In fact, Hollywood has been hot on live animals lately. One nonprofit organization, which monitors the treatment of animals in filmed entertainment, is keeping tabs on more than 2,000 productions this year. Already, a number of films, including “Water for Elephants,” “The Hangover Part Ⅱ” and “Zookeeper,” have drawn the anger of activists who say the creatures acting in them haven’t been treated properly.
In some cases, it’s not so much the treatment of the animals on set in the studio that has activists worried; it’s the off-set training and living conditions that are raising concerns. And there are questions about the films made outside the States, which sometimes are not monitored as closely as productions filmed in the States.
What can we infer from the last paragraph about animal actors?A.They may be badly treated. |
B.They should take further training. |
C.They could be traded illegally |
D.They would lose popularity. |
3 . When “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” was first shown to the public last month, a group of excited animal activists gathered on Hollywood Boulevard. But they weren’t there to throw red paint on fur-coat-wearing film stars. Instead, one activist, dressed in a full-body monkey suit, had arrived with a sign praising the filmmakers: “Thanks for not using real apes (猿)!”
The creative team behind “Apes” used motion-capture (动作捕捉) technology to create digitalized animals, spending tens of millions of dollars on technology that records an actor’s performance and later processes it with computer graphics to create a final image (图像). In this case, one of a realistic-looking ape.
Yet “Apes” is more exception than the rule. In fact, Hollywood has been hot on live animals lately. One nonprofit organization, which monitors the treatment of animals in filmed entertainment, is keeping tabs on more than 2,000 productions this year. Already, a number of films, including “Water for Elephants,” “The Hangover Part Ⅱ” and “Zookeeper,” have drawn the anger of activists who say the creatures acting in them haven’t been treated properly.
In some cases, it’s not so much the treatment of the animals on set in the studio that has activists worried; it’s the off-set training and living conditions that are raising concerns. And there are questions about the films made outside the States, which sometimes are not monitored as closely as productions filmed in the States.
Why did the animal activists gather on Hollywood Boulevard?A.To see famous film stars. |
B.To oppose wearing fur coats. |
C.To raise money for animal protection. |
D.To express thanks to some filmmakers. |
4 . You’ve heard that plastic is polluting the oceans — between 4.8 and 12.7 million tonnes enter ocean ecosystems every year. But does one plastic straw or cup really make a difference? Artist Benjamin Von Wong wants you to know that it does. He builds massive sculptures out of plastic garbage, forcing viewers to re-examine their relationship to single-use plastic products.
At the beginning of the year, the artist built a piece called “Strawpocalypse,” a pair of 10-foot-tall plastic waves, frozen mid-crash. Made of 168,000 plastic straws collected from several volunteer beach cleanups, the sculpture made its first appearance at the Estella Place shopping center in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Just 9% of global plastic waste is recycled. Plastic straws are by no means the biggest source (来源) of plastic pollution, but they’ve recently come under fire because most people don’t need them to drink with and, because of their small size and weight, they cannot be recycled. Every straw that’s part of Von Wong’s artwork likely came from a drink that someone used for only a few minutes. Once the drink is gone, the straw will take centuries to disappear.
In a piece from 2018, Von Wong wanted to illustrate (说明) a specific statistic: Every 60 seconds, a truckload’s worth of plastic enters the ocean. For this work, titled “Truckload of Plastic,” Von Wong and a group of volunteers collected more than 10,000 pieces of plastic, which were then tied together to look like they’d been dumped (倾倒) from a truck all at once.
Von Wong hopes that his work will also help pressure big companies to reduce their plastic footprint.
What effect would “Truckload of Plastic” have on viewers?A.Calming. |
B.Disturbing. |
C.Refreshing. |
D.Challenging. |
5 .
Life without access to energy is simply miserable. Accessing energy is the single most important factor in improving the lives of individuals and increasing the economic opportunities available in their communities. Access to lighting transforms education from outdoors during the day, to indoors and anytime! A simple refrigerator can transform a fruit stand to a grocery store. Reliable electricity allows businesses to stay open and ultimately provides the cornerstone that allows industries to form.
There is a dominant school of thought that energy access can be achieved around the world with only carbon-free sources. This paradigm envisions effectively “leapfrogging” traditional development patterns, skipping industrialization, and transforming economies with green energy and a service economy. While compelling in theory, this vision lacks several critical factors; the need to manufacture the goods that will build the economy, the scalability of energy sources, and the affordability of that energy.
This transformation is currently underway and its progress is inevitable. The urgency is created by individuals current, difficult conditions and the availability of abundant, affordable energy, particularly coal. All new energy demand will come from the developing world. Without a thoughtful conversation about the projected doubling of world energy demand, energy consumption will continue as it is currently underway, in two parallel paths. One path prioritizes carbon-free sources, and sets goals and policies that incentivize those. The other path responds to the supply and demand inherent in a world economy and is resulting in the massive development of coal-fired electricity generation.
The reality of energy development can be summarized in the example of India’s projected energy development. By 2022, India is planning 100 GW of new solar and a relatively tiny 50 MW of new coal. However, a simple calculation of the likely emissions of these two new sources of energy conducted by a colleague at Stanford indicates that if all this new electricity generation came from natural gas, the result would be 20 percent fewer emissions. This is a conversation worth having.
Although not a carbon-free source, natural gas has a transformative role to play in the energizing of developing nations. Abundantly available around the world, and more transportable than ever, a world natural gas market is creating a more stable, affordable supply. As an electricity generation fuel, it is both a base load alternative to coal and a backup for renewable generation. In this capacity, natural gas provides carbon and non-carbon air emissions benefits. When used as a transportation fuel, natural gas provides significant air quality benefit to traditional fuels and can be equally affordable. When deployed as a cooking fuel, liquefied petroleum gas(LPG), provides dramatic health benefits and could reduce the unnecessary 4 million annual deaths attributed to cooking over inefficient, biomass fuels. As an economic cornerstone, natural gas can empower industrial development as a chemical feed-stock fertilizer component, direct energy source, and electricity provider.
1. Which of the following is the view of the dominant school?A.We must actively develop manufacturing industry to promote economic development. |
B.Energy affordability should be fully considered in the process of economic development |
C.Developed countries don't have to worry about energy because of overcapacity. |
D.Only carbon-free sources can achieve energy access in the world. |
A.Because of insufficient availability energy supply. |
B.Because of rapid population growth. |
C.Because of huge consumption of renewable energy. |
D.Because of serious environmental pollution. |
A.Natural gas resources are abundant all over the world. |
B.Natural gas is not only a substitute for coal but a renewable energy. |
C.Natural gas is good for the air as a traditional fuel. |
D.Natural gas can be used to promote industrial development. |
A.Traditional heating water to cook rice can be life-threatening. |
B.Natural gas is a kind of carbon-free energy. |
C.Energy consumption can only continue in the same way as before. |
D.Reducing energy poverty is the common goal of mankind. |
6 . A RCHAEOLOGISTS have recently made some stunning discoveries at the famed Sanxingdui Ruins site in Sichuan province.
A treasure trove of bronze, gold and jade wares have been uncovered from the site’s six pits. At least 10 of the bronze wares in the trove have never been seen in the history of human civilization.
Researchers described a bronze box with a piece of green jade ware inside of it as the highlight of the 10 relics. The top and bottom of the vessel are covered with turtle shell-shaped lids, each of which resembles a net. And the sides of the box are decorated with dragon head-shaped handles and a few bronze streamers (饰带).
“It would not be an exaggeration to say that the vessel is one of a kind, given its distinctive shape, fine craftsmanship and clever design,” said Professor Li Haichao at Sichuan University. “Although we do not know what this vessel was used for, we can assume that ancient people treasured it.”
Another new find from the past was a bronze altar nearly 0.9 meters tall, upon which researchers believe the people of the Shu civilization made offerings to heaven, earth and their ancestors.
......
1. Which of the following vessels is the most impressive?A.A bronze box. | B.A jade ware. |
C.A bronze streamer. | D.A green zun. |
A.Offering heaven and earth. | B.Honoring their ancestors. |
C.Putting sacrificial offerings. | D.Showcasing Shu civilization. |
7 . At a conference on self-driving cars, Mike Harp, a government official, asked a seemingly simple question about what happens when his own car meets a driver-less vehicle. “If I honk(按喇叭), will it do any good?” Harp wanted to know. Unfortunately, manufacturers didn't have an answer. “We haven’t reached that point of deciding how and whether it would be appropriate for vehicles to react and in which way to honking,” said one of them. The brief exchange highlights a thorn in the side of automakers and policymakers alike: Self-driving cars will have to share the road with human drivers, likely for decades to come. Those vehicles must therefore respond and adapt to the peculiarities and mistakes of humans behind wheel.
Self-driving technology has already come a long way. Cars being tested on the road today use cameras and radar, for example, to detect the movements of nearby cyclists and pedestrians. There are already driver-assist technologies built into some cars that monitor the speed of vehicles around you, detect potential accidents before they occur, and automatically slow or stop the car to avoid a wreck. In a world where all cars drive themselves, the technology could operate at peak efficiency. Supporters of self-driving cars say that speed limits could be raised and fatal crashes largely avoided as no traffic laws are broken and poor drivers become a thing of the past.
But the change to driver-less vehicles is expected to be gradual, and will likely start with ride-sharing services, as the costs of personally owning a self-driving car remain extremely high. That means man and machine will have to play nice on roadways. “There are so many interesting situations,” such as honking a horn, Harp said. When “another car with a driver meets a self-driving car without a driver in there and they realize that, it will frighten some people. How that’s going to be dealt with will be part of the fun part of this process.
Any driver can tell you that driving involves a lot of social interaction, particularly the hand gestures and eye contact of fellow drivers. Much of that interaction between drivers will eventually be digital as cars increasingly collect data and share it with the vehicles around them. If a car speeds up, slows down or prepares for a stop, for example, that would be communicated immediately and electronically to the other vehicles on the road. Like self-driving technology however, it will be years before the vehicle-to-vehicle communication is common.
That challenge is being taken into account as driver-less vehicles are tested on public roads. But the honking issue is particularly tricky because it’s subject to interpretation. It’s going to be really hard for a driver-less vehicle, even if it hears the honk, to figure out what that honk means.
1. In paragraph 1, “a thorn” refers to ____________.A.the issue that human drivers have peculiarities and make mistakes |
B.the prediction that self-driving cars will be common in the future |
C.the fact that driver-less cars co-exist with cars driven by humans |
D.the technology that ensures driver-less cars are safe on the road |
A.Most people don’t advocate self-driving technology |
B.Inter-vehicle communication is superior to inter-personal interaction |
C.Social interaction will decrease among drivers behind the wheel |
D.More data is needed to make self-driving technology a reality much sooner |
A.A car communicates its speed to the other vehicles |
B.A driver-less ear is likely to frighten human drivers |
C.Speed limits are raised in a world of self-driving cars |
D.Car cameras and radar are used to detect moving people. |
A.The simple question about self-driving cars we still can’t answer |
B.A golden opportunity for driver-less cars we can’t afford to miss |
C.Hidden secrets of self-driving cars we can’t reveal |
D.Potential risks of driver-less cars we can’t ignore |
8 . On a bright September day in the French Alps in 2022, John McAvoy was 38 kilometres into a very exhausting ultramarathon through rough mountain paths. Battling tiredness, he pushed his body and mind through the final leg of the race. With the finish arch in the famous town of Chamonix just four kilometres away and the cloud-topped peak of Mont Blanc high over him, McAvoy welled up with emotion.
In that moment, he felt so free and alive. It was quite the opposite from where his life had been a decade before. He had just been released from prison after serving a 10-year sentence.
Now 40 years old, McAvoy has spent the last 10 years rebuilding his life from one of crime to one with purpose. It was on this day, while running the ultramarathon, that he realized how impactful conquering (征服) this mountain run could be for inner-city kids like him. After all, sport had helped him live a normal life again and open up his world. It could do the same for others.
With the help of Youth Beyond Borders, McAvoy started the Alpine Run Project, which recently led 12 disadvantaged British young people through their own Mont Blanc races. The participants, from refugees (难民) to young reformed criminals and those who grew up in Children’s home, were matched with coaches, consultants and physiotherapists. After a six-month training program, the youth travelled to the Alps to meet up with McAvoy for their race.
McAvoy says the highlight of this project for him was watching Yasmin Mahamud, a 20-year-old refugee from Syria, run through the finish arch and into the arms of her new friends. It was a life-changing high for Mahamud, too-inspiring her to keep running, take up martial arts and go to university to study physiotherapy.
“It changed my point of view on life, says Mahamud. Pushing herself to complete the race gave her a brief experience of her own potential through hard work and devotion.” I will always be thankful to John for giving me this opportunity and guidance.
1. How did McAvoy feel before the finish arch?A.He felt totally collapsed. | B.He was peaceful and hopeful. |
C.He was satisfied with his pace. | D.He felt as if completely reborn. |
A.He was a builder 10 years ago. | B.He realized the importance of sport. |
C.He ran to make up for his past wrongs. | D.He had sympathy for the inner-city children. |
A.A running coach. | B.A travel lover. | C.A homeless teenager. | D.A skilled athlete. |
A.Live for the moment. | B.Dream big and climb high. |
C.After the storm comes the rainbow. | D.Run after the light and become the light. |
9 . This fall marks a new chapter for the hundreds of students on Carthage College campus. And it’s an especially memorable
Samantha Malczewski,19, said that when she learned her mom and her grandmother would be joining her and her younger sister Mia Carter, the
Carter had an inkling (略知) their mom Amy Malczewski and grandmother Christy Schwan were interested in going back to school. Amy has a special
Meanwhile, when Schwan, 71, heard of her ‘daughter’s
“My
In a statement, Carthage College
A.dream | B.site | C.ceremony | D.time |
A.taking | B.starting | C.welcoming | D.seeing |
A.news | B.chance | C.arrangement. | D.wonder |
A.like | B.remember | C.expect | D.consider |
A.access | B.connection | C.regret | D.sympathy |
A.remain | B.visit | C.cooperate | D.register |
A.plan | B.approval | C.expression | D.description |
A.gave up | B.was drawn to | C.lacked skill in | D.worried about |
A.obtaining | B.finishing | C.pursuing | D.continuing |
A.talented | B.previous | C.influential | D.nontraditional |
A.lesson | B.advice | C.warning | D.decision |
A.go | B.pay | C.apply | D.wait |
A.stop | B.stay | C.struggle | D.hesitate |
A.pleasure | B.safety | C.comfort | D.luck |
A.applauded | B.contacted | C.encouraged | D.received |
10 . For the past five years, Paula Smith, a historian of science, has devoted herself to re-creating long-forgotten techniques. While doing research for her new book, she came across a 16th-century French manuscript (手稿) consisting of nearly 1,000 sets of instructions, covering subjects from tool making to finding the best sand.
The author’s intention remains as mysterious (神秘) as his name; he may have been simply taking notes for his own records. But Smith was struck mainly by the fact that she didn’t truly grasp any of the skills the author described. “You simply can’t get an understanding of that handwork by reading about it,” she says.
Though Smith did get her hands on the best sand, doing things the old-fashioned way isn’t just about playing around with French mud. Reconstructing the work of the craftsmen (工匠) who lived centuries ago can reveal how they viewed the world, what objects filled their homes, and what went on in the workshops that produced them. It can even help solve present-day problems: In 2015, scientists discovered that a 10th-century English medicine for eve problems could kill a drug-resistant virus.
The work has also brought insights for museums, Smith says. One must know how an object was made in order to preserve it. What’s more, reconstructions might be the only way to know what treasures looked like before time wore them down. Scholars have seen this idea in practice with ancient Greek and Roman statues. These sculptures were painted a rainbow of striking colours. We can’t appreciate these kinds of details without seeing works of art as they originally appeared-something Smith believes you can do only when you have a road map.
Smith has put the manuscript’s ideas into practice. Her final goal is to link the worlds of art and science back together: She believes that bringing the old recipes to life can help develop a kind of learning that highlights experimentation, teamwork, and problem solving.
Back when science — then called “the new philosophy” — took shape, academics looked to craftsmen for help in understanding the natural world. Microscopes and telescopes were invented by way of artistic tinkering (修补), as craftsmen experimented with glass to better bend light.
“If we can rediscover the values of hands-on experience and craftwork,” Smith says, “we can marry the best of our modern insights with the handiness of our ancestors.”
According to Smith, the reconstruction work is done mainly to ________.A.restore old workshops |
B.understand the craftsmen |
C.improve visual effects |
D.inspire the philosophers |