1 . Independent living at home is the ideal for every aging person. But a fall or other health-threatening incidents can change everything rapidly.
The wearable “panic buttons” introduced in the late 1980s were a great advance. But they only work if people actually wear them and can reach the button in an emergency. Today there are passive wearables that automatically detect falls, and camera-based systems to monitor elder safety.
Coming from a 40-year career in the semiconductor and wireless communication field, Rafi Zack decided to find a better alternative. “People aren’t devoted to wearing small devices 24/7, and camera-based systems are an invasion（侵犯）of privacy,” he points out, “The most challenging aspect is a fall. How fast we can detect a fall matters because the medical situation worsens quickly. Sometimes people stay on the floor for a long time. We have to find out how to solve that problem.”
Zack is a co-founder, CEO and vice president of R&D at EchoCare Technologies which has developed ECHO (Elderly Care Home Observer), a cloud-connected monitor based on radar technology and machine learning.
Because radar sees through walls, one ECHO unit fixed on the ceiling or wall can monitor one person (or two persons, in a future version) in a standard-sized apartment in a senior living facility. The device detects falls, breathing difficulties, drowning in a bathtub and other dangerous events. It gives out warnings to potential health worsening conditions by continuously monitoring and analyzing the person’s location, posture（姿势）, motion and breath. EchoCare tested the device in the United States, Japan, Australia and Israel. ECHO was certified（认证）in 2019 in Japan with the most aging population in the world.
“Bathrooms were the main testing area where about 17,000 deadly accidents happen annually.” said SMK Director and Executive Vice President Tetsuo Hara. “Bathroom makers, home security service providers and nursing homes are highly interested in EchoCare’s solution.” Zack noted, “As more and more elder people live alone as a result of social distancing, there is an increased need to monitor them without the burden of wearables or privacy-invading cameras.”
1. What’s the advantage of ECHO over “panic buttons”?| A．It has camera-based systems. | B．It has been widely accepted. |
| C．It can function without cameras. | D．Its buttons can be easily reached. |
| A．It is designed to send out warnings regularly. |
| B．It monitors dangerous health-related events. |
| C．It was certified in many developed countries. |
| D．It detects more than one person at the same time. |
| A．It’ll become more popular with the elderly. |
| B．It’ll stop 17,000 deaths happening annually. |
| C．It’ll be used in nursing homes and hospitals. |
| D．It’ll help elderly people to live an active life. |
| A．An Advanced Medical Instrument |
| B．A High-tech Monitor for the Elderly |
| C．The Invention of a Healthcare Device |
| D．The Improvement of a Medical Facility |
2 . What is talent? Are you born with it? Or does it seem to develop over time? Before I start, I’d like to say that one thing everyone agrees on is that the most skilled musicians have worked hard to get there.
While it’s true that a few of us had enough “talent” to avoid extra practice to do just as well as those who did, those who worked hard easily beat us. It is, in fact, very likely that if some of us “talented ones” had actually been practicing and improving our skill, we would have achieved a whole different level.
Another aspect of talent seems to be heart and passion (酷爱). The people I see who are the most talented musicians are crazy about music. They eat, breathe, and live music and they make an extraordinary effort to make it part of their lives. As Remus Badea said, desire for the musician-to-be is significant for them to be successful. This desire is easily found in those considered to be talented. When you want and love something so bad, it drives you and your entire character can be shaped around it. Such determined passion seems to produce incredible skill and talent.
The third aspect (方面) of talent is having talent around you. When surrounded by talented musicians, it only seems natural that you start to catch up to their level Take a look at almost any group of musicians in history. The more talented people in the group the more talented the group is as a whole. A great example of this is the relationship between audio producer and artist. The artist turns up to the studio with their song, and as they work through recording it, the audio producer will often suggest various changes to the song to make it better.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 2?| A．Pride goes before a fall. |
| B．It’s never too old to learn. |
| C．Practice contributes to talent. |
| D．Talent determines achievements. |
| A．Passion. | B．Character . | C．Skill. | D．Talent. |
| A．To introduce what real talents are. |
| B．To explain how a song is composed. |
| C．To prove talents need team spirit. |
| D．To show the benefits of being with talents. |
| A．Music has no limits. |
| B．Musicians are born with talent. |
| C．Music favors the talented. |
| D．Musicians are created, not born. |
3 . The use of AI (artificial intelligence) is becoming more common in many branches of industry and online shopping. Traditional lines of work, such as goods transport and driving, are developing in a similar direction although mainly out of public view. Scientists at the University of Göttingen have now investigated how efficient (高效的) the use of AI can be in the commercial management of trucks.
“Digital applications—as well as machine leaning, a kind of AI—are increasingly applied to operations and courses in the transport area,” explains Professor Matthias Klumpp from the Faculty of Economics. “The question in the commercial area, however, is whether or not this contributes to achieving goals.”
To answer this question, the researchers compared the work efficiency of truck drivers with their main use of AI applications. Looking at trade delivery by truck, they studied three groups: the first drove completely following human decision-making models; the second used a combination of human and machine; and the third depended completely on fully automated decisions.
The researchers found that an intelligent combination of human work and decision-making abilities with AI applications promises the highest transport and driving efficiency. “On average, the second group achieved the most efficient transport trips, with the fewest interventions (干预) and off-course from the best path.” one researcher said, “Clearly, neither a completely human decision-making structure nor a fully automated driving system can promise to meet current goods transport requirements.” The scientists therefore summarized that despite the progress of AI in the field of transportation by truck, human experience and decision-making abilities will still be necessary in the longer term. However, the challenge is that a wide range of training and qualification (资格) needs will come along by working with Al applications, especially for simple goods transport activities.
1. What does Matthias Klumpp focus on?| A．The efficiency of AI. |
| B．The advantages of AI. |
| C．The problems caused by AI. |
| D．The wide applications of AI. |
| A．By providing examples. |
| B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By using different trucks. |
| D．By listing three experiments. |
| A．Al is better at making decisions. |
| B．A balance is needed between human and AI. |
| C．Human will soon be replaced by AI in driving. |
| D．Al applications meet the current requirements. |
| A．The future of transport. |
| B．Artificial intelligence as a co-driver. |
| C．Artificial intelligence-a better choice in driving. |
| D．The strengths of artificial intelligence in transport. |
4 . No matter where you go around the globe, everybody loves to celebrate. And when it comes to celebration, festivals offer something for everyone.
Mardi Gras （New Orleans, Louisiana）
Also known as Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras in New Orleans is a cultural event. Though the celebration
is held every year on the day before Ash Wednesday, the festivities last for months, banning in November throughout January and early February. And if you love music, check out the annual Galactic concert at the world-famous Tipitina’s on Lundi Gras (the day before Mardi Gras).
La Tomatina （Valencia, Spain）
Launched way back in 1945, La Tomatina is one of the oldest festivals on our list. It's also easily the happiest but the messiest, coming off like the world's biggest food fight.
Legend has it that the whole thing started when some local boys joined a parade alongside musicians. The boys made the performers so angry that they tried hit the boys, and a vendor's (小摊贩)vegetable stand fell victim to the incident.
If you go, please follow some simple rules: Don't throw hard objects, squash the tomato before throwing it, stay a safe distance away from tomato trucks, and stop in time.
Montreux Jazz Festival （Switzerland）
Founded back in 1967, Montreux is one of the oldest music festivals in the world. It's also the second largest jazz festival, after the Montreal International Jazz Festival. That Canadian concert may attract more visitors-around 2 million annually. But Montreux benefits from its pretty location on the attractive shores of Lake Geneva. The area is particularly beautiful in late June/early July, when the festival is held.
1. When is Galactic concert held?| A．On Mardi Gras. | B．On Lundi Gras. |
| C．On Montreux Jazz Festival. | D．On La Tomatina. |
| A．Punish naughty boys. | B．Enjoy musicians' performance. |
| C．Throw tomatoes without hurting. | D．Catch people who destroy tomatoes. |
| A．News report. | B．Academic journal. |
| C．Conceit brochure. | D．Travel magazine. |
5 . Bikes are the most common means of transportation in our daily life, but have you ever noticed that a man’s bike is quite different from a woman’s bike? The traditional difference between a man’s bike and a woman’s bike is the top tube design. A man’s bike would have a top tube going straight from the top of the head tube to the top of the seat tube, while a woman’s bike would have a top tube that connected to the seat tube somewhere lower down. This was originally to make it possible to ride a bike while wearing a skirt without exposing any morally offending body parts while mounting the bike. A consequence of this is that traditional women’s frames are weaker than men’s, which is why performance-oriented bikes all look the same regardless of the gender of the rider.
If you’re looking for a performance-based difference, then women often have shorter upper bodies and arms than men, so some manufacturers adapt to that by building frames with shorter top tubes. Others merely think a “cute” paint scheme (组合) on the smaller sizes of their standard frames will be called a woman’s bike. Do note that the difference from one person to another can easily be bigger than the differences between the man’s bike and the woman’s bike standard. There are also a few other ways of fitting a bike to the rider. For example, handlebars can be replaced for some adjustments of riding position.
While it’s nice to have a well-fitting bike, for an ordinary rider it’s not as important for a MTB (山地车) as it is for a road bike. On a MTB the rider spends more time out of the saddle (鞍). While riding a road bike the rider spends more time on the saddle, so the position has to fit better. And if it’s just for wandering around the block, then most riders would prefer a “woman’s” bike. They will usually provide a more upright riding position, which is more comfortable for casual riding.
1. What is the traditional difference between a man’s bike and a woman’s bike?| A．The design of paint. |
| B．The design of saddle. |
| C．The design of top tube. |
| D．The design of handlebars. |
| A．To improve its safety. |
| B．To decrease its weight. |
| C．To make it more comfortable to ride. |
| D．To avoid exposing some of the riders’ body parts. |
| A．A woman’s bike is much cheaper. |
| B．A woman’s bike is easier to control. |
| C．A woman’s bike is more fashionable. |
| D．A woman’s bike is more comfortable. |
| A．The Safer, The Better |
| B．How to Choose Your Own Bike |
| C．Differences Between Man’s Bikes And Woman’s Bikes |
| D．Let’s Protect The Environment by Riding Bikes Every Day |
6 . In 2012, Miyashita, a scientist at Meiji University in Tokyo, developed an “electric fork” that was originally intended to improve the flavor of hospital food—the idea being to make food taste saltier, for instance, without actually adding salt.
That was an early step for Miyashita, who had bigger plans. His new invention, the Taste Display, could reproduce any flavor one might care to think of.
The human tongue has separate receptors for detecting sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami. Miyashita's device has five different gels (胶体),each containing an electrolyte solution (电解液) that causes the tongue to sense one of those flavors. Each gel is connected to a separate electric current, and the taste associated with that gel weakens when the current is turned up. By adjusting the current strengths for the gels, which can be done automatically, the taste of a chocolate milkshake or a sirloin steak or any other desired treat can be experienced through the use of this device.
The Taste Display initially took the form of a rod (棒) that resembles a hand —held microphone with a surface that s designed to be licked (舔) rather than talked into. But Miyashita already has an early version of a mask, which affords a user continuous contact with the flavor giving surface, as part of a virtual reality system. He also has developed a "lickable screen" that can be incorporated onto a cell phone, allowing a person to watch cooking shows while tasting various samples.
Miyashita is exploring a new way of taste recording perhaps through the use of a device that can be dipped into food, giving quick readouts of the flavors. A portable “salt meter” like this already exists, and it could be adapted to measure other flavors too. “Within 10 years,” he predicts, “we should be able to instantly record and reproduce taste information.”
1. What is Miyashita's new invention?| A．A salt—meter. | B．An electric fork. |
| C．A flavor reproducer. | D．An electrolyte solution. |
| A．How the new invention works. |
| B．What it is like to experience desired flavors. |
| C．What are the functions of the human tongue. |
| D．How to adjust the current strengths for the gels. |
| A．The mask. | B．The lickable screen. |
| C．The microphone like rod. | D．The taste producing gels. |
| A．He used to be a doctor. |
| B．He has a special taste for food. |
| C．He enjoys watching cooking shows. |
| D．He is an ambitious and creative person. |
7 . The practice of encouraging laughter with the sound of laughter itself dates back to the 16th century. During performances of Shakespearean plays, there were people who laughed at just the right moments. This would cause other members of the audience to laugh in a similar way, thus making the show seem funnier.
Centuries later, when comedy programs were popular on radio, the sound of a laughing audience was a natural part of performances that were aired live. To make sure his performances were aired at the same time in each time zone, actor Bing Crosby had his show prerecorded. Eventually, one of the show's writers realized that big laughs from old recordings could be added in to follow new jokes. So the world was introduced to canned laughter.
When TV came along, laugh tracks were recorded from the live studio audience that was present at a show. But sometimes, the audience didn't laugh at the expected time, making these moments seem dull to those watching at home. To fix this problem, TV audio engineer Charley Douglass invented a machine called the Laff Box.
Douglass' Laff Box was a collection of tapes connected to different keys. Each tape contained canned laughter that-was-carefully selected by Douglass for its particular quality. For example, one tape might have produced very soft laughs, while another produced loud cackles(咯咯笑). The machine could be played almost like a musical instrument: if the live audience didn't laugh enough, Douglass would “sweeten” the audio by adding the right amount and type of canned laughter. This technique could even be used when no audience was present, as with cartoons. Critics have long claimed that canned laughter is merely a trick to make people laugh at bad jokes. Live laugh tracks, however, can still be heard on popular modern shows like The Big Bang theory. Sometimes it's just more fun to share in the laughter - canned or otherwise.
1. What is mentioned about Shakespearean plays?| A．They were sometimes broadcast on radio. |
| B．Most of these plays weren't funny enough. |
| C．Some viewers were purposefully arranged to laugh. |
| D．Canned laughter was used during the performances. |
| A．Bing Crosby's older jokes got more laughs. |
| B．Bing Crosby' show was aired live worldwide. |
| C．Bing Crosby's team made comedy programs popular. |
| D．Bino Crosby's team brought canned laughter into existence. |
| A．It can offer many types of laughter. |
| B．It is inconvenient for people to use. |
| C．It isn't allowed by law today. |
| D．It can make bad jokes funny. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By analyzing reasons. |
| C．By following time order. | D．By making comparisons. |
8 . A roadside system that detects if a mobile phone is in use in a passing vehicle is being tested in the UK first. Despite being unable to tell whether the driver is using the phone, it is hoped that it will act as a warning to people who make calls behind the wheel. The technology picks up the phone signal in the vehicle and activates(激活) a roadside warning sign of a mobile phone with a red line through it.
The system can’t tell the difference between a driver and a passenger on a bus, but to some degree it can warn drivers that they can be detected using their phones. Using a directional antenna(天线)，the detector picks up radio waves produced by a phone handset , and measures the signal strength and length of them. When a signal is detected of duration(持续时间) long enough and signal strength strong enough to set off the system， the detector activates the warning sign. The detector is able to distinguish Bluetooth connections or hands- free devices which, when picked up，will prevent the activation.
While this new system is no replacement for a police officer catching someone in the act， it could be enough to make some drivers think twice- and that has to be a positive step forward. However, just as technology has enabled the problem of drivers using mobile phones illegally, it can also be a big part of the solution in getting people to stop. Statistics from the devices will be shared with Norfolk Police， the county council said. The council said that enabling the system to record specific number plates could be a“future development”.
Using a mobile phone at the wheel is one of the four road crimes which can have horrible consequences if it causes a deadly or serious car crash. Law enforcement(执行) technology has been falling behind for a decade and not made any easier by motor producers that encourage users to plug in their phones even before driving.
1. What is the function of the roadside system according to Paragraph 1?| A．To collect information for future use. |
| B．To send out cellphone signals to drivers. |
| C．To detect passengers' wrong use of phones. |
| D．To warn people against using pones while driving. |
| A．It measures the length of the phone. |
| B．It warns drivers with a phone in hand. |
| C．It picks up radio waves from handsets. |
| D．It activates the vehicle's Bluetooth system. |
| A．Swift to Bluetooth while driving. |
| B．Have a close watch of road signs. |
| C．Avoid being picked up by detectors. |
| D．Stop using a hands- free mobile phone. |
| A．Share the devices with the police. |
| B．Make the system more advanced. |
| C．Replace the police with the new system. |
| D．Take steps to settle road safety problems. |
9 . “Be proud of what you do,” my father always told me, “whether you are a boss or a cleaner.” When I was 15, I got a summer job in a hospital. I was told that my duties would include sweeping floors. I smiled and remembered Dad's words. Even though my job was the lowest, it made me feel excited. I saw it as a challenge because it was my first job. I learned to be on time and tried to do everything well. In return, I was treated with respect by doctors, nurses and patients. Each morning I imagined that the dirty dishes would make patients more sick if I were not there to wash them clean. After breakfast was done, I started sweeping the floors of all patient rooms and cleaning the toilets. Though I was tired, I wanted the job to be done well. Hearing people say “That young boy really does a good job”, I was filled with pride.
Working in the hospital taught me that being proud of one's job is important. It does not matter whether the job is sweeping floors or managing a large business. Through every job I have ever had, my father's words have always stayed with me. I was a good cleaner, and now I'm a good manager. I think Dad would be proud of me all the time.
1. The writer's first job was a ________.| A．boss | B．manager |
| C．cleaner | D．doctor |
| A．Washing dishes. | B．Looking after patients. |
| C．Cleaning toilets. | D．Sweeping the floor. |
| A．worked hard | B．wasn't tired |
| C．made the patients sick | D．did everything |
| A．the writer's father always stayed with him |
| B．the father didn't like the writer's first job |
| C．the writer wasn't proud of his first job |
| D．the father's words encouraged the writer to do everything well |
10 . Facebook is a habit forming activity， but users who spend a lot of time on the site say they feel less happy with their lives.
Researchers from University of Gothenburg say that many users log in as soon as they turn their PCs on and that the behavior can develop into an“addiction”. People in low income groups and the poorly educated are particularly at risk. Up to 85% of users say that they use Facebook daily and half say they start up Facebook as soon as they open their web users. Half fear that they are not“on top of things”if they are not logged into the site, and 25% say they feel”ill at ease”if they can't log in regularly.
The Swedish survey showed the network had its dark side.“Face-booking may become an unconscious habit. A majority of the respondents(受访者) log in every time they start their web browser(浏览器). This may even develop into an addiction,” says Leif Denti, doctoral student of Psychology at the University of Gothenburg.
People with low income and low-educated individuals spend more time on Facebook. Women are generally more active than men on Facebook. Users with low income and low education use Facebook more than other groups. Within these groups，users who spend more time on Facebook also report feeling less happy and less content with their lives.
The other surprise about the network is that although a huge amount of personal “ news”is traded through the site,it tends to focus on the positive.“ Most of the content they share has something to do with major events, positive events and when feeling good,”says Leif Denti.
1. What is the main idea of the text?| A．Using Facebook may become an addiction. |
| B．Positive events are more welcome on Facebook. |
| C．Women spend more time on Facebook than men. |
| D．Spending more time on Facebook leads to less happiness. |
| A．Pleased. | B．Tired. | C．Annoyed. | D．Interested. |
| A．Half of the users use Facebook daily. |
| B．People tend to share good things on Facebook. |
| C．Men are more active than women on Facebook. |
| D．Well-educated people spend more time on Facebook. |
| A．A diary. | B．A novel. | C．A magazine. | D．A travel guide. |
