1 . The voice of an ancient Egyptian priest has been heard for the first time in more than 3,000 years, thanks to a detailed reconstruction of his vocal tract (声带) from his mummified remains.
A team of scientists in England used medical scans of the famous mummy of Nesyamun to create a digital, 3D model of the insides of the individual’s throat and mouth, which were reproduced on a 3D printer. Then the researchers created an artificial larynx (喉头) with a loudspeaker using an electronic waveform. The sound was then played through the speaker into the 3D printed vocal tract to produce a short bust of Nesyamun’s voice — a sound not heard since the 11th century B.C.
Previous efforts to reproduce ancient voices could only approximate them, by animating facial reconstructions with software. In comparison, the sound of Nesyamun’s voice is based on “an extant (现存的) vocal tract preserved over 3,000 years,” the researchers wrote.
Nesyamun lived around 1100 B.C. He is thought to have died in his late 50s from a severe allergic reaction. Almost 3,000 years later, his mummy was discovered at Karnak and transported to the Leeds City Museum in 1823. His remains and ornate coffin (棺材) have since become some of the world’s best researched relics of ancient Egypt.
“Nesyamun’s mummy was a good choice for studying the sound of an ancient voice,” said David Howard, the lead author of the new research, “It was particularly suited, given its age and preservation of its soft tissues, which is unusual.”
He said he hopes the scientific understanding of how human voices are created can be combined with knowledge of the ancient Egyptian language to reconstruct longer passages of Nesyamun’s speech.
Before examining the mummy, the researchers had to deal with ethical (道德的) concerns related to examining a person without their consent. They used nondestructive research methods, and took into account words on his coffin, relating that Nesyamun hoped again to address the gods as he had in his working life.
The researchers interpreted that to indicate his desire to speak again after death. “We are in a way fulfilling his declared wishes,” Howard said.
Howard and Schofield said they hope a reconstruction of Nesyamun’s speech, perhaps reciting an ancient Egyptian prayer, can be featured at the Karnak temple in Egypt for modem tourists.
“When visitors encounter the past, it is usually a visual encounter,” said Schofield. “With this voice, we can change that.”
1. The voice of Nesyamun was recreated by _____.| A．repairing his vocal tract |
| B．bringing Nesyamun back to life |
| C．using some advanced technologies |
| D．combining it with facial movements |
| A．He often gave long speeches. |
| B．His vocal tract is well preserved. |
| C．A severe disease resulted in his death. |
| D．His remains are displayed in the museum. |
| A．The researchers took into account words on his coffin. |
| B．Nesyamun’s mummy was examined without his consent. |
| C．The researchers hope to reconstruct longer passages of his speech. |
| D．Nesyamun hoped to address the gods as he had in his working life. |
| A．A 3000-year-old mummy speaks again |
| B．The voice of a mummy excites visitors |
| C．A 3D-printed vocal tract has been created |
| D．The dream of Nesyamun has been achieved |
2 . Life in the Internet age is lonely—or is it? That’s what experts in human interaction are debating after a new Stanford University survey has been published.
According to the study, the more time people spend online, the less they can spare for real-life relationships with family and friends. The researchers asked 113 people about the Web’s influence on daily activities. 36％ of those people are online for more than five hours a week.” As Internet use becomes more widespread, it will have an increasingly isolating (孤立的) effect on society,” says Robert Kraut, one of the researchers.
Scholars and Web lovers criticized the study for stretching its data to make the “isolating” point. While 13％ of regular Web users admitted the loss of time with loved ones, 60％ reported watching less TV. The survey also shows that E-mail is the most popular online activity. If some of webheads (网虫)spend what was once passive TV time keeping company with friends via E-mails, “that’s a move toward greater connectedness,” says Paul Resnick, a professor at the University of Michigan.
This isn’t the first claim that the Web should be criticized. A 1998 report monitored 73 Pittsburgh-area families’ Net use for a year. People who used the Internet more “talked less to family members and reported being lonelier and more depressed.” says Robert Kraut.
“It’s true that there have been big declines in social connectedness over the past decades, but those declines began before the Internet was invented,” says Thomas Putnam.
As Amitay Etzioni says, the Internet gives us a different kind of social life—not better or worse than before, but just different.
1. Who claimed that the Web had negative influence?| A．Paul Resnick. | B．Robert Kraut. |
| C．Thomas Putnam. | D．Amitay Etzioni. |
| A．the opinion expressed in Bowling Alone |
| B．the survey made by the University of Michigan |
| C．the conclusion in a report written in 1998 |
| D．the study conducted by Stanford University |
| A．watching TV used to take time away from staying online |
| B．the Web was blamed more than once for causing an isolating effect |
| C．36％ of web users spend more than five hours a week online |
| D．the Web has the same influence as telephones and televisions |
| A．how we can make a better use of the Internet |
| B．how declines in social connectedness appear |
| C．whether the Internet causes an isolating effect |
| D．what a different life the Internet brings to us |
3 . My challenge for you is this： to read a book for 15minutes every single day for a month.
Let me explain a bit, by telling you where the challenge came from. I have many things in common with my dad, like music taste and sense of humor, but sadly reading isn't one of them. I can happily spend a whole day with a book, but my dad can't read a book for longer than about 5 minutes. He reads emails, websites and papers for work, but not books. He's busy, so I think sitting down to read for just 15minutes a day is a good way to relax and to introduce him to reading.
My dad is not the only person who avoids books. I know lots of people would rather relax on their computers or in front of the TV. Everyone is different and has their own interests, but I think there are lots of benefits to reading, which screen﹣based activities don't have.
Firstly, it's better for your eyes. Looking at screens can be very stressful for your eye muscles, and clearly you should avoid looking at screens for an hour before bed, to get a good night's sleep．
One thing I personally love reading, is being transported to another world﹣I often forget the time or things around me! Reading is a great way to switch off before you go to bed, because you think more about the world of the book, rather than the real world, so you can truly relax. I know you can be transported to a different world in a film or a TV show, but I think books do it better．
I also enjoy hearing what people are doing and finding out what they think. Reading gives me the chance to get to know hundreds of new people! It also teaches you to see things from other people's point of view, and understand other people's decisions or opinions. With a book, you can hear everything a character is thinking or feeling﹣you really can be inside someone else's head!
So give it a go! Take 15 minutes when you are waking up, going to bed, eating lunch, or having a coffee. If you read a lot, why not try 15 minutes of an English book, or pass the challenge on to someone else? Good luck, and happy reading!
1. The author mentions his father in the text to show ．| A．his father is busy |
| B．reading is important |
| C．his father likes reading |
| D．many people have no habit of reading |
| A．his personal experience |
| B．some scientific experiments |
| C．his father's personal advice |
| D．knowledge from books |
| A．helping readers sleep well |
| B．making readers feel relaxed |
| C．transporting readers to a different world |
| D．reminding readers of the real world |
| A．Negative． |
| B．Uncertain． |
| C．Supportive． |
| D．Doubtful． |
4 . Far from the land of Antarctica, a huge shelf of ice meets the ocean. At the underside of the shelf there lives a small fish, the Antarctic cod.
For forty years scientists have been curious about that fish. How does it live where most fish would freeze to death? It must have some secret. The Antarctic is not a comfortable place to work and research has been slow. Now it seems we have an answer.
Research was begun by cutting holes in the ice and catching the fish. Scientists studied the fish’s blood and measured its freezing point.
The fish were taken from seawater that had a temperature of -1.88℃ and many tiny pieces of ice floating in it. The blood of the fish did not begin to freeze until its temperature was lowered to -2.05℃. That small difference is enough for the fish to live at the freezing temperature of the ice-salt mixture.
The scientists’ next research job was clear: Find out what in the fish’s blood kept it from freezing. Their search led to some really strange thing made up of a protein never before seen in the blood of a fish. When it was removed, the blood froze at seawater temperature. When it was put back, the blood again had its antifreeze quality and a lowered freezing point.
Study showed that it is an unusual kind of protein. It has many small sugar molecules held in special positions within each big protein molecule. Because of its sugar content, it is called a glycoprotein. So it has come to be called the antifreeze fish glycoprotein. Or AFGP.
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．The terrible conditions in the Antarctic. |
| B．A special fish living in freezing waters. |
| C．The ice shelf around Antarctica. |
| D．Protection of the Antarctic cod. |
| A．The seawater has a temperature of -1.88℃. |
| B．It loves to live in the ice-salt mixture. |
| C．A special protein keeps it from freezing. |
| D．Its blood has a temperature lower than -2.05℃. |
| A．A type of ice-salt mixture. | B．A newly found protein. |
| C．Fish blood. | D．Sugar molecule. |
| A．sugar | B．ice |
| C．blood | D．molecule |
