1 . In the modern age, a significant number of people suffer with chronic (慢性的) back pain and discomfort, which not only affects their quality of life but also puts a substantial economic burden on society.
BackHug, a pioneering health-tech company, has risen to the challenge of alleviating this crisis by introducing a solution that combines artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics to tackle the root causes of back pain.
AI holds the promise to revolutionize (彻底改变) healthcare, including back care. With its ability to analyse vast amounts of medical data, AI can assist in early detection and diagnosis of back issues, leading to faster and more accurate treatment. It enables the creation of personalized treatment plans, taking into account individual patient factors for improved outcomes. AI-driven predictive analytics can help identify at-risk individuals and take preventive measures, reducing the burden of back pain. In essence, AI is set to transform back care by offering more effective, personalized, and accessible solutions.
This technology allows users to track changes in their back tension over time, providing them with evidence of the device’s therapeutic benefits after each session. This new data will be combined with other data collected on the BackHug App, notably from its in-app physiotherapy questionnaire, which generates a personalized treatment programme for each user. This is where AI comes in to analyse the data and generate continuously updated personal treatment programmes on BackHug for users. As Chongsu Lee has noted, this groundbreaking solution not only addresses a pressing issue but also introduces a new data category — back tension measurement.
When it comes to back care, traditional options such as massage therapy sessions can often be a huge load. Many individuals find themselves facing large bills and waiting lists for relief from their back problems, which is why BackHug offers an accessible solution through a subscription model starting at just £89 per month. It, without doubt, has the potential to reshape the landscape of back care.
1. What does the underlined word “alleviating” in paragraph 2 mean?A.Illustrating. | B.Easing. | C.Defining. | D.Investigating. |
A.It can take the place of traditional therapies. |
B.It can offer a final diagnosis based on big data. |
C.It can provide treatment programmes based on users’ need. |
D.It can get users informed of their back conditions at any time. |
A.Affordable price. | B.Quick recovery. |
C.Visible changes. | D.Safety insurance. |
A.To describe a health-tech company. |
B.To advise on ways to keep away from back pain. |
C.To praise scientists’ devotion to health-related research. |
D.To introduce the application of AI-driven technology to back care. |
2 . To apply for any course at our school you need to use UCAS’ online system. You can choose up to five courses. There’s no preference order and your chosen universities/colleges won’t see where else you’ve applied until after you reply to any offers you get. If you’re applying to medicine, dentistry, or veterinary science, you can only apply to a maximum of four courses in any one of these subjects.
You can only apply once in a cycle (周期). If you’ve applied in previous cycles and want to apply again, you’ll have to submit a new application.
★Personal statement
Your personal statement is a really important part of your application where you can express why you want to study your chosen course and why you’d make a difference to our school.
For advice and guidance on what to include, please see advice on the UCAS website about how to write a personal statement.
★Application fee
UCAS charges a flat fee of £27.50, however many courses you are applying for.
If you’re applying via your school or college, they will let you know whether and when you should pay them, so that they can pay UCAS on your behalf.
★Deadlines
18:00 on 16 October 2023 for medicine courses
18:00 on 31 January 2024 for all other courses
1. What should be noticed when using UCAS’ online system?A.Preference order. |
B.Privacy protection. |
C.A new application for each new cycle. |
D.Choosing no more than 4 courses. |
A.Discounts on flat fees. | B.Offline course instructions. |
C.Specially-made career planning. | D.Tips on personal statement writing. |
A.July15, 2024. | B.August 16, 2023. |
C.January 31, 2024. | D.October 18, 2023. |
3 . More than 3,400 years after two ancient Egyptians were laid to rest, the jars of food left still smell sweet. A team of analytical chemists and archaeologists (考古学家) has analysed these smells to help identify the jars’ contents. The study shows how the exploration of smell can enrich our understanding of the past.
The 1906 discovery of the undisturbed tomb (墓穴) of Kha and Merit symbolized an important stage in Egyptology. The tomb remains the most complete non-royal ancient one ever found in Egypt, showing important information about how high-ranking individuals were treated after death.
Unusually for the time, the archaeologist who discovered the tomb resisted the temptation to open the sealed containers even after they were sent to the Egyptian Museum. The contents of many of these containers are still unknown, although there are some clues, says analytical chemist Ilaria Degano. “From taking with the museum keeper we knew there were some fruity smells in the display cases,” she says.
Degano and her colleagues placed various artefacts (人工制品) inside plastic bags for several days to collect some of the chemical substances they released. Then the team used a special machine to identify the components of the smells from each artefact. They found some chemicals associated with dried fish, and some chemicals common in fruits. The findings will feed into a larger project to reanalyse the tomb’s contents and produce a more comprehensive picture of burial customs for non-royals that existed when Kha and Merit died, about 70 years before Tutankhamun became the Egyptian ruler.
Aside from showing more about past civilizations, ancient smells could make museum visits more inviting. Usually, people admire exhibits with their eyes in museums. “Smell is a relatively unexplored gateway to the collective past for museum visitors,” says Cecilia Bembibre at University College London. “It has the potent alto allow us to experience the in a more emotional, personal way, through our nose.”
1. What can we describe the 1906 discovery of Kha and Merit’ tomb as?A.A landmark in Egyptology. | B.A turning point in human history. |
C.A breakthrough in archaeology. | D.A mirror of ancient non-royal life. |
A.Pressure. | B.Ambition. | C.Desire. | D.Tendency. |
A.protect them from harm | B.gather their smells |
C.test the special machine | D.back up a larger project |
A.They bring them back to the past. |
B.They give them emotional support. |
C.They change their view on civilizations. |
D.They add to their experience. |
4 . When learning a foreign language, most people fall back on traditional methods: reading, writing, listening and repeating. But if you also gesture with your arms while studying, you can remember the vocabulary better, even months later. Linking a word to brain areas responsible for movement strengthens the memory of its meaning. This is the recent finding of neuroscientist Mathias and his colleagues.
As Mathias’ team describes in the Journal of Neuroscience, they had 22 German-speaking adults learn a total of 90 invented artificial words (such as “lamube” for “camera,” and “atesi” for “thought”) over four days. While the test subjects first heard the new vocabulary, they were shown a video of a person making a gesture that matched the meaning of the word at the same time. When the word was repeated, the subjects performed the gesture themselves.
Five months later, they were asked to translate the vocabulary they had learned into German in multiple-choice test. At the same time, they had equipment attached to their heads that sent weak distracting signals to their primary motor cortex — the brain area that controls voluntary arm movements. When these signals were active, the subjects found it harder to recall the words accompanied by gestures. When the equipment sent no distracting signals (but still appeared to the subjects to be active), they found it easier to remember the words. The researchers concluded that the motor cortex contributed to the translation of the vocabulary learned with gestures. This applied to concrete words, such as “camera”, as well as abstract ones, such as “thought”.
The study indicates that the adult brain uses motor areas to remember foreign-language words. “I think we under-use gesture in our classrooms,” Mathias says. “People use it subconsciously, if they’re good teachers and good listeners, but we don’t necessarily bring it into the class if we don’t think about it — and it could be used more often and more effectively.”
1. Which is closest in meaning to “invented artificial words” in paragraph 2?A.Technical terms. |
B.Newly discovered symbols. |
C.Words referring to the latest inventions. |
D.Random combination of letters with assigned meanings. |
A.To count words. | B.To record emotion. |
C.To influence brain activity. | D.To give clues to questions. |
A.Irregular. | B.Over-estimated. | C.Misleading. | D.Inadequate. |
A.Fashion. | B.Lifestyle. | C.Mind & Brain. | D.Health & Exercise. |
5 . If you feel that making friends as a kid is easy, you’re right. “They have a break between lessons and gym classes. They can let their guard down,” says Marisa G. Franco, a sought-after friendship & belonging expert. However, it’s not the case for adults. Even though they see their colleagues every day, they still find it never easy to be friends with them.
In the US, for example, a 2021 survey by the American Enterprise Institute, found that the number of adults who said they had no close friends had increased four times since 1990, going from 3 percent to 12 percent. “We’ve never been more disconnected,” says psychologist and author Jody Carrington. Although adults spend time together from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm and even late into the night, the fast-paced work pattern dictates that communication is limited to the content of the work, and after work, they immediately go back to homes, leaving no extra energy to have unplanned interactions to develop further friendship.
Research by Brigham Young University psychologist Julianne Holt-Lunstad has shown that loneliness is a major threat to longevity (长寿), same as smoking 15 cigarettes a day or being an alcoholic. People who are lonely or socially cut off have a higher risk of having diseases like depression, dementia and cardiac death. On the another side, healthy friendships can help us a lot, doing better with stress and living happier and longer. Plus, happiness is contagious. Harvard researchers found that when an individual becomes happy, his or her friends who live in a 1.6-kilometre radius have a 25 percent higher chance of getting a boost in happiness, too.
Hence, making and deepening friendships matters more than we imagine, You might think making friends is an inherent skill that doesn’t need to be taught. It’s not the case. We can all get better at connection if we try. Some experts offer some tricks to make finding connection a little easier.
1. How does the author lead in the topic of the text?A.By listing a lot of figures. | B.By drawing a conclusion. |
C.By making a comparison. | D.By showing a conversation. |
A.Lack of breaks in the workplace. | B.Worry about being deeply hurt. |
C.Unwillingness to communicate. | D.Lack of unplanned interactions. |
A.The approach to leading a happy life. | B.The necessity of staying connected. |
C.The consequences of getting into bad habits. | D.The relationship between happiness and habits. |
A.Sustainable. | B.Influential. | C.Flexible. | D.Unique. |
6 . Virtual Postgraduate Open Days 2023
Our events offer a great opportunity to find out more about the Cambridge University’s 300+ postgraduate courses, the application process, student life, and a range of funding opportunities, as well as to get an idea of what it’s like to study here. Attend our virtual open days to learn all about postgraduate study at Cambridge:
Week 1: Subject sessions (23 to 27 October)
Join us live for online sessions where you can:
● Find out more about our courses and explore your subject
● Chat with academics, current students and other staff
Week 2: Pastoral, ICE, College and Finance sessions (30 October to 3 November)
During this second week of live online sessions you can:
● Explore more about the Colleges
● Find out about funding opportunities
● Discover what pastoral support is available at Cambridge
● Learn about our Institute of Continuing Education (ICE)
● Watch recordings of the subject sessions from Week 1
On-demand content
Everyone who books a place at the Postgraduate Open Days will receive access to on-demand video content, including recordings of the subject sessions from Week 1 (to be uploaded by 30 October).
Visit us
If you can’t come to our Postgraduate Open Day, there are other ways to visit:
● Check department websites for subject-specific events or contact the department directly to arrange an appointment to visit facilities and talk to a member of staff.
● Many of the Cambridge Colleges are open to the public at during term time. Contact them in advance to arrange a time to visit and to meet with current students or staff.
1. What do we know about the recordings of subject sessions from Week 1?A.It is available to everyone. | B.It offers funding opportunities. |
C.It can be replayed during Week 2. | D.It will be uploaded before 27 October. |
A.Visit the department website. | B.Organize a subject-specific event. |
C.Visit the school during the holiday. | D.Ask current students to arrange an appointment. |
A.Its founder. | B.Its sponsors. | C.Its working staff. | D.Its potential students. |
7 . Top Piano Players in the World
Martha ArgerichMartha Argerich could be considered the next Beethoven, as she is one of the most outstanding pianists ever to play. Argerich preferred being on stage with others instead of performing solo; therefore, she has been performing in a concerto format since the 1980s. Argerich was not one for the spotlight, as she often avoided public appearances such as interviews; however, her great talent was all the publicity she needed, standing out during concertos and sonatas.
Leif Ove AndsnesKnown for his appealing performances of Edvard Grieg’s works, Andsnes has won praise for his performances at some of the world’s most famous concert halls. Andsnes has certainly made his mark in Norway, as he is the founding director of Norway’s Rosendal Chamber Music Festival. Because of his unique voice and interesting approach, he was praised by The New York Times as a “pianist of authoritative elegance, power, and insight.”
Alfred BrendelKnown for his beautiful interpretations of Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert and Mozart, Alfred Brendel was considered one of the greats. He played in various concertos throughout his career and became known for his interpretive coldness in recreating these works. Brendel was considered one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century, as he made his mark in the classical music industry. Brendel was self-taught and learned his love of piano at an early age.
Arthur RubinsteinArthur Rubinstein was certainly one of the greats. His career began in the early 20th century when he began to come into contact with some of the world’s most important composers, such as Maurice Ravel, Paul Dukas, and Jacques Thibaud. He made various trips worldwide and visited nearly every continent, where crowds met him with great praise and encouragement.
1. What does the female pianist focus on in her career?A.Skills in hosting concertos and sonatas. | B.Cooperation with other musicians. |
C.Close relationships with the media. | D.Unique ways to interpret music. |
A.Martha Argerich. | B.Leif Ove Andsnes. |
C.Alfred Brendel. | D.Arthur Rubinstein. |
A.He was the director of a Norwegian festival. |
B.He made a difference in classical music. |
C.He was the best musician of the 20th century. |
D.He got in touch with some famous composers. |
8 . When physicist Stephen Hawking died in 2018 at the age of 76, the world mourned (哀悼), after the loss, there remains the enormous legacy of the scientist and the man to consider.
Despite being a renowned expert in cosmology and black holes, there is still much to discover about Hawking. In Stephen Hawking: A memoir of friendship and physics, theoretical physicist Leonard Mlodinow offers a close glimpse inside the famous scientist’s life, ranging from his early days at university and diagnosis at age 21 with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to his later status as an international celebrity.
After co-authoring two books with Hawking, Mlodinow isn’t short of stories, particularly from time spent working together on their book The Grand Design. Hawking lived a colourful life often filled with hardship, and the possibility of death was never far away. Far from letting this be a setback, it is what Hawking credits for his achievements. “It helped me focus,” he tells Mlodinow after dinner one night.
Even so, Mlodinow admits that initially he couldn’t help but feel sorry for Hawking, living with a condition that required round-the-clock care and eventually left him unable to speak or voluntarily move anything but his eyes, brows and mouth. However, writes Mlodinow, “overtime all that pity would disappear like one of Stephen’s black holes”, adding that “ it occurred to me that Stephen had proved himself to be an iron man in a fragile man’s facade (外表)”. That view becomes one that readers will also tend to adopt as Mlodinow looks back.
Achievement came in many forms for Hawking, who refused to be restricted in thought or deed. As Mlodinow writes: “Often we limit our chances at success by limiting the goals toward which we strive. Stephen never did that. We can get used to anything, and we can accomplish, if not anything, then at least much more than we give ourselves credit for. To grow close to Stephen was to understand this.”
1. What can we learn about Mlodinow?A.He was one of Hawking’s friends. | B.He worked for Hawking for many years. |
C.He wrote two books about Hawking’s life. | D.He was the strongest competitor for Hawking. |
A.Admiring. | B.Sympathetic. | C.Envious. | D.Puzzled. |
A.He kept pushing his limits. | B.He had extraordinary talent. |
C.He was good at educating others. | D.He was a man with definite goals. |
A.To praise a relationship. | B.To introduce a book. |
C.To honor a breakthrough. | D.To promote a physics theory. |
9 . Johnny Agar had always dreamed of competing in triathlons (铁人三项赛) as an athlete. Unfortunately, he’d been diagnosed with cerebral palsy (大脑性瘫痪) shortly after he was born. This disorder makes it difficult for the now-28-year-old to get around. However, he and his father are proving that where there’s a will — and a lot of love — there’s a way!
Jeff Agar, 59, is helping Johnny experience life to the fullest by entering triathlons by his side. As a team, they’ve completed over 200 races, including a full ironman triathlon that required them to swim, bike and run 140 miles in just 17 hours.
“I’m not a fan of triathlon,” Jeff joked. “I’m doing it not because I love it. This is Johnny’s dream and I’m giving him the legs and the power to do it.” Although Jeff typically provides the majority of the manpower, it was important for Johnny to cross the finish line on his own legs. “Walking in races was my way of telling Dad, ‘Okay, I’m not just going to say thank-you anymore; I’m going to actually put words into action,’” Johnny said.
Johnny and his dad now form Team Agar, using their story and the power of motivational speaking to inspire others. “When we completed that 140-mile Ironman together, it had an amazing impact on many people who had seen our story. We began to see that competing isn’t just about us crossing the finish line; it’s about helping others leave uncertainty in the dust — even those facing greater obstacles than we did.”
Earlier this month, they received some incredible news. They were invited to compete in one of the toughest triathlons: the Ironman World Championship! What made the occasion even more special was a pre-recorded video message from Johnny’s idol, athlete Peyton Manning. “Rumor has it that you’re a big fan of mine,” Peyton said, “I’m a big fan of yours as well! You guys are incredible; you’re a true inspiration.”
1. What can we learn about Jeff from the text?A.He has a great passion for triathlons. |
B.He is upset about Johnny’s severe illness. |
C.He goes all out to help his son achieve his ambition. |
D.He crosses the finish line with his son in competitions. |
A.To give motivation to other people. | B.To encourage more people to join them. |
C.To make themselves more competitive. | D.To participate in more competitions as a team. |
A.Peyton will record more videos of Johnny and Jeff. |
B.Jeff and Johnny have influenced people positively. |
C.Johnny and Jeff have been getting along well with Peyton. |
D.Peyton has provided Johnny with material assistance. |
A.An Old Father’s Love for Triathlons |
B.A Disabled Competitor Works Wonders |
C.Dad Helps Son With Cerebral Palsy Achieve His Dream |
D.Great Achievements Made by Dad and Son in Sports |
10 . You’ve heard the phrase “home for the holidays”, but I would like to introduce a new phrase: hygge for the holidays. A hygge holiday is all about peaceful, quiet and cozy(温暖舒适的) surroundings. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? Holiday hygge is easy and comforting. Most people are already doing at least some of these simple hygge holidays without even knowing it.
Hygge is a Danish word originally coming from an old Norwegian word meaning well-being and protection from the outside harm. It’s known that winters in Denmark are severe and last long. The concept of hygge has been used by Danish people to keep themselves mentally positive in the dark winter season and fill their homes with comfort and love.
Hygge is a very important word to Danish people, often used to describe what their culture is all about and it is not necessarily a thing, something you can buy, but rather more of something you feel. Hygge really is a reflection of one aspect of Danish living, and, happily, in the last five years the concept of hygge has made its way to the US and many other countries. I mean what’s not to like about nurturing(培育)peace and quiet and coziness?
Here are some more descriptive words for hygge: comfort, familiarity, friendship, laughter, and even seasonal homemade food and drinks. While it is possible to achieve hygge any time of the year with hygge activities-an outdoor BBQ with friends and a movie under the stars with family are good examples of summertime hygge, it is most commonly associated with the colder months because of its ability to lift one’s spirits during dark winter months.
Hygge is the most suitable for the November and December holiday season because it’s all about peaceful and cozy surroundings that fill you with contentment. There is indeed something you can do to bring holiday hygge into your home this season.
1. Why do Danish people choose a hygge holiday?A.To deal with cold and long winters. | B.To follow the latest holiday trend. |
C.To fight against nature physically. | D.To spend more time with their family. |
A.It reflects Danish living totally. | B.It is mainly about some feeling. |
C.It is limited to Denmark and the US. | D.It represents ancient Danish culture |
A.People do hygge in more ways. | B.Hygge is preferred in summertime. |
C.Hygge is still perfect for winter. | D.People access hygge in certain time. |
A.Ways of hygge celebrations. | B.Tips on achieving hygge. |
C.Different opinions about hygge | D.Benefits of bringing hygge into home. |