1 . Engineers at Deakin University have developed a new smart generation schoolbag that will end the days when students end up forgetting their homework, particularly since the smart schoolbag is capable of completing its own morning checklist.
According to a recent press release, the smart schoolbag comes with built-in hardware and software that works to ensure it is packed correctly for each day’s timetable, including lunch and sports equipment.
The bag was designed by Dr Hamid Abdi alongside Masters students at Deakin University. It uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags (标签) to detect items in the bag and Internet of Things (IOT) technology, which extends Internet connectivity to everyday objects. “RFID technology allows any user to detect items in the bag in a contactless way,” Dr Abdi says. The Internet of Things (IOT) technology is employed to check its contents against the daily school plan. Schools or parents can enter data about the activities of each day to the system’s IOT server. The server then links these activities to the RFID tags placed on the items needed. The smart school-bag can tell what items are not required, ensuring that the bag is no heavier than it needs to be.
The smart schoolbag will save a lot of time and stress that occurs when homework, hats or lunches are left home by mistake, especially if that requires parents to quickly race home to collect the missing item.
While the system can be fitted to any schoolbag, the team have designed a sample of the smart schoolbag that includes the smartphone application. Dr Abdi and his team are looking for commercial partners to take the project to the next level.
1. Why do the engineers develop the smart schoolbag?| A．To give a morning call. | B．To help homework correcting. |
| C．To reduce study pressure. | D．To remind pupils of school items. |
| A．Its application. | B．Its working principle. |
| C．Its advantage. | D．Its characteristics. |
| A．I’ll replace parental duties. | B．I’ll ensure academic progress. |
| C．I’ll reach consumers soon. | D．I’ll be environment-friendly. |
| A．A Smart Schoolbag Saves Time and Stress |
| B．A Smart Schoolbag Will Replace an Ordinary Bag |
| C．The Latest System of Detecting Missing Items |
| D．The First Generation of a Smart Schoolbag |
2 . From littering the highest mountain peak to the deepest sea, we have messed up the environment and not left a single spot clean. Plastic pollution was also the theme for the last year’s Environment Day, but has anything changed?
With a “hope” to change things, a 150 feet long and 12 feet high “Wall of Hope” has been constructed using 15,000 discarded bottles collected from various sources such as streets and roads in Mussoorie and the surrounding region, which encourages the tourists to keep the surroundings clean.
Mussoorie attracts armies of visitors from neighboring cities every month so that it sometimes gets choked by over-tourism. But then, people hardly paid attention to the “saving the environment” cried these days. So, in order to convey this message in a meaningful and beautiful way, the locals of Mussoorie came up with this unique concept to remind travelers of the litter they leave behind.
The wall was built by over 50 volunteers that are basically school and college students who stepped forward to help bring this idea to life. For establishing this, plastic bottles of different shapes, sizes, and colors have been collected and fixed in this wall. Seeing their tireless efforts, the village locals also joined in later to help turn this project into a success story and then it spread like wildfire. They are actually admiring this new addition to the landscapes of Mussoorie, saying that the town looks even more beautiful now!
The wall was designed by Subodh Kerkar, founder of the private art gallery Museum of Goa. Talking to Hindustan Times, Kerkar said, “The wall will draw structural strength from steel pillars (柱子) being fixed two feet deep into the ground. The structure is completely rain and wind proof. I hope the wall will inspire a sense of beauty and will add color to the peaceful background of the hills.”
1. What is the function of the question mentioned in Paragraph 1?| A．To introduce the topic of the passage. |
| B．To remind readers of the climate change. |
| C．To show the theme of the Environment Day. |
| D．To stress the bad effect of plastic pollution. |
| A．Abandoned. | B．Decorated. | C．Broken. | D．Donated. |
| A．It was made of certain equal- sized bottles. |
| B．It was designed by some college students. |
| C．It attracts fewer tourists to visit Mussoorie. |
| D．It raises tourists’ environmental awareness. |
| A．Towering and less known. | B．Common and well-received. |
| C．Unique and far reaching. | D．Huge and money consuming. |
3 . On Christmas Eve 2020, fire trucks rushed to Chittle’s home in the sleepy little town of Manton, Michigan. But it wasn’t because of a Christmas nightmare. Far from it.
Winters can be long and tough in this far north, Scott Chittle knew something had to be done to bring some cheer to the 1,555 people in Manton.
Chittle, 51, lives in a big yellow house with his mother and two children. When he was three, his father built an ice skating rink (溜冰场) in their backyard, where Chittle and his friends would spend endless hours over the coming years playing hockey. That, Chittle thought, is what the children in this community need.
One problem was that Chittle had no clue how to build an ice rink. Luckily, after watching a tutorial (教程) in YouTube, he smoothed out a 3,000-square-foot section of his yard and ordered a huge tarp (防水布) large enough to cover it. Now he needed the ice. That’s where those fire trucks came in. It took 12 of them to spray enough water to fill the plot. Then he waited for Mother Nature to do the rest.
It wasn’t long before Chittle’s backyard became a Manton hot spot. The smell of baked hot dogs and burning firewood filled the air. And the laughter and screams of children playing hockey made their parents smile.
But the kindness didn’t stop with Chittle. When word got out that he’d spent $1,400 out of his own pocket to build his rink of dreams, neighbors, strangers and businesses donated $3,000 to cover the costs and more.
For Chittle, the ice rink was always about more than kids blowing off some steam. It was about surviving even the darkest times. “I want to show the rest of the world,” says Chittle, “what a little effort one person and the community can do, not only for others but for the souls of all.”
1. Why did Chittle build the ice rink?| A．To develop a hot spot. | B．To play hockey himself. |
| C．To entertain local people. | D．To meet the businesses’ demands. |
| A．He was expert at building an ice rink. |
| B．He was injured in building the ice rink. |
| C．He built the rink completely by himself. |
| D．He enjoyed playing hockey in his childhood. |
| A．By supplying enough water. | B．By helping him cover a huge tarp. |
| C．By saving him from a terrible fire. | D．By rushing him to the nearest hospital. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Doubtful. | C．Unwilling. | D．Supportive. |
4 . Although attending college isn't already expensive enough, the cost of textbooks has been rising greatly in recent years. Textbooks are something students can't avoid, but thankfully a number of companies have stepped up with options to make them more affordable.
Amazon
Let's be honest: What can't you buy on Amazon? Through the online marketplace, you can buy, sell and rent textbooks and e-books. Not only are the prices generally well below those at your college bookstore, but with Amazon Prime Shipping, they can arrive on your doorstep in just two days with one-week free returns.
AbeBooks
AbeBooks has more than just textbooks. It has a wide variety of fine art, rare books and special editions. Thousands of independent booksellers list their textbooks for sale on abebooks. com. The site has new and used textbooks, academic journals, classic literature, reference books and even international editions. Any book priced $ 15 or above has free shipping policy.
ValoreBooks
ValoreBooks offers deep discounts on millions of titles, with a two-week free return shipping and a 30-day money-back guarantee. The site gives students the ability to buy or rent textbooks from over 18,000 sellers and rental providers. Plus, when you' re done with the book, you can sell it right back through valorebooks. com, making the process as easy as possible.
eCampus
Through eCampus. com, students can buy, rent and sell textbooks and e-books. You can enjoy free shipping on orders over $35, plus a 25-day free return policy. And the site runs an ongoing promotion where you can save an additional $5 on your order by texting the word BOOKS to 87955.
1. What is the time range of free return shipping on Amazon?| A．7 days. | B．14 days. | C．21days. | D．25 days. |
| A．Amazon.com. | B．Abebooks.com. |
| C．Valorebooks.com. | D．eCampus.com. |
| A．By running a promotion. | B．By selling more e-books. |
| C．By texting "BOOKS" to 87955. | D．By spending more than $35. |
