1 . Traffic congestion is a serious problem in cities worldwide. There are simply too many vehicles competing for too little space. The company TomTom, which does research on traffic in cities worldwide, estimated that in 2015 the average commuter wasted 100 hours during the evening rush hour alone. In addition to wasting people's time, traffic jams have many other negative effects.
Traffic jams have negative effects on drivers, cities and the environment. To begin with, they cause stress to drivers, which may lead to health problems or road rage.
Therefore, a more popular solution is needed.
Overall, cities are using a variety of methods to tackle the problem of traffic congestion.
| A．Because of these serious effects |
| B．Owing to inconveniences for some people |
| C．It would be to promote other forms of transport |
| D．Another possibility is to persuade people to use buses |
| E．Most of them have advantages as well as disadvantages |
| F．Moreover, traffic congestion negatively affects the environment |
| G．Therefore, governments everywhere are working hard to find solutions to this problem |
2 . Most of us control our technology using our fingers and hands. But, for years, people with disabilities have used their eyes as a way to control digital interfaces(界面). Some tablets give disabled people the ability to use the Internet, communicate, and even play games using just their eyes us a mouse.
Now, researchers are experimenting with ways to bring eye-tracking technology to general users. At a conference last week, scholars presented two new methods for able-bodied people to take advantage of a user interface that has mostly stayed within the field of assistive technology.
One of the most annoying things about writing is mistakes. Academics at the University of Auckland and the University of Bath suggest using your gaze (stare) to fix those little mistakes. First, you look at the wrong word you want to fix. Then, you start typing. The program, called ReType, identifies the word you’re trying to change based on your gaze, and replaces it with whatever you type. Then, you just have to press enter to continue. It turns your eyeballs into a mouse. The research team has patented ReType and wants to turn it into a product.
It has been found that developers spend about 35% of their time looking through their code (编码) while they’re working. When they’re removing mistakes from a computer program, they spend about 50% of their time looking for information-something that slows them down considerably. To solve this problem, Weber and his colleagues at Media Design School in New Zealand and the University of Bath used eye-gaze technology to look into whether using their eyes would save developers’ time. The researchers found that relying on one’s gaze was similar in speed to using a keyboard, though it was slower than using a mouse. However, they also found that when given the choice, most developers chose to use their gaze.
Both studies show that eye tracking could be used to increase productivity and one’s gaze could become a complement(补充物) to the mouse or even replace it altogether.
1. Who was eye-tracking technology originally intended for?| A．Disabled people. | B．Common people. |
| C．Professional researchers. | D．Amateur writers. |
| A．Slightly. | B．Gradually. |
| C．Greatly. | D．Eventually. |
| A．It can replace the keyboard. |
| B．It removes mistakes automatically. |
| C．It is similar in speed to using a mouse. |
| D．It is likely to be favored by users. |
| A．The Hope for Coding: Retype? |
| B．The Mouse of the Future: Your Eyeballs? |
| C．A Breakthrough in Removing Mistakes |
| D．New Research to Increase Productivity |
3 . A hungry fly speeds through a forest. It smells nectar (a liquid that insects feed on) and lands on a green leaf. It starts to drink the sweet liquid. Suddenly, the fly's world turns green. The two sides of the leaf close against each other. Long green teeth lock together around it. The fly has been caught by a Venus flytrap. There is no escape.
The Venus flytrap is perhaps the most famous killer plant. However, scientists have only recently started to understand how it hunts and eats. After years of study, plant scientist Alexander Volkov believes he now knows the Venus flytrap's secret. “This,” says Volkov," is an electrical plant."
There are three small hairs along each of the Venus flytrap's two leaves. When an insect touches a hair, it creates an electrical signal in the leaf. The insect can continue feeding—for now. But if it touches another hair within 20 seconds, the trap snaps shut. This system allows the plant to tell the difference between a drop of water, for example, and a moving creature.
Once trapped, an insect has little chance of survival. Instead of nectar, the Venus flytrap now releases a different liquid —one that slowly eats away at the insect. Ten days later, almost nothing is left. The plant's leaves open again, and the Venus flytrap is ready for its next meal.
Besides the Venus flytrap, there are around 700 species of killer plants around the world. Some are deadly. Sundews catch insects using a sticky liquid on the end of long hairs. A butterwort's leaves are covered with tiny, gluey hairs that trap small insects. Pitcher plants have long tubelike leaves into which insects fall and die. Some pitcher plants are large enough to catch and eat small animals like frogs and mice.
1. What is special about the Venus flytrap?| A．Its trap closes very slowly. | B．It has to feed on flies. |
| C．It produces electrical signals. | D．It just makes one kind of liquid. |
| A．To explore how the insect survives. |
| B．To explain how the Venus flytrap works. |
| C．To describe different types of killer plants. |
| D．To introduce an experiment carried out on a plant. |
| A．The sundew. | B．The butterwort. |
| C．The pitcher plant. | D．The Venus flytrap. |
| A．What meals a Venus flytrap prefers. |
| B．What the features of deadly plants are. |
| C．Where the deadly plants are found. |
| D．How other killer plants catch insects. |
4 . Race walking shares many fitness benefits with running, research shows, while most likely contributing to fewer injuries. It does, however, have its own problem.
Race walkers are conditioned athletes. The longest track and field event at the Summer Olympics is the 50-kilometer race walk, which is about five miles longer than the marathon. But the sport’s rules require that a race walker’s knees stay straight through most of the leg swing and one foot remain in contact (接触) with the ground at all times. It’s this strange form that makes race walking such an attractive activity, however, says Jaclyn Norberg, an assistant professor of exercise science at Salem State University in Salem, Mass.
Like running, race walking is physically demanding, she says, According to most calculations, race walkers moving at a pace of six miles per hour would burn about 800 calories(卡路里) per hour, which is approximately twice as many as they would burn walking, although fewer than running, which would probably burn about 1,000 or more calories per hour.
However, race walking does not pound the body as much as running does, Dr. Norberg says. According to her research, runners hit the ground with as much as four times their body weight per step, while race walkers, who do not leave the ground, create only about 1.4 times their body weight with each step.
As a result, she says, some of the injuries associated with running, such as runner’s knee, are uncommon among race walkers. But the sport’s strange form does place considerable stress on the ankles and hips, so people with a history of such injuries might want to be cautious in adopting the sport. In fact, anyone wishing to try race walking should probably first consult a coach or experienced racer to learn proper technique, she says. It takes some practice.
1. Why are race walkers conditioned athletes?| A．They must run long distances. |
| B．They are qualified for the marathon. |
| C．They have to follow special rules. |
| D．They are good at swinging their legs. |
| A．It’s more popular at the Olympics. |
| B．It’s less challenging physically. |
| C．It’s more effective in body building. |
| D．It’s less likely to cause knee injuries. |
| A．Getting experts’ opinions. |
| B．Having a medical checkup. |
| C．Hiring an experienced coach. |
| D．Doing regular exercises. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Objective. |
| C．Tolerant. | D．Conservative. |
5 . Whenever we hear about "the homeless", most of us think of the developing world. But the
Kurt Muller and his wife Rita have spent eleven years making
The Mullers soon realized that food and clothing weren't
The couple were soon
Kurt and Rita receive no
| A．result | B．truth | C．reason | D．idea |
| A．traditional | B．developing | C．typical | D．wealthy |
| A．preparations | B．houses | C．meals | D．suggestions |
| A．began | B．met | C．called | D．left |
| A．asleep | B．alone | C．across | D．away |
| A．brought up | B．set up | C．put aside | D．gave away |
| A．enough | B．necessary | C．helpful | D．expensive |
| A．fame | B．freedom | C．courage | D．caring |
| A．hesitate | B．agree | C．pretend | D．intend |
| A．made sense | B．found out | C．made sure | D．worked out |
| A．open | B．crowded | C．noisy | D．near |
| A．costing | B．wasting | C．taking | D．spending |
| A．pay for | B．ask for | C．look into | D．carry out |
| A．completely | B．calmly | C．regularly | D．roughly |
| A．advertise | B．sell | C．deliver | D．lend |
| A．donates | B．produces | C．designs | D．collects |
| A．permission | B．payment | C．direction | D．support |
| A．borrow | B．raise | C．save | D．expect |
| A．surprised | B．excited | C．tired | D．amused |
| A．profit | B．difference | C．decision | D．rule |
