1 . As data and identity theft becomes more and more common, the market is growing for biometric(生物测量) technologies—like fingerprint scans—to keep others out of private e-spaces. At present, these technologies are still expensive, though.
Researchers from Georgia Tech say that they have come up with a low-cost device(装置) that gets around this problem: a smart keyboard. This smart keyboard precisely measures the cadence(节奏) with which one types and the pressure fingers apply to each key. The keyboard could offer a strong layer of security by analyzing things like the force of a user’s typing and the time between key presses. These patterns are unique to each person. Thus, the keyboard can determine people’s identities, and by extension, whether they should be given access to the computer it’s connected to—regardless of whether someone gets the password right.
It also doesn’t require a new type of technology that people aren’t already familiar with. Everybody uses a keyboard and everybody types differently.
In a study describing the technology, the researchers had 100 volunteers type the word “touch” four times using the smart keyboard. Data collected from the device could be used to recognize different participants based on how they typed, with very low error rates. The researchers say that the keyboard should be pretty straightforward to commercialize and is mostly made of inexpensive, plastic-like parts. The team hopes to make it to market in the near future.
1. Why do the researchers develop the smart keyboard?| A．To reduce pressure on keys. | B．To improve accuracy in typing. |
| C．To replace the password system. | D．To cut the cost of e-space protection. |
| A．Computers are much easier to operate. |
| B．Fingerprint scanning techniques develop fast. |
| C．Typing patterns vary from person to person. |
| D．Data security measures are guaranteed. |
| A．It’ll be environment-friendly. | B．It’ll reach consumers soon. |
| C．It’ll be made of plastics. | D．It’ll help speed up typing. |
| A．A diary. | B．A guidebook | C．A novel. | D．A magazine. |
2 . Bacteria are an annoying problem for astronauts. The microorganisms(微生物) from our bodies grow uncontrollably on surfaces of the International Space Station, so astronauts spend hours cleaning them up each week. How is NASA overcoming this very tiny big problem? It’s turning to a bunch of high school kids. But not just any kids. It is depending on NASA HUNCH high school classrooms, like the one science teachers Gene Gordon and Donna Himmelberg lead at Fairport High School in Fairport, New York.
HUNCH is designed to connect high school classrooms with NASA engineers. For the past two years, Gordon’s students have been studying ways to kill bacteria in zero gravity, and they think they’re close to a solution(解决方案). “We don’t give the students any breaks. They have to do it just like NASA engineers,” says Florence Gold, a project manager.
“There are no tests,” Gordon says. “There is no graded homework. There almost are no grades, other than ‘Are you working towards your goal?’ Basically, it’s ‘I’ve got to produce this product and then, at the end of year, present it to NASA.’ Engineers come and really do an in-person review, and...it’s not a very nice thing at times. It’s a hard business review of your product.”
Gordon says the HUNCH program has an impact(影响) on college admissions and practical life skills. “These kids are so absorbed in their studies that I just sit back. I don’t teach.” And that annoying bacteria? Gordon says his students are emailing daily with NASA engineers about the problem, readying a workable solution to test in space.
1. What do we know about the bacteria in the International Space Station?| A．They are hard to get rid of. | B．They lead to air pollution. |
| C．They appear in different forms. | D．They damage the instruments. |
| A．To strengthen teacher-student relationships. |
| B．To sharpen students’ communication skills. |
| C．To allow students to experience zero gravity. |
| D．To link space technology with school education. |
| A．Check their product. | B．Guide project designs. |
| C．Adjust work schedules. | D．Grade their homework. |
| A．NASA: The Home of Astronauts |
| B．Space: The Final Homework Frontier |
| C．Nature: An Outdoor Classroom |
| D．HUNCH: A College Admission Reform |
3 . The jobs of the future have not yet been invented.
Your children need to be deeply curious.
True creativity is the ability to take something existing and create something new from it.
Understanding how others feel can be a challenge for kids. We know what’s going on inside our own head, but what about others? Being able to read people helps kids from misreading a situation and jumping to false conclusions.
| A．Encourage kids to cook with you. |
| B．And we can’t forget science education. |
| C．We can give kids chances to think about materials in new ways. |
| D．So how can we help our kids prepare for jobs that don’t yet exist? |
| E．Gardening is another great activity for helping kids develop this skill. |
| F．We can do this in real life or ask questions about characters in stories. |
| G．Being able to communicate ideas in a meaningful way is a valuable skill. |
4 . Have you ever run into a careless cell phone user on the street? Perhaps they were busy talking, texting or checking updates on WeChat without looking at what was going on around them. As the number of this new “species” of human has kept rising, they have been given a new name — phubbers（低头族）.
Recently, a cartoon created by students from China Central Academy of Fine Arts put this group of people under the spotlight. In the short film, phubbers with various social identities(身份) bury themselves in their phones. A doctor plays with his cell phone while letting his patient die, a pretty woman takes selfie in front of a car accident site, and a father loses his child without knowing about it while using his mobile phone. A chain of similar events eventually leads to the destruction of the world.
Although the ending sounds overstated, the damage phubbing can bring is real.
Your health is the first to bear the effect and result of it. “Constantly bending your head to check your cell phone could damage your neck,” Guangming Daily quoted doctors as saying. “the neck is like a rope that breaks after long-term stretching.” Also, staring at cell phones for long periods of time will damage your eyesight gradually, according to the report.
But that’s not all. Being a phubber could also damage your social skills and drive you away from your friends and family. At reunions with family or friends, many people tend to stick to their cell phones while others are chatting happily with each other and this creates a strange atmosphere, Qilu Evening News reported.
It can also cost you your life. There have been lots of reports on phubbers who fell to their death, suffered accidents, and were robbed of their cell phones in broad daylight.
1. For what purpose does the author give the example of a cartoon in Paragragh2?| A．To inform people of the bad effects of phubbing. |
| B．To advertise the cartoon made by students. |
| C．To indicate the world will finally be destroyed by phubbers. |
| D．To warn doctors against using cell phones while treating patients. |
| A．His social skills could be affected. |
| B．His neck and eyesight will be gradually harmed. |
| C．He will cause the destruction of the world. |
| D．He might get separated from his friends and family. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Opposed. |
| C．Optimistic. | D．Objective. |
| A．Advice on how to use a cell phone. | B．People addicted to phubbing. |
| C．Measures to reduce the risks of phubbing. | D．Consequences of phubbing. |
5 . Volunteering means working for free to help someone else. Mrs. Obama says volunteering is very important. "It should be part of everyone's life,"she says.
Many teens agree. They say that helping others feels great and makes a difference. These days, more teensvolunteer than work for pay. Teens clean up parks, walk dogs at animal shelters, visit the elderly, and more.
Some cities— including Seattle, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.— require high school students to volunteer. Students must volunteer in order to graduate. The student volunteers learn new skills and help their communities( 社区).
Many parents subscribe to the idea they say volunteering helps teens build job skills. But most teens don't want to be forced to volunteer. They say they are busy. And they say volunteering is only fun if it's a choice.
Read both sides of the debate and decide.
Yes
Volunteering can help teens get into college or get a job.
Many cities and towns need help. Volunteers can help keep important programs going.
Not all teens will volunteer if it isn't required. Schools should require students to do all they can to get ready for adult life.
No
Most teens are already very busy with classes, homework, jobs, and sports. Forcing them to do more isn't fair.
It should be up to each person. Helping doesn't feel good if you must do it.
Finding a volunteer job isn't always easy. Students shouldn't be kept from graduating because of something they can't control.
1. It is known from the text that in Washington.D.C.___________.| A．everyone would like to volunteer |
| B．finding a volunteer job is not difficult |
| C．volunteering is a must for college students |
| D．high school students won't graduate if they don't volunteer |
| A．Correct. | B．Like. | C．Stress. | D．Review. |
| A．Volunteer jobs waste students' precious(宝贵的) time. |
| B．Volunteer jobs won't help teens prepare for their adult life. |
| C．Volunteer jobs are not as important as students' homework. |
| D．Students shouldn't be stopped from graduation because of not volunteering. |
| A．Who are best to do volunteer jobs. |
| B．Whether volunteering is good for students. |
| C．What kind of volunteer jobs students should do. |
| D．Whether students should be required to volunteer. |
6 . For top students from low-income families, applying to colleges is particularly difficult. One approach makes this whole process easier? Provide an adviser for them.
That's the idea behind CollegePoint, a program to help gifted students go to schools that match their intelligence. When a high school student takes a standardized test—the PSAT, SAT or ACT—and they score in the 90th percentile, and their families make less than $ 80, 000 a year, they get an email from the program offering them a free adviser. The advisers listen, guide and answer students' questions.
Connor Rechtzigel, an adviser in Minnesota, sees the importance of his role, for research shows that low-income students are far more likely to undermatch because they don't think they have what it takes to get in and because many don't even know what schools are out there. He helped high school senior Justice Benjamin, the first in his family to apply to college, thinking about what his ideal learning experience was. Finally, Justice narrowed in on smaller schools where he could study environmental science and made his final choice: Skidmore College in New York.
Figuring out how to pay for college is a major part of what CollegePoint advisers do. Nakhle, an adviser in North Carolina, is working with Hensley, an Ohio high school senior who can't get extra financial help from her family. They spent a lot of time comparing and analyzing her financial-aid award letters, which made her decision much clearer. Finally, the Ohio State University offered an option where she would pay nothing. Staying in-state wasn't her first choice, but it was the best option for her.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．How CollegePoint works. | B．The history of CollegePoint. |
| C．Ways to apply for a free adviser. | D．The challenge of choosing colleges. |
| A．Thinking highly of their abilities. | B．Knowing little about colleges. |
| C．Lack of enough learning experience. | D．Failure to pass the entrance exam. |
| A．She didn't want to stay far from home. | B．Her favorite major was provided there. |
| C．She would show her talents to the full. | D．The university met her financial needs. |
| A．Steps for Students to Choose Suitable Colleges |
| B．CollegePoint—How to Be a Financial Adviser |
| C．Advisers Helping College Students to Score High |
| D．CollegePoint—Helping Students Select Ideal Colleges |
7 . Here are a few examples of some things that parents can learn from children if they listen and make the most of their time together.
Technology: Whether it’s programming the DVR, texting or how to adapt to the latest Facebook layout (设计) change, most parents will find their children are at least one step ahead of them.
Trends: Many parents are shocked when they hear about new trends on the nightly news. From cyberbullying (网络欺凌) to teens abusing drugs, it’s important for parents to know what’s going on in the world their children live in. Develop an open and trusting relationship with your children.
Patience:
Forgiveness: When kids make mistakes—and they will—it’s important that parents learn how to forgive and move on in a positive way.
Wonder:
| A．Kids will make mistakes. |
| B．This is not an easy lesson. |
| C．Take an interest in technology. |
| D．Parents learn some important lessons from their children. |
| E．We encourage you to spend some quality time as a family. |
| F．So you can hear about these things from them—not the news. |
| G．Every day, try to see the world around you through a child’s eyes. |
8 . Working women make up nearly half of the U.S. workforce, and 51 percent of professional workers, like doctors, lawyers, nurses and accountants, are female. While climbing the career ladder can be rewarding, it often comes with one big downside: weight gain!
New research published this week in the International Journal of Obesity shows that working women are more likely to be overweight, and the more you work, the more pounds you're likely to pile on. Like many women, I work..., a lot! As a selfemployed nutrition communications specialist, I sit at my desk, in front of a computer, for hours on end. Sitting alone is one of the worst things you can do for your health, and it's directly linked to being overweight and increased fatness, so the fact that women in the workforce gain weight isn't that surprising. If you work, you have less time to move around. Obesity researchers are revealing many other ways that employment is harmful to your diet and waistline.
In the International Journal of Obesity study, some 9, 276 Australian women aged 45－50 had their body weight and employment status monitored for two years. Results? Those who worked more than 35 hours were likely to gain weight compared to those who worked fewer hours or were out of the workforce. What' s more, the more hours a woman worked in a week, the more weight she gained.
The authors of the Australian study attribute weight gain among working women to inactivity, lack of time for food preparation, more use of prepared foods, high levels of stress, lack of sleep and consuming more alcohol. I'll also add in travel，meals eaten out and working at night as other factors that I can find to make balancing work with a healthy diet a challenge.
1. The text above is probably taken from__________.| A．a sports report | B．a fashion journal |
| C．a health and fitness magazine | D．an advertisement post |
| A．gain more weight | B．have more time to move around |
| C．work a full time job | D．keep a balanced diet |
| A．Lacking time for food preparation. | B．Using more prepared food. |
| C．Consuming too much alcohol. | D．Taking part in more activities. |
| A．Less activity leads to fat. | B．Ways of gaining weight. |
| C．Effects of weight gaining. | D．Working women more likely pile on pounds. |
SOCIAL MEDIA DETOX
Today marks the last day of the Social Media Detox,
10 . Police say a man dialed 911 accidentally while he and another man were breaking into a car, unknowingly leading policemen right to their location. The two men, Nathan Teklemariam and Carson Rinehart, both 20, face charges of breaking and entering and possession of stolen property, according to Fox News.
Fox News explains that the 911 dispatcher could hear people speaking in the background ,so he listened to see if anyone was in need of help. It didn’t take long for the dispatcher to realize that things were different this time. Soon something he heard attracted his attention. From the tape provided by Fox News ,one of the men can be heard to say,” How should we break into an automobile ?” Later, the sounds of a window being broken can be heard followed by a suspects excited declaration that he found something valuable in the car.
All the while, the dispatcher was listening and seeking clues as to where the two guys might be .Eventually , police were able to locate the two men’s spot and followed them. The suspects could be heard talking about why the police were on their tail .
The mystery was solved when the police pulled them over. Playing it straight, a police officer asked one of the suspects if he had anything in the vehicle that “shouldn’t be in the vehicle.” The man said he didn’t, but a quick search of the car led to the stolen property. The men were confused . They didn’t know why the police came to them so quickly. When they were told the reason, one of the suspects asked, “We really called 911? Damn.”
1. According to Paragraph1, the man dialed 911 because ________| A．he wanted to play a trick on the police | B．he found another man breaking into a car |
| C．he pressed the phone number by accident | D．he wanted to stop his friend from breaking the law |
| A．He realized the men were in great danger |
| B．He realized the men were doing something illegal |
| C．He realized that the owner of the car was in danger |
| D．He realized that two thieves were fighting each other |
| A．where the owner of the car was | B．what the two men had done to the car |
| C．what the two men had got from the car | D．why the police were following the two men |
| A．excited | B．relieved | C．surprised | D．sorry |
