Mobile phones are an important business tool for farmers in rural areas. But they also put a valuable educational tool in their hands.
The University of Illinois in the United States has a project called SAWBO—Scientific Animations Without Borders. It produces educational videos that can be downloaded to cell phones. The goal is to help people in developing countries improve their lives.
One video shows farmers how to make a natural insecticide from neem seeds to prevent insect damage to crops. The process starts with sorting and drying the neem fruits. Then let the fruit dry in the sun for about three or four days, until they become brown. Using a mortar(碾槌) and stick, the fruits are slightly pounded to remove the shells from the fruits without breaking the seed inside.
The videos use computer animation(动画). Some of the animated characters are a little funny looking-like a farmer with a long nose. But the subjects are serious, including a health video on preventing cholera(霍乱). Team member Francisco Seufferheld says the information in the videos is meant to be quickly understood. He says, “The information is digested in such a way that in two minutes, we can transmit a complex idea.”
The researchers tested the seven-minute video on seven mobile phones. They wanted to see if people would share the video using Bluetooth wireless technology. With Bluetooth, files can be passed to a nearby phone even if neither phone is connected to the Internet. As a result, in one month, the video had spread to one hundred eighteen people in fifty different villages. “This is just incredible impact,” said Francisco Seufferheld.
The team has made a few videos so far. These are available in a total of eighty languages, dialects and accents. Professor Barry Pittendrigh says there are plans for more videos later this year.
小题1:What is the text mainly about?| A．A best-selling mobile phone | | B．A valuable educational project for farmers | | C．United States support for developing countries | | D．A new type of scientist –farmer relationship |
小题2:The SAWBO program is introduced in order to ____. | A．raise farmers’ standard of living | | B．do some research on mobile phones | | C．develop farmers’ practical skills | | D．help farmers prevent insect damage to corps |
小题3:The biggest advantage of the program is that it______. | A．includes health video on preventing cholera | | B．can be passed to farmers using Bluetooth technology | | C．can be used to sort and dry the neem fruits | | D．is easy for farmers to understand |
小题4:Which of the following words can best take the place of the word “ pound” in the 3rd paragraph?| A．moved | B．beat | C．picked | D．cut |
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小题1:B
小题2:A
小题3:D
小题4:B |
本文讲述的是手机成为农民手中的受教育的工具。通过动画演示可以很生动的教农民怎样种植庄稼。
小题1:主旨大意题。根据文章第一段they also put a valuable educational tool in their hands.
可知答案为B.
小题2:细节理解题。根据第二段最后一句话可知答案为 A.
小题3:细节理解题。根据第四段Team member Francisco Seufferheld says the information in the videos is meant to be quickly understood.，可知答案为D。
小题4:猜测词义题。根据using a mortar(碾槌) and stick,可知答案为B. |
核心考点
试题【Mobile phones are an important business tool for farmers in rural areas. But the】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
You"ve heard of the fat suit and the pregnancy suit；now meet AGNES—the old person suit．
AGNES stands for “Age Gain Now Empathy(换位体验) System” and was designed by researchers at MIT"s AgeLab to let you know what it feels like—physically—to be 75 years old．“The business of old age demands new tools，”said Joseph Coughlin，director of the AgeLab．“While focus groups and observations and surveys can help you understand what the older consumer needs and wants，young marketers never get that‘Ah ha!’moment of having difficulty opening a jar, or getting in and out of a car．That’s what AGNES provides．”
Coughlin and his team carefully adjusted the suit to make the wearer just as uncomfortable as an old person who has spent a lifetime eating poorly and not doing much exercise．Special shoes provide a feeling of imbalance，while braces on the knees and elbows limit joint mobility．Gloves give the feeling of decreased strength and mobility in the hands and wrists，and earplugs make it difficult to hear high—pitched sounds and soft tones．A helmet with straps(带)attached to it presses the spine(脊柱)，and more straps attached to the shoes decrease hamstring flexibility, and shortens the wearer"s step．
AGNES has been used most recently by a group of students working on a design of an updated walker．By wearing the suit they could see for themselves what design and materials would make the most sense for a physically limited older person．Coughlin said the suit has also been used by clothing companies，car companies and retail goods companies to help them understand the limitations of an older consumer．
“AGNES is not the destiny of everybody,” he said．“She is a badly behaved lady who didn"t eat and exercise very well．A secondary benefit we’ve found with AGNES is that it has become a powerful tool to get younger people to invest in their long-term health．”
小题1:AGNES has been developed to ．| A．make the users more comfortable | | B．1et us understand old people better | | C．help old people move more quickly | | D．produce new tools for the old-age business |
小题2:“An updated walker”(underlined)most likely refers to ．| A．someone who travels a lot | | B．a physically limited old person | | C．some equipment that helps old people walk | | D．a company whose service involves old people |
小题3:Which may be a fact resulting from the “secondary benefit” of AGNES?| A．Young people respect old people． | | B．Old-age business improves their service | | C．Old people eat and exercise well． | | D．Young people eat and exercise well． |
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Trying to leave work at the office is proving to be a challenge for many British workers，with research showing that heavy workloads，conflicts and bosses all make an appearance in dreams．
Work-related issues are the number one topic featuring in dreams，with colleagues invading shut．eye time more than celebrities．More than 20 per cent surveyed admitted that they regularly dream about their boss．One in three dreams about work when they are stressed in their job and a quarter stated that they dream about a colleague if there was a conflict with them earlier that day．
Of the 2,000 people surveyed，20 per cent dreamed more if they were under pressure or stressed．The research found that the average person dreams most nights，with only 12 per cent saying they never dream．However, dreams often leave people confused，with 52 per cent saying they do not make sense and 60 per cent wishing they could know what they mean．
Commenting on the survey carried out by One Poll for Premier Inn hotels，dreams expert Davina MacKail said：“Whether we are asleep or awake．a problem with a colleague or stress at work can really affect us．More than half of the nation stated that their dreams don’t make sense so I have worked with Premier Inn to make a Dream Dictionary to help dreamers to understand why they dream what they do and what those dreams mean．”
A spokesman for Premier Inn said：“It is really important to try to unwind after a hard day at work but that is easier said than done if something is playing on your mind．”
小题1:What Can we infer about the British workers?| A．Most of their dreams are work-related． | | B．Some of them dream about work every night． | | C．They dream of their colleagues more than their boss． | | D．Their dreams involve work more than anything else． |
小题2:The survey shows that most people ．| A．dream more under pressure | | B．never dream at all | | C．don’t understand their dreams | | D．interpret their dreams well |
小题3:Davina MacKail expects people to use his Dream Dictionary when they ．| A．have had a dream | | B．want to prevent dreams | | C．feel stressed and need relaxation | | D．do research about dreams |
小题4:According to the spokesman for Premier Inn，it’s hard to relax if we ．| A．dream about work while asleep | | B．keep thinking hard | | C．have sounds ringing in the mind | | D．sleep in a noisy environment |
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Have you ever had to decide whether to go shopping or stay home and watch TV on a weekend? Now you 36 do both at the same time. Home shopping television networks have become a 37 for many people to shop without 38 having to leave their homes.
Some shoppers are 39 of department stores and supermarkets — 40
the crowds, waiting in long lines, and sometimes having slight 41 of finding anything they want to buy. They’d rather sit quietly at home in front of the TV set and 42 a friendly announcer describe a product 43 a model shows it. And they can 44 around the clock, buying something 45 by making a phone call.
Department stores and even mail-under companies are 46 to join in the success of home shopping. Large department stores are busy 47 their own TV channels to encourage TV shopping in the future. 48 can ask questions about products and place 49 , all through their TV sets.
Will shopping by television 50 take the place of shopping in stores? Some industry managers think so. 51 many people find shopping at a 52 store a great enjoyment. And for many shoppers, it is still important to 53 or try on dresses they want to buy. That’s 54 specialists say that in the future, home shopping will 55 together with store shopping but will never entirely replace it.
| 小题1: | | A．must | B．should | C．shall | D．can |
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| 小题2: | | A．programme | B．way | C．reason | D．purpose |
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| 小题3: | | A．ever | B．never | C．still | D．once |
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| 小题4: | | A．proud | B．fond | C．tired | D．careful |
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| 小题5: | | A．fighting | B．striking | C．treating | D．stopping |
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| 小题6: | | A．sense | B．doubt | C．hope | D．feeling |
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| 小题7: | | A．see | B．watch | C．let | D．notice |
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| 小题8: | | A．until | B．since | C．if | D．while |
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| 小题9: | | A．shop | B．wait | C．turn | D．deliver |
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| 小题10: | | A．suitably | B．cheaply | C．simply | D．hardly |
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| 小题11: | | A．nervous | B．lucky | C．equal | D．eager |
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| 小题12: | | A．putting up | B．making up | C．setting up | D．looking up |
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| 小题13: | | A．Guests | B．Assistants | C．Managers | D．Customers |
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| 小题14: | | A．orders | B．goods | C．books | D．answers |
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| 小题15: | | A．lastly | B．finally | C．especially | D．fortunately |
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| 小题16: | | A．Then | B．Yet | C．However | D．Therefore |
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| 小题17: | | A．general | B．popular | C．real | D．true |
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| 小题18: | | A．design | B．make | C．wear | D．touch |
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| 小题20: | | A．exist | B．practise | C．follow | D．appear |
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For some people, the prospect of starting college, especially going away to school, is scary. It’s probably the first time that you’ll be totally responsible for your own schedule. What if you intend to go to college but just don’t feel ready to start yet-for whatever reason-and you don’t want to take on a full-time job after graduation? You might want to take a year off to pause and regroup. This practice is common in some countries, like the United Kingdom, where it’s called a “gapyear”.
Taking time off doesn’t mean you should ignore the idea of applying to college. In fact, you may want to consider making your college plans before you become involved in other things, especially if you’ll be travelling. Apply to schools and make your choice, then ask for a deferred admission. Rachel took a year off and worked in New York City between college and medical school. She says that she had to be extremely well organized about planning for medical school so she didn’t miss any of her deadlines. “Not only did I have to apply to schools and make plans to take my MCAT exams, I also had to make all my living arrangements and other plans for my year off!”
Even if you decide not to apply to college, it can be a great idea to take a year to do something you may not have an opportunity to do again. Lots of volunteer organizations would welcome your time and energy and would provide you with a wonderful learning experience. If you take a year off you will learn some great life skills-like living on a tight budget! If you take a year off you’ll pay your way while you are traveling or doing volunteer work.
小题1:What’s the best title of the passage?| A．Taking Time Off | | B．Disadvantages of a “Gap Year” | | C．Plans after Graduation | | D．How to Apply to College |
小题2:Going on a “gap year” means _____.| A．asking for a year’s leave to rest at home | | B．taking a year off to pause and regroup | | C．ignoring the idea of applying to college | | D．travelling around the world before going to college |
小题3:The author takes Rachel for example in the second paragraph in order to show _____.| A．it’s not easy to take a year off | | B．it’s interesting to take a “gap year” | | C．what taking time off is like | | D．how to apply to schools |
小题4:Which of the following is NOT the benefit of taking a year off?| A．You’ll learn some great life skills. | | B．You’ll make full preparation for starting college. | | C．You’ll earn much money by taking on a full-time job. | | D．You’ll gain a wonderful learning experience by joining in a volunteer organization. |
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A new era is upon us. Call it what you will: the service economy, the information age, the knowledge society. It has changed the way we work. Already we’re partly there. The percentage of people who earn their living by making things has fallen dramatically in the Western World. Today the majority of jobs in America, Europe and Japan (two thirds or more in many of these countries) are in the service industry, and the number is on the rise. More women are in the work force than ever before. There are more part-time jobs. More people are self-employed. But the breadth (广度) of the economic transformation can’t be measured by numbers alone, because it also is giving rise to a basic new way of thinking about the nature of work itself. Long-held concepts about jobs and careers, the skills needed to succeed, even the relation between individuals and employers — all these are being challenged.
We have only to look behind us to get some sense of what may lie ahead. No one looking ahead 20 years possibly could have foreseen the ways in which a single invention, the chip (芯片), would transform our world thanks to its applications in personal computers, digital communications and factory robots. Tomorrow’s achievements in biotechnology, artificial intelligence or even some still unimagined technology could produce a similar wave of dramatic changes. But one thing is certain: information and knowledge will become even more important, and the people who possess it, whether they work in manufacturing (制造业) or services, will have the advantage and produce the wealth. Computer knowledge will become as basic a requirement as the ability to read and write. The ability to solve problems by applying information instead of performing routine tasks will be valued above all else. If you cast your mind ahead 10 years, information services will be predominant (最重要的). It will be the way you do your job.
小题1:One of the great changes caused by the knowledge society is that ______.| A．most people have to take part-time jobs | | B．people have to change their jobs from time to time | | C．people’s traditional concepts about work are no longer completely true | | D．the difference between the employee and the employer has become unimportant |
小题2:The future will probably belong to those who ______.| A．have more brains | | B．are involved in the service industries | | C．cast their mind ahead instead of looking back | | D．possess and know how to make use of information |
小题3:Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?| A．Computers and the knowledge society | | B．Features and meanings of the New Era | | C．Service Industries in the Modern Society | | D．Rapid Advancement of Information Technology |
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