高中英语阅读理解

In May 1987 the Golden Gate Bridge had a 50th birthday party. The bridge was closed to motor traffic so people could enjoy a walk across it. Organizers expected perhaps 50，000 people to show up. Instead， as many as 800，000 crowded the roads to the bridge. By the time 250，000 were on the bridge， engineers noticed something terrible： the roadway was flattening under what turned out to be the heaviest load it had ever been asked to carry. Worse， it was beginning to sway（晃动）. The authorities closed access to the bridge and tens of thousands of people made their way back to land. A disaster was avoided.

The story is one of scores in To Forgive Design： Understanding Failure， a book that is at once a love letter to engineering and a paean （赞歌） to its breakdowns. Its author， Dr. Henry Petroski， has long been writing about disasters. In this book， he includes the loss of the space shuttles （航天飞机） Challenger and Columbia， and the sinking of the Titanic.

Though he acknowledges that engineering works can fail because the person who thought them up or engineered them simply got things wrong， in this book Dr. Petroski widens his view to consider the larger context in which such failures occur. Sometimes devices fail because a good design is constructed with low quality materials incompetently applied. Or perhaps a design works so well it is adopted elsewhere again and again， with seemingly harmless improvements， until， suddenly， it does not work at all anymore.

Readers will encounter not only stories they have heard before， but some new stories and a moving discussion of the responsibility of the engineer to the public and the ways young engineers can be helped to grasp them.

"Success is success but that is all that it is，" Dr. Petroski writes. It is failure that brings improvement.

（1）What happened to the Golden Gate Bridge on its 50th birthday？ 　　

A．	It carried more weight than it could.
B．	It swayed violently in a strong wind.
C．	Its roadway was damaged by vehicles.
D．	Its access was blocked by many people.

（2）Which of the following is Dr. Petroski's idea according to paragraph 3？ 　　

A．	No design is well received everywhere.
B．	Construction is more important than design.
C．	Not all disasters are caused by engineering design.
D．	Improvements on engineering works are necessary.

（3）What does the last paragraph suggest？ 　　

A．	Failure can lead to progress.
B．	Success results in overconfidence.
C．	Failure should be avoided.
D．	Success comes from joint efforts.

（4）What is the text？ 　　

A．	A news report.
B．	A short story.
C．	A book review.
D．	A research article.

The end of the school year was in sight and spirits were high. I was back teaching after an absence of 15 years， dealing with the various kinds of "forbidden fruit" that come out of book bags. Now was the spring of the water pistol （手枪）.

I decided to think up a method of dealing with forbidden fruit.

"Please bring that pistol to me，" I said."I'm going to put it in my Grandma's Box."

"What's that？" they asked.

"It's a large wooden chest full of toys for my grandchildren，" I replied.

"You don't have grandchildren，" someone said.

"I don't now，" I replied. "But someday I will. When I do，my box will be full of wonderful things for them."

My imaginary Grandma's Box worked like magic that spring， and later. Sometimes students would ask me to describe all the things I had in it. Then I would try to remember the different possessions I supposedly had taken away ﹣ since I seldom actually kept them. Usually the offenderwould appear at the end of the day，and I would return the belonging.

The years went by， and my first grandchild Gordon was born. I shared my joy with that year's class. Then someone said， "Now you can use your Grandma's Box." From then on，instead of coming to ask their possessions back， the students would say，"That's okay. Put it in your Grandma's Box for Gordon."

I loved talking about the imaginary box， not only with my students but also with my own children. They enjoyed hearing about all the forbidden fruit I had collected. Then one Christmas I received a surprise gift ﹣ a large， beautifully made wooden chest. My son Bruce had made my Grandma's Box a reality.

（1）What was the author's purpose in having the conversation with the students？ 　

A．	To collect the water pistol.
B．	To talk about her grandchildren.
C．	To recommend some toys.
D．	To explain her teaching method.

（2）What do the underlined words"the offender" in paragraph 8 refer to？ 　　

A．	The student's parent.
B．	The maker of the Grandma's Box.
C．	The author's grandchild.
D．	The owner of the forbidden fruit.

（3）What did the students do after they learned about the birth of Gordon？ 　　

A．	They went to play with the baby.
B．	They asked to see the Grandma's Box.
C．	They made a present for Gordon.
D．	They stopped asking their toys back.

（4）What can we infer about the author？ 　 　

A．	She enjoys telling jokes.
B．	She is a strict and smart teacher.
C．	She loves doing woodwork.
D．	She is a responsible grandmother.

Pali Overnight Adventures offers children and teens exciting experiences this summer. From broadcasting to street art， these are just 4 of the 17 highly unique camps being offered.

Broadcasting Camp

Become the next star reporter， news writer， director or producer. While running every aspect of our own news station， kids and their follow campers will create and host a broadcast airing each night at dinner for the entire camp. Every night it goes on the web， keeping parents and the world informed of the happenings at Pali.

Secret Agent Camp

In the movie Mission Impossible， Tom Cruise made being a secret agent seem like the coolest job ever. Campers who sign up for the 2﹣week secret agent camp can get to know about the life of real secret agents by learning strategies and military skills on the paintball field.

Culinary Camp

If your child enjoys being in the kitchen，then the culinary camp is definitely the right fit. Campers learn technical skills of roasting， frying and cutting， as well as some recipes that they can take home and share with their families.

Street Art Camp

This camp takes creative license to an entirely new level. Campers will share their colorful ideas and imagination with each other and work together to visualize， sketch and paint with non﹣traditional techniques to create the coolest mural（壁画）which will be displayed in public for all to see.

（1）How many camps does Pali Overnight Adventures offer this summer？ 　　

A．	2.
B．	4.
C．	17.
D．	21.

（2）What will campers do at the Broadcasting Camp？ 　 　

A．	Create a website.
B．	Run a news station.
C．	Meet a star reporter.
D．	Hold a dinner party.

（3）Which camp will attract children who are interested in cooking？ 　　

A．	Broadcasting Camp.
B．	Secret Agent Camp.
C．	Culinary Camp.
D．	Street Art Camp.

Certain forms of AI are indeed becoming ubiquitous. For example， algorithms （算法） carry out huge volumes of trading on our financial markets， self﹣driving cars are appearing on city streets， and our smartphones are translating from one language into another. These systems are sometimes faster and more perceptive than we humans are. But so far that is only true for the specific tasks for which the systems have been designed. That is something that some AI developers are now eager to change.

Some of today's AI pioneers want to move on from today's world of "weak" or "narrow" AI， to create "strong" or "full" AI， or what is often called artificial general intelligence （AGI）. In some respects， today's powerful computing machines already make our brains look weak. AGI could， its advocates say， work for us around the clock， and drawing on all available data， could suggest solutions to many problems. DM， a company focused on the development of AGI， has an ambition to "solve intelligence". "If we're successful，" their mission statement reads， "we believe this will be one of the most important and widely beneficial scientific advances ever made."

Since the early days of AI， imagination has outpaced what is possible or even probable. In 1965， an imaginative mathematician called Irving Good predicted the eventual creation of an "ultra﹣intelligent machine …that can far surpass all the intellectual （智力的） activities of any man， however clever." Good went on to suggest that "the first ultra﹣intelligent machine" could be "the last invention that man need ever make."

Fears about the appearance of bad， powerful， man﹣made intelligent machines have been reinforced （强化） by many works of fiction﹣Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and the Terminator film series， for example. But if A I does eventually prove to be our downfall， it is unlikely to be at the hands of human﹣shaped forms like these， with recognisably human motivations such as aggression （敌对行为）. Instead， I agree with Oxford University philosopher Nick Bostrom， who believes that the heaviest risks from AGI do not come from a decision to turn against mankind but rather from a dogged pursuit of set objectives at the expense of everything else.

The promise and danger of true AGI are great. But all of today's excited discussion about these possibilities presupposes the fact that we will be able to build these systems. And， having spoken to many of the world's foremost A I researchers， I believe there is good reason to doubt that we will see AGI any time soon， if ever.

（1）What does the underlined word "ubiquitous" in Paragraph 1 probably mean？ 　　

A．	Enormous in quantity.
B．	Changeable daily.
C．	Stable in quality.
D．	Present everywhere.

（2）What could AGI do for us， according to its supporters？ 　　

A．	Help to tackle problems.
B．	Make brains more active.
C．	Benefit ambitious people.
D．	Set up powerful databases.

（3）As for Irving Good's opinion on ultra﹣intelligent machines， the author is 　 　.

A．	supportive
B．	disapproving
C．	fearful
D．	uncertain

（4）What can be inferred about AGI from the passage？ 　　

A．	It may be only a dream.
B．	It will come into being soon.
C．	It will be controlled by humans.
D．	It may be more dangerous than ever.

For the past five years， Paula Smith， a historian of science， has devoted herself to re﹣creating long﹣forgotten techniques. While doing research for her new book， she came across a 16th﹣century French manuscript （手稿） consisting of nearly 1，000 sets of instructions， covering subjects from tool making to finding the best sand.

The author's intention remains as mysterious （神秘） as his name； he may have been simply taking notes for his own records. But Smith was struck mainly by the fact that she didn't truly grasp any of the skills the author described. "You simply can't get an understanding of that handwork by reading about it，" she says.

Though Smith did get her hands on the best sand， doing things the old﹣fashioned way isn't just about playing around with French mud. Reconstructing the work of the craftsmen （工匠） who lived centuries ago can reveal how they viewed the world， what objects filled their homes， and what went on in the workshops that produced them. It can even help solve present﹣day problems： In 2015， scientists discovered that a 10th﹣century English medicine for eye problems could kill a drug﹣resistant virus.

The work has also brought insights for museums， Smith says. One must know how an object was made in order to preserve it. What's more， reconstructions might be the only way to know what treasures looked like before time wore them down. Scholars have seen this idea in practice with ancient Greek and Roman statues. These sculptures were painted a rainbow of striking colours. We can't appreciate these kinds of details without seeing works of art as they originally appeared﹣ something Smith believes you can do only when you have a road map.

Smith has put the manuscript's ideas into practice. Her final goal is to link the worlds of art and science back together. She believes that bringing the old recipes to life can help develop a kind of learning that highlights experimentation， teamwork， and problem solving.

Back when science﹣then called "the new philosophy"﹣took shape， academics looked to craftsmen for help in understanding the natural world. Microscopes and telescopes were invented by way of artistic tinkering （修补）， as craftsmen experimented with glass to better bend light.

If we can rediscover the values of hands﹣on experience and craftwork， Smith says， we can marry the best of our modern insights with the handiness of our ancestors.

（1）How did Smith feel after reading the French manuscript？ 　　

A．	Confused about the technical terms.
B．	Impressed with its detailed instructions.
C．	Discouraged by its complex structure.
D．	Shocked for her own lack of hand skills.

（2）According to Smith， the reconstruction work is done mainly to 　 　.

A．	restore old workshops
B．	understand the craftsmen
C．	improve visual effects
D．	inspire the philosophers

（3）Why does the author mention museums？ 　　

A．	To reveal the beauty of ancient objects.
B．	To present the findings of old science.
C．	To highlight the importance of antiques.
D．	To emphasise the values of hand skills.

（4）Which would be the best title for this passage？ 　　

A．	Craftsmen Set the Trends for Artists
B．	Craftsmanship Leads to New Theories
C．	Craftsmanship Makes Better Scientists
D．	Craftsmen Reshape the Future of Science

Baggy has become the first dog in the UK﹣and potentially the world﹣to join the fight against air pollution by recording pollutant levels near the ground.

Baggy wears a pollution monitor on her collar so she can take data measurements close to the ground. Her monitor has shown that air pollution levels are higher closer to ground level， which has helped highlight concerns that babies and young kids may be at higher risk of developing lung problems.

Conventional air pollution monitors are normally fixed on lampposts at about nine feet in the air. However， since Baggy stands at about the same height as a child in a pushchair （婴儿车）， she frequently records pollution levels which are much higher than the data gathered by the Environment Agency.

The doggy data research was the idea of Baggy's 13﹣year﹣old owner Tom Hunt and his dad Matt. The English youngster noticed that pollution levels are around two﹣thirds higher close to the ground than they are in the air at the height where they are recorded by the agency. Tom has since reported the shocking findings to the government in an attempt to emphasise that babies are at higher risk of developing asthma （哮喘）.

Matt Hunt said he was "very proud" of his son because "when the boy gets an idea， he keeps his head down and gets on with it， and he really does want to do some good and stop young kids from getting asthma."

"Tom built up a passion for environmental protection at a very early age，" Matt added. "He became very interested in gadgets （小装置）. About one year ago， he got this new piece of tech which is like a test tube. One Sunday afternoon， we went out to do some monitoring， and he said， 'why don't we put it on Baggy's collar and let her monitor the pollution？' So we did it." Tom said， "Most of the time， Baggy is just like any other dog. But for the rest of the time she is a super dog， and we are all really proud of her."

（1）With a monitor on her collar， Baggy can 　 　.

A．	take pollutant readings
B．	record pollutant levels
C．	process collected data
D．	reduce air pollution

（2）What can we learn from the Baggy data？ 　　

A．	High places are free of air pollution.
B．	Higher pushchairs are more risky for kids.
C．	Conventional monitors are more reliable.
D．	Air is more polluted closer to the ground.

（3）What is Tom's purpose of doing the research？ 　　

A．	To warn of a health risk.
B．	To find out pollution sources.
C．	To test his new monitor.
D．	To prove Baggy's abilities.

（4）According to the passage， which word can best describe Tom Hunt？ 　　

A．	Modest.
B．	Generous.
C．	Creative.
D．	Outgoing.

Lancom is a worldwide language learning app and a leader in the online language learning industry with millions of active subscribers. We house a broad range of experts united by the common goal of creating the best language learning tools possible. With advice from AI specialists， art designers and culture researchers， our multi﹣language experts endow （赋予） Lancom with an enormous potential for innovation within the world of language learning. Our courses， totalling 20，000 hours of content in 20 different languages， guarantee you language skills you can use right away.

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（1）Who can provide Lancom with a huge potential for innovation in learning？ 　　

A．	Culture researchers.
B．	AI specialists.
C．	Language experts.
D．	Art designers.

（2）What lies at the core of the Lancom app？ 　 　

A．	A flexible system.
B．	An effective method.
C．	The brain﹣training technique.
D．	The informative content.

（3）Lancom claims that it is unique in its 　　.

A．	personalised courses
B．	multiple languages
C．	pricing policy
D．	service team

Monkeys seem to have a way with numbers．

A team of researchers trained three Rhesus monkeys to associate 26 clearly different symbols consisting of numbers and selective letters with 0﹣25 drops of water or juice as a reward． The researchers then tested how the monkeys combined﹣or added﹣the symbols to get the reward．

Here's how Harvard Medical School scientist Margaret Livingstone， who led the team， described the experiment： In their cages the monkeys were provided with touch screens． On one part of the screen， a symbol would appear， and on the other side two symbols inside a circle were shown． For example， the number 7 would flash on one side of the screen and the other end would have 9 and 8． If the monkeys touched the left side of the screen they would be rewarded with seven drops of water or juice； if they went for the circle， they would be rewarded with the sum of the numbers﹣17 in this example．

After running hundreds of tests， the researchers noted that the monkeys would go for the higher values more than half the time， indicating that they were performing a calculation， not just memorizing the value of each combination．

When the team examined the results of the experiment more closely， they noticed that the monkeys tended to underestimate（低估）a sum compared with a single symbol when the two were close in value﹣sometimes choosing， for example， a 13 over the sum of 8 and 6． The underestimation was systematic： When adding two numbers， the monkeys always paid attention to the larger of the two， and then added only a fraction（小部分）of the smaller number to it．

"This indicates that there is a certain way quantity is represented in their brains， "Dr． Livingstone says． "But in this experiment what they're doing is paying more attention to the big number than the little one．"

（1）What did the researchers do to the monkeys before testing them？ 　　

A．	They fed them．
B．	They named them．
C．	They trained them．
D．	They measured them．

（2）How did the monkeys get their reward in the experiment？ 　 　

A．	By drawing a circle．
B．	By touching a screen．
C．	By watching videos．
D．	By mixing two drinks．

（3）What did Livingstone's team find about the monkeys？ 　　

A．	They could perform basic addition．
B．	They could understand simple words．
C．	They could memorize numbers easily．
D．	They could hold their attention for long．

（4）In which section of a newspaper may this text appear？ 　　

A．	Entertainment．
B．	Health．
C．	Education．
D．	Science．

Before the 1830s，most newspapers were sold through annual subscriptions in America， usually ﹩8 to ﹩10 a year． Today ﹩8 or ﹩10 seems a small amount of money， but at that time these amounts were forbidding to most citizens． Accordingly， newspapers were read almost only by rich people in politics or the trades． In addition， most newspapers had little in them that would appeal to a mass audience． They were dull and visually forbidding． But the revolution that was taking place in the 1830s would change all that．

The trend， then， was toward the "penny paper"﹣a term referring to papers made widely available to the public． It meant any inexpensive newspaper； perhaps more importantly it meant newspapers that could be bought in single copies on the street．

This development did not take place overnight． It had been possible（but not easy）to buy single copies of newspapers before 1830，but this usually meant the reader had to go down to the printer's office to purchase a copy． Street sales were almost unknown． However， within a few years， street sales of newspapers would be commonplace in eastern cities． At first the price of single copies was seldom a penny﹣usually two or three cents was charged﹣and some of the older well﹣known papers charged five or six cents． But the phrase "penny paper " caught the public's fancy， and soon there would be papers that did indeed sell for only a penny．

This new trend of newspapers for "the man on the street" did not begin well． Some of the early ventures（企业）were immediate failures． Publishers already in business， people who were owners of successful papers， had little desire to change the tradition． It took a few youthful and daring businessmen to get the ball rolling．

（1）Which of the following best describes newspapers in America before the 1830s？ 　 　

A．	Academic．
B．	Unattractive．
C．	Inexpensive．
D．	Confidential．

（2）What did street sales mean to newspapers？ 　　

A．	They would be priced higher．
B．	They would disappear from cities．
C．	They could have more readers．
D．	They could regain public trust．

（3）Who were the newspapers of the new trend targeted at？ 　 　

A．	Local politicians．
B．	Common people．
C．	Young publishers．
D．	Rich businessmen．

（4）What can we say about the birth of the penny paper？ 　　

A．	It was a difficult process．
B．	It was a temporary success．
C．	It was a robbery of the poor．
D．	It was a disaster for printers．

For Western designers， China and its rich culture have long been an inspiration for Western creative．

"It's no secret that China has always been a source（来源）of inspiration for designers，" says Amanda Hill， chief creative officer at A+E Networks， a global media company and home to some of the biggest fashion（时尚）shows．

Earlier this year， the China Through A Looking Glass exhibition in New York exhibited 140 pieces of China﹣inspired fashionable clothing alongside Chinese works of art， with the aim of exploring the influence of Chinese aesthetics（美学）on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries． The exhibition had record attendance， showing that there is huge interest in Chinese influences．

"China is impossible to overlook，" says Hill． "Chinese models are the faces of beauty and fashion campaigns that sell dreams to women all over the world， which means Chinese women are not just consumers of fashion ﹣ they are central to its movement． "Of course， not only are today's top Western designers being influenced by China﹣some of the best designers of contemporary fashion are themselves Chinese．" Vera Wang， Alexander Wang， Jason Wu are taking onGalliano， Albaz， Marc Jacobs﹣and beating them hands down in design and sales，" adds Hill．

For Hill， it is impossible not to talk about China as the leading player when discussing fashion． "The most famous designers are Chinese， so are the models， and so are the consumers，" she says． "China is no longer just another market； in many senses it has become the market． If you talk about fashion today， you are talking about China﹣its influences， its direction， its breathtaking clothes， and how young designers and models are finally acknowledging that in many ways．"

（1）What can we learn about the exhibition in New York？ 　 　

A．	It promoted the sales of artworks．
B．	It attracted a large number of visitors．
C．	It showed ancient Chinese clothes．
D．	It aimed to introduce Chinese models．

（2）What does Hill say about Chinese women？ 　　

A．	They are setting the fashion．
B．	They start many fashion campaigns．
C．	They admire super models．
D．	They do business all over the world．

（3）What do the underlined words"taking on" in paragraph 4 mean？ 　　

A．	learning from
B．	looking down on
C．	working with
D．	competing against

（4）What can be a suitable title for the text？ 　　

A．	Young Models Selling Dreams to the World
B．	A Chinese Art Exhibition Held in New York
C．	Differences Between Eastern and Western Aesthetics
D．	Chinese Culture Fueling International Fashion Trends

OPENINGS AND PREVIEWS

Animals Out of Paper

Yolo！Productions and the Great Griffon present the play by Rajiv Joseph，in which an origami（折纸术）artist invites a teenage talent and his teacher into her studio． Merri Milwe directs． In previews． Opens Feb.12．（West Park Presbyterian Church，165 W.86th St.212﹣868﹣4444．）

The Audience

Helen Mirren stars in the play by Peter Morgan，about Queen Elizabeth II of the UK and her private meetings with twelve Prime Ministers in the course of sixty years． Stephen Daldry directs． Also starring Dylan Baker and Judith Ivey． Previews begin Feb.14．（Schoenfeld，236 W.45th St.212﹣239﹣6200．）

Hamilton

Lin﹣Manuel Miranda wrote this musical about Alexander Hamilton，in which the birth of America is presented as an immigrant story． Thomas Kail directs． In previews． Opens Feb.17．（Public，425 Lafayette St.212﹣967﹣7555．）

On the Twentieth Century

Kristin Chenoweth and Peter Gallagher star in the musical comedy by Betty Comden and Adolph Green，about a Broadway producer who tries to win a movie star's love during a cross﹣country train journey． Scott Ellis directs，for Roundabout Theatre Company． Previews begin Feb.12．（American Airlines Theatre，227 W.42nd St.212﹣719﹣1300．）

（1）What is the play by Rajiv Joseph probably about？ 　　

A．	A type of art．
B．	A teenager's studio．
C．	A great teacher．
D．	A group of animals．

（2）Who is the director of The Audience？ 　　

A．	Helen Mirren．
B．	Peter Morgan．
C．	Dylan Baker．
D．	Stephen Daldry．

（3）Which play will you go to if you are interested in American history？ 　　

A．	Animals Out of Paper．
B．	The Audience．
C．	Hamilton．
D．	On the Twentieth Century．

During the rosy years of elementary school（小学）， I enjoyed sharing my dolls and jokes， which allowed me to keep my high social status． I was the queen of the playground． Then came my tweens and teens， and mean girls and cool kids． They rose in the ranks not by being friendly but by smoking cigarettes， breaking rules and playing jokes on others， among whom I soon found myself．

Popularity is a well﹣explored subject in social psychology． Mitch Prinstein， a professor of clinical psychology sorts the popular into two categories： the likable and the status seekers． The likables' plays﹣well﹣with﹣others qualities strengthen schoolyard friendships， jump﹣start interpersonal skills and， when tapped early， are employed ever after in life and work． Then there's the kind of popularity that appears in adolescence： status born of power and even dishonorable behavior．

Enviable as the cool kids may have seemed， Dr． Prinstein's studies show unpleasant consequences． Those who were highest in status in high school， as well as those least liked in elementary school， are "most likely to engage（从事）in dangerous and risky behavior．"

In one study， Dr． Prinstein examined the two types of popularity in 235 adolescents， scoring the least liked， the most liked and the highest in status based on student surveys（调查研究）． "We found that the least well﹣liked teens had become more aggressive over time toward their classmates． But so had those who were high in status． It clearly showed that while likability can lead to healthy adjustment， high status has just the opposite effect on us．"

Dr． Prinstein has also found that the qualities that made the neighbors want you on a play date﹣sharing， kindness， openness ﹣ carry over to later years and make you better able to relate and connect with others．

In analyzing his and other research，Dr． Prinstein came to another conclusion： Not only is likability related to positive life outcomes， but it is also responsible for those outcomes， too． "Being liked creates opportunities for learning and for new kinds of life experiences that help somebody gain an advantage， " he said．

（1）What sort of girl was the author in her early years of elementary school？ 　 　

A． Unkind．

B． Lonely．

C． Generous．

D． Cool．

（2）What is the second paragraph mainly about？ 　 　

A． The classification of the popular．

B． The characteristics of adolescents．

C． The importance of interpersonal skills．

D． The causes of dishonorable behavior．

（3）What did Dr． Prinstein's study find about the most liked kids？ 　 　

A． They appeared to be aggressive．

B． They tended to be more adaptable．

C． They enjoyed the highest status．

D． They performed well academically．

（4）What is the best title for the text？ 　 　

A． Be Nice﹣You Won't Finish Last

B． The Higher the Status， the Better

C． Be the Best﹣You Can Make It

D． More Self﹣Control， Less Aggressiveness

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．

（2）What makes the invention of the smart keyboard possible？ 　 　

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．

（3）What do the researchers expect of the smart keyboard？ 　 　

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．

（4）Where is this text most likely from？ 　 　

A．A diary．

B．A guidebook．

C．A novel．

D．A magazine．

For Canaan Elementary's second grade in Patchogue， N．Y．，today is speech day ，and right now it's Chris Palaez's turn． The 8﹣year﹣old is the joker of the class． With shining dark eyes， he seems like the kind of kid who would enjoy public speaking．

But he's nervous．"I'm here to tell you today why you should …should…"Chris trips on the"﹣ld，"a pronunciation difficulty for many non﹣native English speakers． His teacher ，Thomas Whaley ，is next to him， whispering support．"…Vote for …me …"Except for some stumbles， Chris is doing amazingly well． When he brings his speech to a nice conclusion ，Whaley invites the rest of the class to praise him．

A son of immigrants， Chris started learning English a little over three years ago． Whaley recalls（回想起）how at the beginning of the year，when called upon to read，Chris would excuse himself to go to the bathroom．

Learning English as a second language can be a painful experience． What you need is a great teacher who lets you make mistakes． "It takes a lot for any student，" Whaley explains，"especially for a student who is learning English as their new language，to feel confident enough to say，'I don't know，but I want to know．'"

Whaley got the idea of this second﹣grade presidential campaign project when he asked the children one day to raise their hands if they thought they could never be a president． The answer broke his heart． Whaley says the project is about more than just learning to read and speak in public． He wants these kids to learn to boast（夸耀）about themselves．

"Boasting about yourself，and your best qualities，" Whaley says，"is very difficult for a child who came into the classroom not feeling confident．"

（1）What made Chris nervous？ 　 　

A． Telling a story．

B． Making a speech．

C． Taking a test．

D． Answering a question．

（2）What does the underlined word "stumbles" in paragraph 2 refer to？ 　 　

A． Improper pauses．

B． Bad manners．

C． Spelling mistakes．

D． Silly jokes．

（3）We can infer that the purpose of Whaley's project is to 　 　．

A． help students see their own strengths

B． assess students' public speaking skills

C． prepare students for their future jobs

D． inspire students' love for politics

（4）Which of the following best describes Whaley as a teacher？ 　 C 　

A． Humorous．

B． Ambitious．

C． Caring．

D． Demanding．

Need a Job This Summer？

The provincial government and its partners offer many programs to help students find summer jobs． The deadlines and what you need to apply depend on the program．

Not a student？ Go to the government website to learn about programs and online tools available to help people under 30 build skills， find a job or start businesses all year round．

Jobs for Youth

If you are a teenager living in certain parts of the province， you could be eligible（符合条件）for this program， Which provides eight weeks of paid employment along with training．

Who is eligible： Youth 15﹣18 years old in select communities（社区）．

Summer Company

Summer Company provides students with hands﹣on business training and awards of up to ＄3，000 to start and run their own summer businesses．

Who is eligible： Students aged 15﹣29， returning to school in the fall．

Stewardship Youth Ranger Program

You could apply to be a Stewardship Youth Ranger and work on local natural resource management projects for eight weeks this summer．

Who is eligible： Students aged 16 or 17 at time of hire， but not turning 18 before December 31 this year．

Summer Employment Opportunities（机会）

Through the Summer Employment Opportunities program， students are hired each year in a variety of summer positions across the Provincial Public Service， its related agencies and community groups．

Who is eligible： Students aged 15 or older． Some positions require students to be 15 to 24 or up to 29 for persons with a disability．

（1）What is special about Summer Company？ 　 　

A． It requires no training before employment．

B． It provides awards for running new businesses．

C． It allows one to work in the natural environment．

D． It offers more summer job opportunities．

（2）What is the age range required by Stewardship Youth Ranger Program？ 　 　

A．15﹣18．

B．15﹣24．

C．15﹣29．

D．16﹣17．

（3）Which program favors the disabled？ 　 　

A． Jobs for Youth．

B． Summer Company．

C． Stewardship Youth Ranger Program．

D． Summer Employment Opportunities．