话题阅读 Topic 20 Popular Science and Modern Technology (科普知识与现代技术)
初三科技促进英语阅读理解20题
初三科技促进英语阅读理解20题1<背景文章>Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more and more popular in our daily lives. It can be found in many fields, such as education, healthcare, and transportation. For example, in education, AI can help students learn better by providing personalized learning plans. In healthcare, AI can assist doctors in diagnosing diseases and predicting the risk of diseases. In transportation, AI can be used to develop self-driving cars, which can make our travel safer and more convenient.AI is also widely used in our daily communication. For instance, many chatbots are powered by AI. They can answer our questions and have conversations with us. Moreover, some translation apps use AI technology to translate texts accurately and quickly. With the help of these apps, we can communicate with people from different countries easily.In addition, AI is playing an important role in entertainment. Some video games use AI to create more realistic game environments and opponents. And some music apps can recommend songs based on our listening habits.AI has brought many benefits to our lives. However, it also raises some concerns. For example, some people worry that AI may replacehuman workers and cause unemployment. Others are concerned about the privacy and security issues related to AI.1. What can AI do in education?A. Teach students directly.B. Provide personalized learning plans.C. Replace teachers.D. Do nothing.答案：B。
2023年八年级暑期话题阅读每日一练：科普知识与现代技术(含解析)
2023年八年级暑期话题阅读每日一练：科普知识与现代技术（含解析）2023年八年级暑期话题阅读每日一练：科普知识与现代技术（共6题）一、阅读理解题（共6题）根据短文内容，判断正误。
Now, it seems that artificial intelligence (人工智能) is becoming more and more popular in our life, and it has greatly influenced the ways we live, work and play. Can you imagine that you can play table tennis with a robot one dayRecently, a scientist has invented a special robot that can be a table tennis coach. That means people can practice table tennis not only with humans but also with a robot.Named Forpheus, the smart table tennis robot is quite special. It can study the movements of human players and the speeds of the ball. In this way, it can exactly judge (判断) the player' skill levels (水平). Then it uses the information to change the ways to play. If the player are just beginners, Forpheus will play in a slow and easy way, but if the players are better ones, the robot will play in a faster and more difficult way. What's more, while playing, it encourages players to try their beat with words like "Good job!", "Come on!" and so on. At the same time, it givessome good advice to improve their skills. So it is both a good partner and a clever coach.Science and technology is developing quickly these days and it's hard to imagine what will happen in the future. "In the next 20 years, it will be possible that one robot teaches another to play table tennis or even invents another one!" Takuoya, the inventor of the robot, said.(1) Artificial intelligence has influenced people's life in many ways.(2) Forpheus is the name of the inventor of the robot.(3) The robot can judge the skill levels of human players exactly.(4) One robot will probably teach another to play table tennis in the future.(5) The robot can encourage the human players, but it can't give advice.阅读短文，完成后面题目。
高考英语阅读话题
高考英语阅读话题篇一：高中英语新课标和高考考试说明列出的24个话题高中英语新课标和高考考试说明列出的24个话题高中英语新课标和高考考试说明列出的24个话题1.Personal information 个人情况2.Family, friends and people around 家庭、朋友与周围的人3.Personal environment 周围的环境4.Daily routines日常活动5.School life 学校生活6.Interest and hobbies 兴趣与爱好7.Emotions 个人情感8.Interpersonal relationships 人际关系9.Plans and intentions 计划与愿望10.Festivals, holidays and celebrations 节假日活动11.Shopping 购物12.Food and drink饮食13.Health 健康14.Weather 天气15.Entertainment and sports 文娱与体育16.Travel and transport 旅游与交通nguage learning 语言学习18.Nature 自然19.The world and the environment 世界与环境20.Popular science and modern technology 科普知识与现代技术21.T opical Issues 热点话题22.History and geography 历史与地理23.Society 社会24.Literature and art 文学与艺术研究近年的高考写作题不难发现所涉及的话题都在课标或考试说明列出的24个话题之内。
根据高考写作题的命题特点，可将这24个话题整合成16个话题进行备考。
高中英语话题作文归纳与训练1◆人物人品☆课标解读指本人、家人、邻居、同学、老师、朋友和其他人的情况介绍。
牛津上海版高二年级英语第一学期话题阅读(二)science and technology(有答案)
话题阅读（二）science and technology(A)What is an insect? Insects of all kinds have existed on earth for millions of years. Sometimes we think of all insects as pests. Human life, however, would have a difficult time continuing without insects, because they pollinate plants and are a food source for many animals. Besides, insects, especially the social ones, are fascinating.One very interesting and useful social insect is the honey bee. Bees are considered social insects because they live and work together. They cooperate and communicate in order to survive. The bee lives in a beehive with other worker bees, and with the queen, who can lay thousands of eggs a day. The worker bees make wax used to create new cells inside the hive. Humans use this valuable beeswax in candles, cosmetics, expensive furniture polish, and other products. They also produce honey, a valuable food for humans (as well as for bees).Another fascinating social insect is the ant. Many types of ants live in colonies underground. There thousands of them build and maintain their "city". They keep it clean and free of enemies. They also cooperate to provide food, sometimes in a manner that looks human. For example, some ants actually raise their own food. One type of ant "farmer" keeps and cares for tiny insects that suck sweet sap from plants. Ant farmers milk them for the sap, just like actual farmers milk cows. The sap is then given as food to young ants and to the queen, whose main duty is to lay eggs. Another type of ant that produces its own food does so by gardening. These farmer ants take pieces of leaves into the colony and chew them up. The soft, chewed up leaves then sprout a fungus that the worker ants use to feed the queen and young ants. There are many other ways that ants cooperate to maintain and protect their colonies.There are also many other kinds of social insects. What makes them all so fascinating is their organization. Although each insect has certain tasks to perform, the entire hive or colony appears to function as one living organism.Word Bankbeehive n. 蜂窝sap n. 汁液sprout v. 涌出beewax n. 蜂蜡13. What does the word "pollinate" probably mean?A. Fertilize.B. Provide.C. Cultivate.D. Harvest.14. What is the reason humans think that beeswax is valuable?A.It can only be found inside of a beehive.B.It provides good food for humans.C.It is used in many helpful products.D.It is a food source for manyanimals.15. The passage is mainly about _________________ .A.different types of insectsB.the differences between bees and antsC.social insects and their featuresD.the differences between insects and pests16. Which of the following is NOT TRUE about bees and ants according to the passage?A.They both are social insects who live and work together.B.They both have their own queens whose main duty is to lay eggs.C.They need to communicate and cooperate so as to survive.D.They are fascinating insects who can raise and produce food.ACCD(B)It seems to be programmed into all of us the desire to be greater, to go further, to break down the boundaries. When we look to the stars, some of us wonder, "How far can we go?" Some scientists say not only will we go far, but we'll go soon.Seem believable? You know, it's not unreasonable to think that you might spend a couple of weeks vacationing in space or, who knows, maybe move on to another planet. I mean, who thought that Nell Armstrong was gonna walk on the moon, right? When he took those first steps, they seemed like real small steps, and if we start moving into another planets on our solar system, there are gonna be in small steps, too, but then, when we look back at the big picture, it's gonna seem like a giant leap.In our ever-shrinking world, it seems there are no more hills to climb, no new oceans to cross. Modern adventures are looking more and more to the heavens as the next explorablefrontier (疆界-).That adventure includes some fantastic ideas. Space hotel projects are in development across the country. Space Island Group of California plans to use empty fuel tanks and a space shuttle (区间内往返的车辆) to build a giant space hotel that will orbit the moon. The hotel could house up to 300 space guests, with a view that would be out of this world.The desire to vacation or adventure in space seems to be realistically within our reach. Is the space of our tomorrow filled with private rockets and space hotels?BEAFD(C)Nicotine(尼古丁) reaches the brain ten seconds after being breathed in. After repeated use, the brain and body become physically dependent on the drug.Smokers develop wrinkles at a younger age. Their teeth and fingers also become stained.Smokers are more likely to get cancer of the mouth than nonsmokers. Tobacco juice damages gums and teeth. Pipe smokers are more likely to get lip cancer. Tobacco smoke irritates the throat and can cause throat cancer. Smoking can make the voice thick and gravelly. It can ruin a singer's voice.Smokers are four times more likely than non-smokers to develop heart disease. Smokingputs stress on the heart and leads to high blood pressure. Smoking damages the air spaces in the lungs, causing "smoker's cough" , a disease that makes breathing difficult. Of those who die from this disease, 85% are smokers. Nicotine increases the production of stomach acid (酸) Smoking is also believed to double the risk of cancer of the digestive system.1. What is the effect of the repeated use of nicotine on the brain?2.If 20 non-smokers suffer from heart disease, it is likely smokers have thesame disease.3.According to the passage, it can be estimated that the number of smokers under the attack ofstomach cancer is likely to that of the nonsmokers.4.What percentage of the patients who die from "smoker's cough" are non-smokers?1.It becomes physically dependant on the poisonous chemical.2.803.be twice as many as \ double4.15%(D)Special trees that grow faster, fight pollution, produce better wood, and even sense chemical attacks are being planted by scientists in the US.When 40 percent of Hawaii's US $ 14 million-a-year papaya industry was destroyed by a virus five years ago, work began on creating genetically engineered trees.Researchers successfully introduced seed that were designed to resist the virus. Since then, more and more people have been testing genetically engineered trees.Some researchers put special bacteria into trees to help them grow faster and produce better wood. Others are trying to create trees that can clean polluted soil.Meanwhile fruit farmers are looking for trees that are strong enough to resist worms, and paper companies want trees that produce more wood and therefore more paper.The Pentagon even gave the researchers US $ 500,000 this year after they developed a pine tree that changes its colours if it senses a chemical attack.So far, the poplar, eucalyptus , apple and coffee trees are among those being engineered. All this can be done today because we have a better understanding of tree genomes.However, some people fear that the genetically engineered trees will cause dangerous results. They are worried that the new trees will breed with natural species and change the balance of the forest environment."It could be destructive," said Jim Diamond, an environmentalist. "Trees are what is left of our natural environment and home to many endangered species."But researchers insist that science could give nature a fighting change against both natural and man-made dangers.They hope to answer the critics by stopping the new trees from breeding, so their effecton the environment can be controlled. W ord Bankpapaya n. 木瓜poplar 杨树eucalyptus 桉树Pentagon n. 五角大楼1. Which kind of tree is not the ones that scientists are planting in the US?A.Trees that worms can't hurt.B.Trees that can protect themselves at a chemical attack.C.Trees that can resist wind better.D.Genetically engineered trees.2. What caused the American scientists to work on special trees?A.They think science could give nature a fighting chance against both natural andman-made dangers.B.Great numbers of trees have been lost due to attacks by viruses.C.Researchers successfully introduced seeds designed to resist the virus.D.Tree genomes are mapped out so scientists know how to improve trees.3. Which of the following was probably the first kind of trees being engineered?A. Papaya.B. Pine.C. Apple.D. Poplar.4. Why did critics think engineered trees dangerous?A.Because these trees can destroy the balance of nature.B.Because everything except trees has been genetically engineered.C.Because trees are home to many endangered species.D.Because these trees may affect normal trees.CBAD(E)Most episodes of absent-mindedness—forgetting where you left something or wondering why you just entered a room—are caused by a simple lack of attention. Schacter says, "You're supposed to remember something, but you haven't encoded it deeply. "Encoding, Schacter explains, is a special way of paying attention to an event that has a major impact on recalling it later. Failure to encode properly can create annoying situations. If you put your mobile phone in a pocket, for example, and don't pay attention to what you did because you're involved in a conversation, you Ml probably forget that the phone is in the jacket now hanging in your wardrobe. "Your memory itself isn't failing you," says Schacter. "Rather, you didn't give your memory system the information it needed."Lack of interest can also lead to absent-mindedness. "A man who can recite sports statistics from 30 years ago," says Zelinski, "may not remember to drop a letter in the mailbox." Women have slightly better memories than men, possibly because they pay more attention to their environment, and memory depends on just that.clear and available," he cautions. If you want to remember to take a medication with lunch, put thepill bottle on the kitchen table—don't leave it in the medicine chest and write yourself a note that you keep in a pocket.Another common episode of absent-mindedness:walking into a room and wondering why you're there. Most likely, you were thinking about something else. "Everyone does this from time to time," says Zelinski. The best thing to do is to return to where you were before entering the room, and you'll likely remember.Word Bankepisodes. 事件，插曲encode v. 把......译成电码（密码）5. We can learn from the passage that encoding _________________ .A.slows down the process of losing our memoriesB.helps us understand our memory system betterC.gets us to recall something from our memoriesD.helps us to find out the mobile phone in thepocket6. Why do women have better memories than men?A.Because they seldom use their mobile phones.B.Because they are more nervous about the environment.C.Because they are more interested in what's happening around them.D.Because they usually take some special medicine to improve memories.7. The underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 means that____________________ .A. a note in the pocket will easily get lostB.putting something in sight can be a good reminderC.taking medicine can get rid of absent-mindednessD.people of absent-mindedness must take medicine withthem8. What is the passage mainly about?A.The causes of absent-mindedness.B.The environment and memory.C. A way of encoding and recalling.D.The process of gradual memory loss. CCBA。
popular science reading科技阅读
1．科普文章的文体特点及其翻译Features of Popular Science Reading and Its Translation科普文章是普及科学知识的读物，它包罗万象，涉及天文、地理、物理、化学、生物、医学等方面知识，其形式也多样化，有科学小丛书、百科全书、科普文摘、科学史、科学家传记等。
科普文章内容上着重常识性、知识性和趣味性，语言上通俗易懂，深入浅出，语句简短，多用普通词汇。
在翻译这类文章时应忠实于原文风格，用生动灵活、浅显易懂的汉语普及科学知识。
例1Food quickly spoils and decomposes if it is not stored correctly. Heat and moisture encourage the multiplication of microorganisms, and sunlight can destroy the vitamins in such foods as milk. Therefore, most foods should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place which is also clean and well ventilated.Foods that decompose quickly, such as meat, eggs, and milk should be stored in a temperature of 5ºC-10ºC. In this temperature range, the activity of microorganisms is considerably reduced. In warm climates, this temperature can be maintained only in a refrigerator or in the underground basement of a house. In Britain, for six months of the year at least, this temperature range will be maintained in an unheated room that faces the north or the east. Such a room will be ideal for food storage during the winter months provided that it is well ventilated. （王佐良,丁往道;1987）分析: 从文章的逻辑关系来看，这篇文章组织严密, 逻辑性强。
英语听说考试三问五答训练必背材料
广东省英语听说考试(三问五答)训练必背材料1、个人情况(personal information)(1)When were you born? I was born in May./June/march(2)Where were you born? I was born in Changsha.(3)Where do you live? I live in Changsha.(4)Which class are you in? I am in Class 11/13.do you think of yourself?2.Do you think you are able to take care of yourself?( 1 ) How old are you? ( 2 ) Do you enjoy your school life?( 3 ) When do you get up every day? ( 4 ) Are you interested in English? Why?话题：Personal information(个人情况)( 1 ) Are you a happy boy/girl? ( 2 ) How old are you?( 3 ) How many people are there in your family? ( 4 ) Do you love your family? Why?2.学校生活(School life)(1) Do you think you are a good student? Yes, I think so.(2) Are you interested in English? Yes, I am.(3) How many subjects do you have? Seven.(4) Do you like your school? Why? Yes, I do. Because it’s the best.①How many days do you go to school every week? Five.②Can you tell me five subjects you study at school? English, Chinese, maths, history, .③Which is more popular in your school, football or basketball? Football/Basketball.④Do you have a lot of homework to do every day? Yes, I do./No, I don’t⑤Can you say something about your class?Yes. My class is a good one. All my classmates are very friendly.话题：School life(学校生活)( 1 ) Do you go to school every day? ( 2 ) When do you usually get to school?( 3 ) What do you usually do after school? ( 4 ) Do you like your school? Why?3、家庭、朋友与周围的人(Family, friends and people around)(1)Do you love your family? Yes, I do.(2)How many people are there in your family? There.(3)What does your father do? He is a teacher. /a driver./an officer.(4)Do you have many friends? Yes, I do.(5)Who is your best friend? _____________.(6)What do you often do when you get together? We often play football./chat with each other.(1) Are you happy at home? Why? Yes, I am. Because I love my family.(2) Do you prefer big families or small families? Small families./Big families.(3) Could you tell me something about your family? My family is a big one.(WORES：grandparents, parents, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, schoolmate, classmate, teacher etc.) 话题：Family, friends and people around(家庭、朋友与周围的人)( 1 ) Is your mother a doctor? ( 2 ) How old is your father?( 3 ) What do you often do when you stay at home? ( 4 ) Do you love your family? Why?4、日常活动(Daily routines)(1)Are you busy these days? Yes, I am.(2)Do you have classes from Monday to Friday? Yes, I do.(3)How do you usually go to school? By bus./ On foot./By bike.(4)Where do you have your lunch? At home./ At school.(5)How do you spend your free time? I watch TV./Play games./ play basketball.②What time do you usually go to school in the morning? At：7：00②Is your school for from your home? Yes, it is./No, it isn’t③What do you usually do on Sundays? I do some sports./I have a good rest.④What do you do in the morning? I do morning exercises./I have breakfast.1、Do you do exercise every day?2、What time do you usually get up?3、What do you usually do after school?4、What time do you go to bed?5、When do you usually have supper?6、How far is it from your home to your school?7、Do you watch TV every day? 8、How do you get to school?话题：Daily routines(日常活动)( 1 ) Do you play basketball every day? ( 2 ) What time do you usually get up?( 3 ) What do you usually do after supper? ( 4 ) Do you like watching TV? Why?5、周围的环境(personal environments)(1)Is there a supermarket near here? Yes, there is.(2)Where did you buy your schoolbag? In the supermarket.(3)How much is your bag? 50 yuan.(4)DO you like the bag? Why? Yes, I do.①Where is your hometown? Changsha.②Is there any river near your home? Yes, there is.③Do you live in the city or in the country? In the city.④Which do you prefer, living in the city or living in the country? Why?I prefer living in the country. Because the country is quite and the air is fresh.话题：Personal environments(周围的环境)(1)Is there a river near your home? (2)How often do you clean your classroom?(3)What can we do to keep our school nice and clean?(4)Do you think Changsha is a beautiful city? Why?6、兴趣与爱好(1)Do you like playing football? Yes, I do.(2)Are you interested in watching TV? Yes, I am.(3)What is your favorite color? Red./Blue.(4)Which subject do you like best? English./Maths./.(5)What do you usually do in your free time? I watch. TV.①DO you like sports? Yes, I do.②Do you have much time on sports? Yes, I do.③What is the most popular sport in China? Tabletennis.④When will the next Olympic Games be held in Beijing? In 2008.⑤How do you spend your free time? I listen to music./read some books.1、What kind of music do you like?2、Do you like pop singers/music?3、What kind of singers do you like best?4、What kind of movies do you like?5、Do you like watching TV? Why or why not?(WORDS：music, dance, do sports, computer games, collect stamps, collect coins, collect dolls, read books, newspapers, comics, listen to radio, watch TV, have parties, go for picnics)话题：Interests and hobbies (兴趣与爱好)(1)Do you like playing basketball?(2)Who is the best basketball player in your class?(3)What’s your hobby? (4)Is playing computer games too much good or bad? Why?7、个人感情(Emotions)(1) Are you happy today? Yes, I am. (2) Do you like pop music? Yes, I do.(3) Who is the most popular teacher in your school? .(4) Will you get angry if your friend hit you? Why? No. I won’t. Because I think friendship is the most important. (WORDS：Happy, sad, angry, upset, pleased, proud, lonely, worried, nervous, afraid, smile cry)话题：Emotions (个人感情)( 1 ) Are you happy today? ( 2 ) How are you getting on with your family members?( 3 ) Who is your favorite teacher? ( 4 ) Do you love your father? Why?8、人际关系(Interpersonal relationships)(1)Do you have any brothers or sisters? Yes, I do.(2)Who do you usually ask for help? My friends./My mother./My sister.(3)Do you have any good friends? Yes, I do.(4)Are you getting on well with your friends? Yes, I am.(5) Can you say something about your best friend? My best friend is …He is tall.话题：Interpersonal relationships (人际关系)( 1 ) Do you have any friends? ( 2 ) Who is your best friend?( 3 ) What do you often do when you’re with your friends?( 4 ) Can your parents be your friends? Why?话题：Language learning (语言学习)(1)Is it easy for you to learn English? (2) Who is your English teacher?(3)How to study English well? (4) Do you like Chinese? Why?(4)Do you have a foreign teacher in your school? Yes, we do.(5)Have you ever talked with a foreigner? Yes, I have.(6) How do you learn English? By reading aloud./ By listening to the radio./ By watching videos.17、自然(Nature)(1)Is there a garden in your school? Yes, there is.(2)What can you see in a garden? I can see flowers and grass.(3)How often do you go to the zoo? Once a year.(4)What’s your favorite animal? Cats.Why do you like the animal? Because they are cute and lovely.(5)Do you think it’s good to keep the animals in the zoo? Why or why not?No, I don’t think so. Because the animals are not free and they (WORDS：trees, bushes, grass, flowers/ dogs, cats, tigers, lions, sheep, endangered animals, pets, zoo)话题：Nature (自然)(1) Do you love the nature? (2) Have you ever been to seaside?(3) Which is bigger, the sun or the moon?(4) Where is the most beautiful place in our country? Why?18、世界和环境(The world and the environment)(1)Can you tell me five countries in the world? China, Great Britain, the USA, Canada, Japan(2) Which country do you want to travel to? Canada.(3)Do you like living in Changsha? Yes, I do.(4) What do you think of Changsha? It’s clean and beautiful./It’s a little crowded. (WORDS：countries：China, Great Britain, the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Russia, India Egypt/ clean, Dirty, crowed, polluted.)话题：The world and the environment(世界与环境)(1)Do you like snow? (2) What did you do when it snowed last winter?(3)What can we do to make our city nice and clean?(4) Do you think our environment is it better now? Why?19、科普知识与现代技术(Popular science aid modern technology)(1)Do you have a computer? Yes, I do.(2)How often do you surf the Internet? Twice/ Once a week.(3)What can you get from the Internet? Some information and news.(4)Do you think students should be allowed to play computer games? Why or why not?Yes, I think so. Because we can learn something new from the internet.话题：Popular science and modern technology (科普知识与现代技术)(1) Do you like science? (2) Have you got a computer?(3) Where do you have your IT class? (4) Do you think that internet is helpful? Why?20.口语考试中的难点问题1—1)What do you think of your school(1ife)?It’s great2)What do you think of our environment? It’s not so good.3)What do you think of your parents/teachers? They’re great.4)What do you often do wh en it’s hot in summer? I often go swimming.5)What do you often do on New Year’s Day? I often play with my family members.6)What do you usually do when you’re flee? I do some reading/shopping.7)What do you want to be when you grow up? A teacher8)What time do you usually have sports? After school：9)What can we do to improve our environment?We can plant some trees，protect our rivers and lakes and take buses instead of cars.10)What’s your hobby / your favorite food? P1aying soccer /Beef.11) What’s the weather like here in winter? It’s cold。
专题 20 命题选材视角之语言学习-高考英语阅读理解精讲精练 (解析版)
专题 20 命题选材视角之语言学习40周年，随着改革向“深水区”推进，中外交流越来越多，语言学习或为高考的热门话题，通过阅读此类话题文章考生不仅可以领略西方语言尤其是英语的特点，而且可以了解语言背后的文化差异，从而培养考生积极的语言学习态度和浓厚的学习兴趣；培养考生良好的语言学习习惯。
在AThe Mandarin (普通话)speaking figure spins around a 360degree restaurant scene in an artificial intelligencedriven instruction program that looks like a giant video game. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute students testing the technology move inside the 12foothigh projection (投影) to order virtual bean curd from the panda waiter, chat with Beijing market sellers and practice Tai chi by mirroring moves of a watchful teacher.“Definitely less anxiety than mess ing it up with a real human being，”says Rahul Divekar, a computer science graduate student. “So compared to that anxiety, this is a lot more easy.”The Mandarin Project is a joint enterprise of RPI and IBM. Cognitive and Immersive Systems Laboratory researchers are developing a sort of smart room that can understand students' words, answer their questions and observe their gesture s. Lessons are presented as games or tasks, like ordering a meal.Divekar orders Peking duck —“Beijing kaoya” — and the panda fetch es the virtual dish. Divekar says the food is good —“Cai hen hao chi” — but he can't pay the bill. No problem, the panda replies —“Ni keyi xi pan zi” — you can wash the dishes.Other scenes include an outdoor market and a garden, each a high-tech twist on cultural immersion.“Our plan is to complete several scenes of real life in China, to let the student be able to have a virtual trip over there，”says Hui Su, director of the lab at RPI.Tests on the room with students studying Mandarin will continue this school year as they work on additional scenes, including an airport. A six-week course is being readied for the summer.The Mandarin Project is notable for its scale and complexity. Computers interpret speech and gesture to keep a dialogue going. When a student points to a picture and asks “What's that？”computers can come up with an answer. Still, language teachers need not fear for their jobs just yet. Developers of the Mandarin Project say it isn't advanced enough right now to completely replace classroom instruction.RPI president Shirley Ann Jackson foresee s the same type of technology being applied to other space s, such as corporate boardrooms. “We're not at the end of the line，”Jackson says, “but closer to the beginning.”1．What is the advantage of learning via the Mandarin Project?A．It is thrilling.B．It is relaxing.C．It is effective. D．It is demanding.2．How do students learn Chinese in the Mandarin Project?A．By doing tests in the smart rooms.B．By learning from language teachers.C．By playing video games with Chinese.D．By conducting tasks in designed situations.3．Which of the following scenes is to be developed?A．Ordering food.B．Practicing Tai chi.C．Waiting at the airport.D．Buying things in a market.4．What can we infer from the last paragraph?A．Language teachers will be jobless soon.B．The technology has a promising future.C．The technology has come to an end.D．More foreigners will learn Chinese.BLanguages have been coming and going for thousands of years, but in recent times there has been less coming and a lot more going. When the world was still populated by hunter-gatherers，small, tightly knit (联系)groups developed their own pattern s of speech independent of each other. Some language expert s believe that 10,000 years ago, when the world had just five to ten million people, they spoke perhaps 12,000 languages between them.Soon afterwards, many of those people started settling down to become farmers, and their languages too became more settled and fewer in number. In recent centuries, trade，industrialization, the development of the nation-state and the spread of universal compulsory education. Especially globalization and better communications in the past few decade s, all have caused many languages to disappear，and dominant languages such as English，Spanish and Chinese are increasingly taking over.At present, the world has about 6,800 languages. The distribution of these languages is hugely uneven. The general rule is that mild zone s have relatively few languages. Often spoken by many people while hot wet zones have lots, often spoken by small numbers. Europe has only around 200 Languages: the Americas about 1,000，Africa 2,400; and Asia and the Pacific perhaps 3,200, of which Papua New Guinea alone accounts for well over 800．The median number (中位数)of speakers is a mere 6,000, which means that half th e worlds’ languages are spoken by fewer people than that.Already well over 400 of the total of, 6,800 languages are close to extinction(消亡), with only a few elderly speakers left. Pick, at random, Busuu in Cameroon (eight remaining speakers)，Chiapaneco in Mexico(150). Lipan Apache in the United States(two or three)or Wadjigu in Australia (one, with a question-mark): none of these seems to have much chance of survival.5．What can we infer about languages in hunter-gatherer times?A．They developed very fast.B．They were large in number.C．They had similar patterns.D．They were closely connected.6．Which of the following best explains “dominant” underlined in paragraph 2?A．Complex. B．Advanced.C．Powerful. D．Modern.7．How many languages are spoken by less than 6,000 people at present?A．About 6,800．B．About 3,400．C．About 2,400．D．About 1,200．8．What is the main idea of the text?A．New languages will be created.B．Peoples lifestyles are reflected in languages.C．Human development results in fewer languages.D．Geography determines language evolution.CLanguage learning apps are very popular now and offer opportunities to learn vocabulary and practice grammar. But there has been a discussion about just how effective such apps can be.Among the most popular apps are Duolingo and Busuu. Previous research found positive results on the use of them. But these apps mainly concentrated on study with learners who had signed up for language courses and they only worked as after-school support, so the results were not always reliable. A recent study of 4,095 Busuu users has been carried out aimed to find out if users can actually learn a language with an app.Busuu provides learning material s for 12 different languages. It offers a special model where some content isavailable for free while some content is not. We find that its users are an even mix of men and women. More than half consider themselves to be at the beginner level as there is a decrease in users as their language levels go up. Most people use the app because of personal interest, or because they want to study or live abroad. Female users tend to use it less often but for longer periods of time than male users.Getting any feedback on Busuu depends on whether your answer is correct or not. While it is helpful, this is not the sort of feedback language teachers prefer, as it does not explain why the answer is right or wrong. In spite of this, feedback in the app is very highly rated.More than 92% of respondent s state that the app has met their expectations and 86% rate the app very highly. In fact, more than 80% of the users surveyed strongly agree that using the app has helped them improve their knowledge of the language they are learning.Besides, language learning apps also create an environment where mistakes are only known to the users, and this can address the performance anxiety that many learners suffer from when asked to speak a foreign language. So language teachers should encourage their students to use them to do the grammar work, leaving precious class time for more language communication.9．The results of the former research weren't always dependable because ________.A．it was only carried out before classB．it didn't consider users in classC．it just focused on positive resultsD．it used out-of-date methods10．What can we learn about the app Busuu from the text?A．All the content is free to use.B．Most users consider it satisfying.C．It's used by more advanced learners.D．It's more popular with female learners.11．Which of the following can probably replace the underlined word “address” in the last paragraph?A．Deal with.B．Write down.C．Turn to. D．Speak of.12．What is the main idea of the text?A．Students won't suffer anxiety in learning languages by using Busuu.B．Language learning apps are effective and satisfactory to language learners.C．Language learning apps are very popular with most language teachers.D．Students should be required to use apps for homework after class.答案：A语篇解读：美国伦斯勒理工学院和国际商业机器公司共同开发了一种帮助人们学习普通话的新技术，它通过让学生做一些场景中的任务或游戏来学习，让学生感到很放松。
高中英语教材话题统计双向细目表
Films and TV programmesFilm
review：Crouching tiger,hidden dragon；Steven Spielberg Film director
Literature and art&Entertainm ent and sports（当代名人）
My first ride on a trainMy first ride on
a train；The maglev the fastest train in the world
Traveland
transport
Module 4
A social survey My neighbourhood A lively city；Problems of some villagers in western Europe
Entertainment and sports
Unit 3
ComputersWho am I；Andy—the
android
Popular science and modern technology
Unit 4
Wildlife protection How Daisy learned to help wildlife；Animal extinction
Language learning
Unit3
Travel journalJourney down the
Mekong
Traveland
transport
Unit 4
EarthquakesA night the earth didn't
sleep
Nature
Unit 5
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Topic 20 Popular Science and Modern Technology (科普知识与现代技术)基础篇Frankfurt, Germany. Next month, who knows? You certainly won’t believe that I c an call you from my laptop, which is what I’m often doing these days using something called Skype.Skype lets me call any phone number anywhere in the world for about 2 cents a minute, alittle more to some places, such as the Middle East and Asia. Mycomputer does the dialing, and the processing of incoming andoutgoing voices. All you need is a broadband connection. With thebasic version of Skype, all anyone needs to make or receive a call is to install the program on his or her computer (and that includes personal digital assistants). All calls from PC to PC are free.You don’t even need a pair of headphones, though headphones can be a good idea if you wish to be discreet. I use my laptop’s built-in microphone.The paid service for calling regular telephones is called SkypeOut. The quality is completely clear, provided that there’s not too much traffic on the Internet. If there’s an echo, hang up and try again, and it usually gets better. There is one warning: on some computers, especially those run ning older versions of Windows, it doesn’t always work, or can sound like a confusing conversation. You can’t hear a thing.Skype was invented chiefly by a Swede named Niklas Zennstrom along with a group of programmers in Estonia.1. Wich of the following is wrong of the author?A. He has seldom communicated with others before using SkypeB. H often makes calls using SkypeC. H often has to go from place to placeD. H doesn’t know where he will be next month2. What does ―... a little more to some places,such as the Middle East and Asia‖ mean?A. The price is as cheap as that in other places in the world.B. The price is much higher in Europe than that in other places of the world.C. The price is a little higher in the Middle East and Asia than that in Europe.D. The price is the lowest and reasonable in Europe.3. Why did the author talked about his occupation in Paragraph 1?A. He did interviews around the world.B. He was proud of his job.C. He used to work with Skype.D. He wanted to raised the topic of the text.4. While using Skype, the author suggests ______.A. buying a new type of laptopB. making phones at noonC. installing newer versions of WindowsD. buying a pair of headphones【篇章导读】文中介绍一种叫做Skype的设备，通过它能在电脑上与他人打电话。
【答案解析】1. A。
细节理解题。
第一段中没讲他以前很少与别交流，所以应该选择A项。
2. C。
句意理解题。
第二段中讲通过一种叫Skype的设备打电话去中东或非洲的费用要高些。
3. D。
文章结构题。
文章第一段谈到作者的职业是为了引出下文的话题。
4. D。
细节理解题。
根据倒安徽第二段中信息There is one warning: on some computers, especially those running older versions of Windows, it doesn’t always work…可知答案。
【难句分析】The quality is completely clear, provided that there’s not too much traffic on the Internet.该句为主从复合句，句中provided that引导条件状语。
句意：如果网络不是很拥挤，效果是很好。
Solar water heaters are devices that use energy from the sun to heat water. Solar water heating is used around the world.The solar water heater described here is based on a design developed some years ago inAfghanistan. Since then, it has been built and used in manycountries. It can heat seventy liters of water to sixty degreesCelsius. It can do this between sunrise and noon on a clear daywith an average outside temperature of thirty-two degrees Celsius.There are two parts to the solar water heater. One part is madeof a sheet of metal painted black. This metal surface, placed incontact with the water, will heat the water. Black-painted surfacesthat receive the sun's heat become hotter than surfaces of any other color.The black metal plate is called a collector. There are several kinds of metal sheets that can be used for the collector. Metal sheets that have raised sections will work very well. These corrugated sheets often are used to make the roofs of houses.Once the water is heated, it is kept hot with material called insulation. This allows the water to stay warm for a long time.The second part of the solar water heater holds the water for the system. This storage tank can be a container that holds about one hundred liters. Two rubber pipes are attached to the water storage tank. One pipe lets water flow into the system. The other lets water flow out.When the water heater is working correctly, water will flow from the storage tank to the collector and back again. You can use the hot water at the top of the tank for washing and cleaning. You can change the flow of water so that the temperature is hot or warm as desired.This solar water heater is easy to build and operate. It will last about two years before the rubber pipes need to be replaced.There is also something else you will need to make the solar water heater work -- the sun. As you might expect, the heater will heat water only on sunny days.1. The Solar Water Heater will work ______.A. on sunny daysB. when placed on the roofC. only between sunrise and noon on a clear dayD. with an average outside temperature of thirty-two degrees Celsius2. Why is the sheet of metal painted black?A. to take in heatB. to give off heatC. to be water proofD. to be sun proof3. What’s the probable meaning of the underlin ed word corrugated in the fourth paragraph?A. paintedB. coloredC. raisedD. heated4. What is insulation used for while making a Solar Water Heater?A. To heat the waterB. To make the water flow easilyC. To make the water to stay warmD. To protect the Solar Water Heater5. What can be inferred from the text?A. It is not easy to make the solar water heater.B. The rubber pipes get replaced every other year.C. The heater can run well for many years on end.D. The temperature in the heater can’t be controlled.【篇章导读】太阳能热水器是一种吸收太阳能的辐射热能来热水的设备。