Most glasses help people see better, but a new invention from Japan may soon improve language skills and       language barriers instead.

         High-tech Company NEC has       a device that it says will      users to communicate with people of different      .

         Shaped like a pair of eyeglasses      without the lenses(鏡片), the computer-assisted Tele Scouter would      a picture-forming device to present almost real-time translations directly onto the      retina（視網(wǎng)膜）. The text, provided      through voice recognition and      programs, would effectively provide movie-like “subtitles” (字幕)during a conversation between two people      the glasses.

         “You can keep the      flowing,” NEC market development official Takayuki Omino told reporters at Tokyo exposition      the device was on display. “This could also be used for talks     with secret information,” says Omino,       that there would be no need for translators.

         Each user’s      words would be      by microphone, translated, and be instantly      for conversation partners in      visual texts and as audio delivered through headphones.

         Users can still see their conversation partner’s face because the text is      onto only part of the retina—the first time such technology is used in a commercial product, according to NEC.

         The company plans to put the Tele Scouter in Japan in November next year,       at the beginning without the translation mode.

1.A. cut off                         B. cut up                          C. cut in                                  D. cut down

2.A. come across           B. come up with          C. come through                 D. come down

3.A. allow               B. promise                    C. force                                 D. leave

4.A. backgrounds                B. cultures                            C. languages                         D. customs

5.A. so                                   B. or                             C. but                                    D. while

6.A. admit                   B. adopt                           C. agree                                 D. adapt

7.A. designer’s           B. translator’s                      C. producer’s                       D. user’s  

8.A. instantly              B. strangely                          C. suddenly                          D. slowly

9.A. admission            B. translation                       C. preparation                     D. permission

10.A. bearing                       B. carrying                            C. wearing             D. taking

11.A. discussion                  B. argument                         C. conversation                   D. translation

12.A. where                         B. which                                C. why                                   D. how

13.A. connected                 B. satisfied                            C. joined                               D. covered

14.A. stating                   B. noticing                    C. realizing                           D. criticizing

15.A. spoken                  B. imagined                           C. written                             D. expected

16.A. made up           B. picked up                         C. turned up                        D. brought up

17.A. agreeable                  B. acceptable                       C. believable                        D. available

18.A. either                         B. neither                             C. none                                 D. both

19.A. placed                        B. got                                     C. passed                         D. knocked

20.A. therefore                   B. although                           C. however                     D. While

 Most glasses help people see better, but a new invention from Japan may soon improve language skills and    language barriers instead.

         High-tech Company NEC has    a device that it says will    users to communicate with people of different    .

         Shaped like a pair of eyeglasses    without the lenses(鏡片), the computer-assisted Tele Scouter would    a picture-forming device to present almost real-time translations directly onto the    retina（視網(wǎng)膜）. The text, provided instantly      voice recognition and    programs, would effectively provide movie-like “subtitles” （字幕） during a conversation between two people    the glasses.

         “You can keep the    flowing,” NEC market development official Takayuki Omino told reporters at Tokyo exposition (展覽會(huì))    the device was on display. “This could also be used for talks     with secret information,” says Omino, stating that there would be no      for translators.

         Each user’s    words would be    by microphone, translated, and be instantly    for conversation partners in    visual text and as audio delivered through headphones.

         Users can still see their conversation partner’s face because the text is    onto only part of the retina—the first time such technology is used in a commercial product, according to NEC.

         The company plans to put the Tele Scouter in Japan in November next year,     at the beginning without the translation mode.

1.A. cut off            B. cut down                  C. cut in                                D. cut up

2.A. come up with     B. come across C. come through                 D. come down

3.A. force          B. promise                  C. allow                                 D. leave

4.A. backgrounds      B. cultures                  C. customs                            D. languages

5.A. so                         B. but                           C. or                             D. while

6.A. adopt                   B. admit                       C. agree                                D. adapt

7.A. designer’s  B. translator’s             C. user’s                          D. producer’s

8.A. through               B. during                     C. within                          D. beyond

9.A. inventiong         B. invitation                C. preparation                D. translation

10.A. bearing             B. wearing                   C. carrying                            D. taking

11.A. discussion         B. argument                C. conversation                   D. translation

12.A. which                B. where                     C. why                              D. how

13.A. connected        B. satisfied                  C. joined                               D. covered

14.A. hope                  B. doubt                      C. need                                 D. wonder

15.A. expected   B. imagined      C. written                               D. spoken

16.A. picked up         B. made up                 C. turned up                        D. brought up

17.A. agreeable         B. acceptable             C. believable                        D. available

18.A. either                B. neither                    C. both                                  D. none

19.A. placed               B. passed               C. got                             D. knocked

20.A. therefore         B. while                       C. however                          D. although

Most glasses help people see better, but a new invention from Japan may soon improve language skills and1language barriers instead.
High-tech Company NEC has2a device that it says will3users to communicate with people of different4
Shaped like a pair of eyeglasses5without the lenses(鏡片), the computer-assisted Tele Scouter would6a picture-forming device to present almost real-time translations directly onto the7retina（視網(wǎng)膜）. The text, provided instantly 8 voice recognition and9 programs, would effectively provide movie-like “subtitles” （字幕） during a conversation between two people10the glasses.
“You can keep the11flowing,” NEC market development official Takayuki Omino told reporters at Tokyo exposition (展覽會(huì))12the device was on display. “This could also be used for talks 13with secret information,” says Omino, stating that there would be no 14 for translators.
Each user’s15words would be16by microphone, translated, and be instantly17for conversation partners in18visual text and as audio delivered through headphones.
Users can still see their conversation partner’s face because the text is19onto only part of the retina—the first time such technology is used in a commercial product, according to NEC.
The company plans to put the Tele Scouter in Japan in November next year,20at the beginning without the translation mode.

1. 1.
   1. A.
      cut off
   2. B.
      cut down
   3. C.
      cut in
   4. D.
      cut up
2. 2.
   1. A.
      come up with
   2. B.
      come across
   3. C.
      come through
   4. D.
      come down
3. 3.
   1. A.
      force
   2. B.
      promise
   3. C.
      allow
   4. D.
      leave
4. 4.
   1. A.
      backgrounds
   2. B.
      cultures
   3. C.
      customs
   4. D.
      languages
5. 5.
   1. A.
      so
   2. B.
      but
   3. C.
      or
   4. D.
      while
6. 6.
   1. A.
      adopt
   2. B.
      admit
   3. C.
      agree
   4. D.
      adapt
7. 7.
   1. A.
      designer’s
   2. B.
      translator’s
   3. C.
      user’s
   4. D.
      producer’s
8. 8.
   1. A.
      through
   2. B.
      during
   3. C.
      within
   4. D.
      beyond
9. 9.
   1. A.
      inventiong
   2. B.
      invitation
   3. C.
      preparation
   4. D.
      translation
10. 10.
    1. A.
       bearing
    2. B.
       wearing
    3. C.
       carrying
    4. D.
       taking
11. 11.
    1. A.
       discussion
    2. B.
       argument
    3. C.
       conversation
    4. D.
       translation
12. 12.
    1. A.
       which
    2. B.
       where
    3. C.
       why
    4. D.
       how
13. 13.
    1. A.
       connected
    2. B.
       satisfied
    3. C.
       joined
    4. D.
       covered
14. 14.
    1. A.
       hope
    2. B.
       doubt
    3. C.
       need
    4. D.
       wonder
15. 15.
    1. A.
       expected
    2. B.
       imagined
    3. C.
       written
    4. D.
       spoken
16. 16.
    1. A.
       picked up
    2. B.
       made up
    3. C.
       turned up
    4. D.
       brought up
17. 17.
    1. A.
       agreeable
    2. B.
       acceptable
    3. C.
       believable
    4. D.
       available
18. 18.
    1. A.
       either
    2. B.
       neither
    3. C.
       both
    4. D.
       none
19. 19.
    1. A.
       placed
    2. B.
       passed
    3. C.
       got
    4. D.
       knocked
20. 20.
    1. A.
       therefore
    2. B.
       while
    3. C.
       however
    4. D.
       although

For many blind people, computers are inaccessible. It can cost $1,000 to purchase “screen reader” software, but two blind computer programmers from Australia have solved this problem.
Queensland University of Technology (QUT) graduate James Teh and business partner Michael Curran developed a free, open-source program, called NVDA, which provides a voice to read the words on a computer screen as the cursor(光標(biāo)) moves over them. NVDA won the blind inventors an award in the grand final program of the ABC’s New Inventors, which aired on September 23. They took home the award for an invention that “might make a real difference to people’s lives or the environment.”
“A sighted person takes for granted that they can sit down at any computer and use it,” Mr Teh said. “We really are in the information age — everything is online these days. So access to computers for the blind is very important, which is why we wanted our software to be free.”
Mr Teh, who majored in software engineering at QUT, said blind students typically didn’t have the money to purchase “screen reader” technology, at the time in their life when they most needed it. Now NVDA could be downloaded on to anyone’s personal computer free of charge.
“It can also be copied to a USB stick, which can be used on any PC at school or university, with no installation required,” he said.
Mr Teh and Mr Curran have drawn on their own experience as blind computer users to develop a product which has some unique features. For example, as the mouse moves up and down the screen, a sound becomes higher and lower to let you know where the cursor is located.
NVDA has been translated into 27 languages, thanks to volunteer translators. To date, there have been over 50,000 downloads.
Mr Teh and Mr Curran have been working on the project since 2006. They worked on their product without any pay for two years. When Mozilla offered some funding in 2008, Mr Teh was able to quit his day job and work full-time developing NVDA.
【小題1】NVDA won an award in the program of the ABC’s New Inventors because it _____.

A few degrees can make a big difference when it comes to food storage. Foods can go bad if they get too warm. But for many of the world’s poor, finding a good way to keep food cool is difficult. Refrigerators are costly and they need electricity.

   Yet spoiled food not only creates health risks but also economic losses. Farmers lose money when they have to throw away products that they cannot sell quickly.

    But in nineteen ninety-five a teacher in northern Nigeria named Mohammed Bah Abba found a solution. He developed the “Pot-in-Pot Preservation/Cooling System.” It uses two round containers made of clay. A smaller pot is placed inside a larger one. The space between the two pots is filled with wet sand. The inner pot can be filled with fruit, vegetables or drinks. A wet cloth covers the whole cooling system.

    Food stored in the smaller pot is kept from spoiling through a simple evaporation(蒸發(fā)) process. Water in the sand between the two pots evaporates through the surface of the larger pot, where drier outside air is moving.

    The evaporation process creates a drop in temperature of several degrees. This cools the inner pot and helps keep food safe from harmful bacteria. Some foods can be kept fresh this way for several weeks.

    People throughout Nigeria began using the invention. And it became popular with farmers in other African countries. Mohammed Bah Abba personally financed the first five thousand pot-in-pot systems for his own community and five villages nearby.

    In two thousand, the Rolex Watch Company of Switzerland honored him with the Rolex Award for Enterprise. This award recognizes people trying to develop projects aimed at improving human knowledge and well-being. A committee considers projects in science and medicine, technology, exploration and discovery, the environment and cultural history. Winners receive financial assistance to help develop and extend their projects.

1.Which is the best title of the passage?

A.  A Few Degrees can Make a Big Difference for Storage

B.  A Cool Way to Keep Food from Spoiling

C.  Spoiled Food Creates Health Risks and Economic Losses

D.  The Evaporation Process Creates a Drop in Temperature

2.What does the third paragraph mainly talk about?

A. the structure of the invention

B. the usage of the invention

C. the cost of the invention

D. the inspiration of the invention

3.What is it that essentially keeps the food in the container from spoiling?

A. the wet cloth covering the cooling system.

B. the moving drier air outside the container

C. the wet sand between the containers

D. a drop in temperature by evaporation

4.According to the passage, where can we possibly see the invention?

A. rich and advanced families

B. scientific experiment laboratory

C. poor and underdeveloped area

D. supermarket needing to store goods

5.We can know from the passage that Mohammed Bah Abba ____________.

A. invented the controversial cooling system

B. financed the systems in all communities

C. received financial assistance for his invention

D. invented more complicated cooling system later