Smart home applications can share all kinds of helpful information with homeowners. There appears a new housing platform which can detect the stress on electricity — and the stress on the heart.
“There is a growing population of elderly people, and there are statistics to show that more and more of them are going to live alone in the home,” said Johann Siau, a senior lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire in the U.K., who was leading the InterHome project.
The system was originally designed to provide remote access (遠(yuǎn)程訪問) to a house so owners could be more energy-efficient. In a small type of the system, set-in controller devices connect securely to the Internet. The owner can then monitor them with a cell phone or computer. User feedback helps the system adapt to routines, saving on electricity.
While thinking about responding to user behavior and an increasingly elderly population, the researchers decided to add wristband (手腕帶) technology that senses important organs of the body such as body temperature and pulse, Siau said. “If someone were to fall, it would detect the fall and it would immediately start the monitor of the pulse to see if the person has gone into shock (休克),” he said.
The wristband communicates with the home system wirelessly. Data from the band can be securely transmitted to the home network and accessed by authorized users. “We’re working on trying to reduce it to a level where it could potentially be a wrist-sized product,” Siau said. 
But he warned that the technology presented new challenges. “When you start using that on a larger scale, you have issues of privacy or security,” he said. Siau said the InterHome home system isn’t intended to invade privacy. “We’re thinking about the elderly people who are living alone with no one looking after them,” he said. “Hopefully this will be able to decrease some concerns and possibly save a few lives.”
【小題1】The system was first designed for a house owner to       .

A．keep watch on his house

B．keep his house safe

C．monitor the elderly people inside

D．save electricity

【小題2】The wristband technology is used in the system to       .

A．sense important organs of a person

B．keep an old man from falling

C．get the medical information of a sick person

D．record a person’s daily activities

【小題3】The researchers are now trying to make the wristband       .

A．more sensitive

B．be connected with the Internet

C．a(chǎn)vailable for common people

D．suitable to wear on the wrist

【小題4】What challenges will the new technology bring according to Siau?

A．The wristband can be large and expensive.

B．The wristband will get false information of a person.

C．It will not be used in the proper way.

D．It will bring inconvenience to the old people.

The biggest danger facing airlines nowadays may not be a terrorist with a gun, but the man with portable computer in business class. In the last 16 years, pilots have reported well  over 100 incidents that could have been caused by electromagnetic interference  (電磁干擾).  The source of this interference remains not proved, but increasingly, experts are pointing the  blame at portable electronic devices such as portable computers, radio and cassette players  and mobile telephones.
RTC.A. an organization which advises the aviation  (航空 )industry, has suggested that all  airlines ban such devices from being used during "critical" stages of flight  particularly take-  off and landing. Some experts have gone further, calling for a total ban during all flights .Cur- rently , rules on using these devices are left up to individual airlines. And although some air- lines prevent passengers from using such equipment during take-off and landing, most are un- willing to carry out a total ban, given that many passengers want to work during flight.
The difficulty is predicting how electromagnetic fields might affect an aircraft's computers. Experts know that portable devices send out radiation which affects those wavelengths which aircraft use for navigation and communication. But, because they have not been able to reproduce these effects in a laboratory. they have no way of knowing whether the interference might be. dangerous or not.
The fact that aircraft may be fragile to interference raises the risk that terrorists may use radio systems in order to damage navigation equipment. As worrying, though, is the passenger who can 't hear the instructions to turn off his radio because the music's too loud.
【小題1】What is said about the over 100 aircraft incidents in the past 16 years?

A．They may have been caused by the damage to-the radio systems.

B．They may have taken place during take-off and landing.

C．They were proved to have been caused by the passengers portable computers.

D．They were suspected to have resulted from electromagnetic interference.

【小題2】Why is it difficult to predict the possible effects of electromagnetic fields on an airplane 's computers?

A．Because it is extremely dangerous to conduct such research on an airplane.

B．Because it remains a mystery what wavelengths are liable to be interfered with.

C．Because research scientists have not been able to produce the same effects in labs.

D．Because experts lack adequate equipment to do such research.

【小題3】Few airlines want to perform a total ban on their passengers using electronic devices because_______

A．they don't believe there is such a danger as radio interference

B．the harmful effect of electromagnetic interference is yet to be proved

C．most passengers refused to take a plane ,which bans the use of radio and cassette players

D．they have other effective safety measures to fall back on

【小題4】The passage is mainly about_________.

A．a(chǎn) new rule for all airlines

B．the disadvantages of electronic devices

C．a(chǎn) possible cause of aircraft incidents

D．effective safety measures for air flight

Eating different colored foods can keep you healthy, as well as change your mood and behavior. Here is a list of colors, which can change your life.
Blue/Purple
Blue is considered to be peaceful and calming and it has the same effect on our health. The blue / purple color in food is due primarily to their anthocyanins which are antioxidants (抗氧化劑) that are particularly heart healthy and may help support healthy blood pressure. Out of all the blue and purple foods available, blueberries are considered to have the highest antioxidant level. An analysis of the latest data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study found that people who eat purple and blue fruits and vegetables are at a reduced risk for high blood pressure and are less likely to be overweight.
A food and health expert says that blue and purple color foods can prevent blood mass formation, and they also lower the risk of cancer.
Foods that contain blue and purple colors are: reddish eggplant (especially the skin), blueberries, blackberries, purple grapes, etc.
Green
We all know that we should eat green as green symbolizes nature. The green foods are rich in isothiocyanates, which help resist cancer.
Dr. Ashok Agarwal, a food and nutrition specialist, explains, "They are excellent sources of folic acid, vitamin K, as well as carotene （胡蘿卜素）. Diets high in those above are associated with lowered blood pressure."
Foods that contain the green color are: broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, etc. 
Red
Lycopene (番茄紅素) in reddish fruits and vegetables is a powerful antioxidant that has been associated with a reduced risk of some cancers, and also provides protection against heart attacks.    
Dr. Smiths says, "Cooked tomato sauces are associated with greater health benefits as compared with the uncooked version as the heating process allows lycopene to be more easily absorbed by the body. Obtaining the most benefit from food depends on proper selection, storage and cooking of the produce."
Foods that contain red color are: Tomatoes and tomato products, watermelon, guava, red onions, red chili, red apples, red grapes, cherries, etc.
Orange
The orange foods are also rich in carotene, which are particularly good antioxidants. These foods are commonly considered eyesight foods because they contain vitamin A.
"Orange fruits and vegetables also play a part in preventing cancer, particularly of the lungs and stomach. Foods that contain the color orange are: Carrots, mangoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, etc.
【小題1】The passage tries to tell us that ______.

A．colors mean a lot to people and their health

B．foods of different colors will have different benefits

C．eating foods with a color must prevent diseases

D．what people should eat in their daily lives

【小題2】All the colors mentioned in the passage have the function of ______.

A．lowering blood pressure	B．improving eyesight
C．preventing cancer	D．reducing the risk of heart disease

【小題3】Which color can help keep us thin according to the passage?

A．Purple.

B．Green.

C．Red.

D．Orange.

【小題4】The green and orange foods are both rich in _______.

A．vitamin A

B．folic acid

C．carotene

D．vitamin K

【小題5】It can be inferred from the passage that _______.

A．a(chǎn)ll grapes help lower the risk of high blood pressure and cancer

B．lung cancer can be prevented by eating red-colored foods

C．green-colored foods contain a lot of vitamin A which is good for eye health

D．tomatoes should be eaten cooked so that we can benefit the most

Researchers have developed new software using smart phones’GPS and imaging abilities that determine the exact location of distant objects as well as monitor the speed and direction of moving objects．The software could eventually allow smart phone-armed soldiers to target the location of their enemies．On the home front，the software could be used by everyone，including golfers judging distance to the green and biologists documenting the location of a rare animal without disturbing it．
“The great advantage of a Smartphone is that it provides so many tools in a single，readily available，relatively inexpensive package，”said Qia Wang，a doctoral student who led the development of the software．“For example，on the battlefield，a soldier needs a rangefinder，compass，GPS and other tools to get information before calling in an air strike．With our software，the soldier can have all those instruments in one device that can be purchased off the shelf．When that soldier returns from War，she can use the same Software to protect her family by clocking a speeder near her children’s school and catching the criminal on video．”
Wang and his colleagues developed their software to locate and track：
Targets of known size—when the size of the target is known．a(chǎn) single image is enough to pinpoint the target’s location．
Targets of unknown size—If the exact size of a target is unknown，the software uses two images to triangulate the location of the target·
Moving targets—By taking a short video of a moving target，the smartphone software can calculate how fast the target is moving and in what direction it is going.
“Currently，our software is limited by the physical abilities of smartphone hardware，but the devices are improving rapidly，”Wang said．“We expect that improvements in GPS accuracy，battery  life  and  camera  resolution  will  allow  our  software to  make  even  more  accurate observations．”
【小題1】From Paragraph 1 we can know that the new software can.

A．determine the speed of moving objects

B．1ocate objects in the distance exactly

C．defend soldiers against their enemies

D．help biologists protect rare animal

【小題2】The example given by Qia Wang is meant to .

A．make an advertisement

B．describe the software briefly

C．show the benefits of the software

D．present the functions of smartphones

【小題3】How does the software calculate the speed of a moving object?

A．By taking a short video．

B．By locating its position.

C．By taking a single image．

D．By measuring real-life size.

【小題4】What’s Qia Wang’s attitude towards the future of the software?

A．Casual．

B．Optimistic．

C．Cautious．

D．Flexible

【小題5】What is the best title of the text?

A．Qia Wang，a Talented Doctoral Student

B．Use Smartphones to Their Full Potential

C．Targeting and Tracking With Smartphones

D．Smartphone-armed Soldiers on the Battlefield

In Singapore，most of us love window-shopping while some others enjoy having a picnic at East Coast Park or Changi Beach on sunny days．Singaporeans are never bothered by the occasional thunderstorm．However，we know that if it rains for long continuous periods，there will be more serious effects．Just recently the main shopping street of Orchard Road was flooded and some part of Bukit Timah was impassable(不能通行的)to traffic．People reacted by writing in to the newspaper to complain about this! We forget that other countries suffer much worse effects.
Elsewhere，heavy tropical(熱帶的)storms often result in floods that ruin crops especially in Thailand and Malaysia．This in turn usually means that the price of rice and vegetables here in Singapore will rise because we import these products from them．If there is a typhoon or tsunami，thousands of lives are lost too．This happened in Indonesia and Phuket in Thailand in 2004 and It serves to remind us of how Mother Nature can cause great damage．
Weather patterns in general have changed dramatically in recent years．Scientists believe that global warming and the resulting melting of the polar ice-cap has caused the level of the ocean to rise．This in turn causes flooding of low-lying areas in countries where the land is rather flat and some parts of which is below water level．It is believed that human activities have caused Mother Nature to show her extreme anger，so it is now important that we really work together to cut down on harmful activities，for example，illegal logging(伐木)or irresponsible forest-burning to clear land for farming．
【小題1】From Paragraph 1，we can see that most Singaporeans love ．

A．making complaints

B．going out for picnics

C．doing window-shopping

D．traveling along the coast

【小題2】What will happen in Singapore if there are floods in its neighboring countries?

A．Heavy tropical storms will follow shortly．

B．The price of rice and vegetables will go up．

C．Many people will write in to the newspaper．

D．More rice and vegetables will be imported．

【小題3】The underlined word“it”in Paragraph 2 refers to ．

A．the arrival of heavy tropical storms

B．the import of rice and vegetables

C．the rising price of rice and vegetables

D．the loss of lives in natural disasters

【小題4】What’s the right order of the following events?
a．global warming    b．the rise in ocean level
c．harmful human activities d．the flooding of low-lying areas
e．the melting of the polar ice-cap

A．c→a→e→b→d	B．a(chǎn)→c→e→b→d
C．c→a→b→e→d	D．d→a→c→b→e

【小題5】What should we do in order not to make Mother Nature angry?

A．Clear more land for farming．

B．Reduce harmful human activities．

C．Bring down the price of food．

D．Improve the quality of weather．

When another old cave is discovered in the south of France，it is not usual news．Rather，it is art ordinary event．Such discoveries are so frequent these days that hardly anybody pays heed to them．However，when the Lascaux cave complex was discovered in 1940，the world was amazed．Painted directly on its walls were hundreds of scenes showing how people lived thousands of years ago．The scenes show people hunting animals，such as bison or wild cats．Other images show birds and，most noticeably，horses，which appear in more than 300 wall images，by far outnumbering all other animals．

Early artists drawing these animals accomplished a monumental and difficult task．They did not limit themselves to the easily accessible walls but carried their painting materials to spaces that required climbing steep walls or crawling into narrow passages in the Lascaux complex．
Unfortunately，the paintings have been exposed to the destructive action of water and temperature changes，which easily wear the images away．Because the Lascaux caves have many entrances，air movement has also damaged the images inside．
Although they are not out in the open air, where natural light would have destroyed them long ago，many of the images have been destroyed and are barely recognizable．To prevent further damage，the site was closed to tourists in 1963，23 years after it was discovered．
【小題1】What can be the best title for the text?

A．Wild Animals in Art	B．Hidden Prehistoric Paintings
C．Exploring Caves Respectfully	D．Determining the Age of French Caves

【小題2】The underlined phrase“pays heed to”in Paragraph 1 probably means _____________．

A．discovers

B．watches

C．notices

D．buys

【小題3】According to the text，which animals appear most often on the cave walls?

A．Birds

B．Bison

C．Horses

D．Wild cats

【小題4】Why was painting inside the Lascaux complex a difficult task?

A．It was completely dark inside．

B．The caves were full of wild animals．

C．Painting materials were hard to find．

D．Many painting spaces were difficult to reach．

【小題5】According to the text，all of the following have caused damage to the paintings except________________.

A．temperature changes	B．a(chǎn)ir movement
C．water	D．tourists

DAVID Beckham. Cristiano  Ronaldo and Rnfacl Nadal while you watch sports and admin* the players’ skills, do you ever notice how handsome the players are?
Yes, sportsmen tend to be handsome. And they haven’t only attracted the interest of the audience even scientists are now studying their good looks.
In a recent study, Erik Postma, a biologist at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, collected the headshots（頭像）of 80 professional athletes from I hr 2012 Tour He France, a bicycle race held in Franco. The race, which covers 3,200 kilometers in 23 days, is often considered to In* one of the hardest endurance（耐力）events, according to The Telegraph.
Postma then asked female participants to score the cyclists’ attractiveness.judging them only based on their facial appearances. So, if a participant recognized any of the cyclists, meaning she knew how good he was at the sport, her score wouldn’t count.
After comparing all the scores with the cyclists’ performances in the 2012 race, Postma was surprised to find that the best riders were rated on average 25 percent more attractive than the worst ones. For example, one of the cyclists, Maxime Monfort , came third in terms of attractiveness and sixth in terms of performance, reported Discovery News.
But where did women get the ability to single out a good rider by simply looking at his face?
According lo Postma, evolution (進(jìn)化) seems to be the answer. In ancient times, women preferred to marry strong men because they would provide good genes for their children. A man with great endurance was also able to cover long distances to hunt for food, which would allow him to better feed the family. “That’s why endurance performance was a key evolutionary factor.” Postma told Discovery News.
As you can see, it’s not that sportsmen ate more attractive themselves, women were just born to think of them that way.
Perhaps surprisingly, when Postma did the same test with male participants, he found that men actually had a quite similar view on which riders were handsome. Even
though most men aren’t aware of it. they inherited (繼承) this ability from their ancient past, when it was necessary to “spot potential competitors” , explained Postma.
【小題1】What did Erik Postma ask female participants to do in his study?

A．To help collect the headshots of professional cyclists from the Tour de France.

B．To pick out the cyclists whom they are familiar with or appreciate most.

C．To rate the cyclists’ attractiveness according to facial appearance.

D．To predict the cyclists ’ performances based on facial appearance.

【小題2】What did Postma discover from his study?

A．The more attractive a cyclist was, the better he performed in the race.

B．Generally, a cyclist’s endurance had nothing to do with his attractiveness.

C．Attractive cyclists proved to have less endurance than those who were less attractive.

D．Those who performed best in the games were considered more attractive than those who performed worst.

【小題3】What can we conclude from the last three paragraphs?

A．Women and men hold quite different views on male attractiveness.

B．Men with good looks tend to lie less popular than men with great endurance.

C．A man with great endurance appealed to women in ancient times and this remains the same today.

D．Most men don* t have the same ability as women to single out a good sportsman by simply looking at his face.

ARE you a dog person or a cat person?
With so many photos and videos of cats and dogs doing cute things online, it’s easier than ever to answer which of these furry friends you like more. There are many reasons why people prefer one type of pet over the other. So, have you ever wondered what your preference for cats or dogs says about you?
In fact, a 2010 study done by Sam Gosling , a psychologist at the University of Texas, US, and his graduate student Carson Sandy found that dog people are more extroverted（外向的）agreeable and serious than cat people.
“Cats will occasionally engage in social activities, but usually after only a few minutes they will abandon the game. Dogs, on the other hand, will often engage in play, like fetching a thrown lull, for hours at a lime," said Modem Dog magazine.
Just on the basis of dogs' nature being more sociable than cats’, you may expect that the personalities of dog people also reflect higher sociability. And Cosling’s study found that dog people are generally about 15 percent more extroverted and 13 percent more agreeable, both of which are associated with social altitude.
In addition, dog people are 11 percent more conscientious than cat people.
“Conscientiousness" is a tendency In show self-discipline（自律）,to complete tasks and aim for achievement. This quality also shows a preference for planned rather than spontaneous （一時沖動的） behavior.
In comparison, cat people an; about 12 percent more anxious, but they are also 11 percent more “open” than dog people, due to a general appreciation for art, emotion, imagination, curiosity, adventure, unusual ideas and variety of experience. And people high on openness are more likely to hold unconventional beliefs.
Despite vast differences, there an some things that cat people and dog people have in common. “Both types of people consider themselves close to nature, dislike animal-print clothing and generally optimists. ” noted Mother Nature Network.
【小題1】What does the article mainly talk about?

A．Differences between dogs and cats in their personality qualities.

B．Factors that influence people’s preference for dogs or cats.

C．How raising a pet helps shape your personality.

D．What your preference for dogs or cats reveals about you.

【小題2】The underlined phrase “engage in ”in the fourth paragraph probably means        .

A．get involved in	B．benefit from
C．take little interest in	D．perform well in

【小題3】According to the study done by Sam Costing, dog owners tend to    than cat owners.

A．be more imaginative and creative

B．live a more organized life

C．love to get close to nature more

D．be more easygoing and adventurous

【小題4】According to the article, both dog people and cat people      .

A．a(chǎn)re generally self-disciplined

B．a(chǎn)re usually positive and care about nature

C．a(chǎn)re likely to hold unconventional beliefs

D．like to wear animal-print clothing;

One night in March 1999, a man was driving from California to Oregon, US, to visit some friends. He had stopped his car to have some food when he started to hear strange noises. Turning on the headlights, he saw an 8-foot-tall creature covered in thick, dark hair. The creature stared at him for a minute, turned in the road and walked off slowly into the woods.

In the past 50 years alone, there have been thousands of reported sightings of similar creatures in the US, Canada, the Himalayas(喜馬拉雅山地區(qū))and even Hubei Province in China. The creature is known as bigfoot.
Bigfoot is said to be a very tall(between 2 and 4. 5 metres), ape-like(類人猿似的)creature that is covered in hair and walks upright on two legs. It is very wary(警惕的)of human beings.
Believers think bigfoot is a direct descendent(后代)of ancient gigantopithecus(巨猿). But it remains one of the planet’s undiscovered secrets. There is a little evidence(證據(jù))to support the believers’ theory: traces of hair, footprints and body prints as well as the reported sightings. Some people have even showed what they say with photos or films of bigfoot.
But so far, no one has found bones or any other definite proof that the giant creature exists.
As a result many people believe the evidence is just part of a big trick.
The footprints are easy to make and they say: all you need to do is to make two large feet out of plaster(石膏), attach them to the bottom of your shoes and walk with big steps. As for the photos and films, they are just people dressed in ape suits.
They also say the sightings are not real, just people making mistakes. For example, bigfoot could be a bear living in the wild that sometimes stands up on its back legs.
【小題1】 So far what we can be sure about is that　　　　.

A．there exist savages(野人)in several places in the world

B．there are some traces of hair, footprints and body prints of the “bigfoot”

C．bigfoot is a direct descendent of ancient gigantopithecus

D．a(chǎn)ll the big foot discovered have the same look

【小題2】It was in　　　that man first found the ape-like creature.

A．1999	B．the 1960’s
C．the 1950’s	D．the 1940’s

【小題3】 The article infers but doesn’t say so that some people　　　　bigfoot’s existence.

A．may fool the world into believing

B．have definite evidences to prove

C．refuse to believe

D．will soon offer proofs of

【小題4】If bigfoot is just a misunderstanding, what they saw might NOT be　　　　.

A．a(chǎn)pes

B．bears

C．gigantopithecus

D．people dressed in animal skins

　　Ten years ago, with only about 1, 000 pandas left in the world, China was desperately trying to clone(克隆)the animal and save the endangered species(物種). That was a move similar to what Texas A & M University researchers had been undertaking for the past five years in a project called “Noah’s Ark”(諾亞方舟).
Noah’s Ark was aimed at collecting eggs, embryos(胚胎), semen and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen. If certain species should become extinct, Dr. Duane Kraemer, a professor in Texas A & M’s College of Veterinary Medicine, said there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future.

It was estimated that as many as 2, 000 species of mammals, birds reptiles would become extinct in over 100 years. The panda, native only to China, was in danger of becoming extinct in the next 25 years.
This week, Chinese scientists said they grew an embryo by introducing cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit. They were then trying to implant the embryo into a host animal.
The entire procedure could take from three to five years to complete.
“The nucleus transfer(核子移植)of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available(capable of being used)panda eggs could be a major problem,”Kraemer believed. “They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy(having a baby). It takes a long time and it’s difficult, but this could be groundbreaking science if it works. They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk, so it is worth the effort, ”added Kraemer, who was one of the leaders of the project at Texas A& M, the first-ever attempt at cloning a dog.
“They are trying to do something that’s never been done, and this is very similar to our work in Noah’s Ark. We’re both trying to save animals that face extinction. I certainly appreciate their effort and there’s a lot we can learn from what they are attempting to do. It’s a research that is very much needed. ”
At present, the project has worked. The number of the pandas has increased to more than 1, 500.
【小題1】The aim of “Noah’s Ark” project was to　　　　.

A．make efforts to clone the endangered pandas

B．save endangered animals from dying out

C．collect DNA of endangered animals to study

D．transfer the nucleus of one animal to another

【小題2】 According to Professor Kraemer, the major problem in cloning pandas would be the lack of　　　　.

A．a(chǎn)vailable panda eggs	B．host animals
C．qualified researchers	D．enough money

【小題3】 The best title for the passage may be　　　　.

A．China’s Success in Pandas Cloning

B．The First Cloned Panda in the World

C．Exploring the Possibility to Clone Pandas

D．China—the Native Place of Pandas Forever

【小題4】From the passage we know that　　　　.

A．Kraemer and his team had succeeded in cloning a dog

B．scientists tried to implant a panda’s egg into a rabbit

C．Kraemer would work with Chinese scientists in clone researches

D．a(chǎn)bout two thousand species would probably die out in a century