The first computer ID chip(芯片) that could be planted under a person?s skin might be marketed very soon.
Developed by Applied Digital, an American technology company based in Florida, the device(发明物) could meet the need for public security(安全) after the September 11 attacks.
For airports, nuclear power plants(核电站) and other high security facilities(设备), the immediate effects are obvious.
The technology could help put an end to false ID cards, because it would be difficult to remove and copy a tiny computer chip. The chip is as small as a grain of rice.
The technology would also allow satellites to track(追踪) a person?s every movement and store medical records.
These uses are already attracting interest for tasks like fighting against kidnappings(绑架), or helping with medical operations.
But some people are afraid of the loss of privacy(隐私).
“You always have to think about what the device could be used for tomorrow,” said Lee Tien, a senior privacy lawyer in the United States.
“At first a device is used for applications we all agree are good, but then it slowly starts being used for more than it was intended,” he said.
However, Applied Digital says it will soon apply for(申请) government permission for the device. It says that the first people to use the chip will be volunteers.
Getting the implant(需移植的芯片) would go something like this:
A person or company buys the chip from Applied Digital for about US $ 200. And the company encodes(编码) it with the desired information.
The customer then takes the chip to their doctor, who can plant it with a large needle.
The device has no power supply, rather it is activated(使活动, 使运行) by a scanner(扫描仪) running across the skin above it. Without a scanner, the chip cannot be read.
Even with the privacy concern, some are already eager to use the product.
Jell Jacobs from Florida hopes to become the first buyer of the chip to store his medical records. Suffering from a serious illness, he wants to make sure doctors can help him quickly.
Eight Latin American companies have also shown interests in the device. It could help to find any tourists who are kidnapped.
1. The best title for the passage is _______. A. Why Is the New ID Necessary
B. Getting a New Kind of ID Under Your Skin C. An Advertisement for Chips D. Where to Buy the Chip
2. Which of the following is true according to the text?
A. In some airports and factories such device is already being used. B. The information on the chip can be read when it has its power supply. C. The technology could help put an end to false ID cards. D. The first computer ID chip has already come into the market. 3. What is the advantage with the electronic ID according to the passage? A. It can store people?s medical records and help with medical operations. B. With this people will have no fear of losing privacy. C. It?s cheap to buy and easy to get.
D. It is developed by Applied Digital in Florida. 4. What can we learn about Jeff Jacobs?
A. He?s a worker in Applied Digital, a company in Florida. B. He?s a doctor who helps plant tile chips on people.
C. He fears if he uses the chip he will lose privacy.
D. He?s suffering from a serious illness and wants to buy the chip.
【答案解析】本文介绍了新的个人身份证—电子身份证的特点、功能及人们对此的态度。 1. B。主旨题。 根据 Would you carry around an electronic ID, not in your pocket, but in your body?…The first computer ID chip that could be planted under a person?s skin might be marketed very soon 及以后的内容可知本文讲述的是安装在皮肤上的电子身份证与传统身份证比较所显示出来的新特点，故选 B。
2. C。细节题。 阅读全文可知 A、B、D 与原文不相符，再根据 The technology could help put an end to false ID cards 可知 C 为正确答案。
3. A。细节题。根据第 7 段 These uses are already attracting interest for tasks like fighting against kidnappings, or helping with medical operations 及倒数第2段 …hopes to become the first buyer of the chip to store his medical records 可知这种电子身份证有助于医学手术及储存医学纪录的作用，故选 A。
4. D。推断题。根据 Suffering from a serious illness, he wants to make sure doctors can help him quickly 及 Jell Jacobs from Florida hopes to becomes the first buyer of the chip… 可知答案 D 说是这两句话的总结。
(2)
Over the past 10 years, technologies that have combined computers with telephones have developed. Technologies such as PC fax programs and LAN fax servers(局域网传真服务器) have been used to improve fax communications. The latest computer-based technologies are new mechanisms(机制) which use IP(Internet Protocol, 因特网协议) to send faxes, that is, IP fax.
Traditional fax has a fairly simple usage model. First, the user inserts a document into the fax machine, enters the destination fax number and presses the start button on the machine. The sending machine dials the receiving fax machine. If it connects, the sending machine scans the documents and sends it over the public switched telephone network(PSTN, 公共电话交换网) to the receiving machine. At the same time, the receiving machine receives the document and then prints it.
In IP fax system there are two basic transmission modes: store-and-forward mode and real-time mode. Store-and-forward mode has been widely used. In this mode, the entire document is sent to a network-based server that stores it and then sends it to the destination. Real-time IP faxing is similar to traditional fax. Real-time mode allows two fax machines to directly communicate through a proper standard.
IP fax enables a fax document to be sent from one person to another. A fax machine or a computer can be used to send or receive the fax. IP fax also allows e-mail to be used to receive faxes. This would enable users to receive faxes anywhere, anytime with an internet fax address.
1. The passage deals mainly with _______. A. PC fax
B. IP fax D. new machines B. LAN fax servers D. only fax machines B. a receiving machine D. e-mail
C. information technology A. even computers C. e-mail
2. In traditional fax, _______ can be used.
3. IP fax can use all of the following to send and receive a fax except _______. A. a fax machine C. a computer
4. In real-time IP fax mode _______. A. two fax machines communicate directly B. a network-based server is used C. users can receive faxes anywhere D. the PSTN has to be used
5. In paragraph 2, the word “inserts” can be placed by _______.
A. prints B. presses C. puts D. uses
【答案解析】本文介绍了传统的传真和科技的发展带来了现代传真的新特点。
1. B。主旨题。根据 The latest computer-based technologies are new mechanisms which use IP to send faxes, that is, IP fax 以及第 3 段中的 In IP fax system there are two basic transmission modes…和第 4 段中的 IP fax enables a fax documents to be sent from one person to another 及后述内容都是展开讲述 IP fax 的有关内容，由此可见 B 为正确答案。
2. D。细节题。根据第 2 段 Traditional fax has a fairly simple usage model. First, the user inserts a document into the fax machine,…The sending machine dials the receiving fax machine可知在传统的传真中，仅仅使用普通的传真机，而 A、B、C 是在现代的传真时才使用，故选 D。
3. B。细节题。 根据 At the same time, the receiving machine receives the document and then prints it 可知 a receiving machine 仅仅用来接收的，据此选答案 B。
4. A。细节题。根据 Real-time mode allows two fax machines to directly communicate through some standard 可知在真实模式下，两台传真机可以直接交流，据此选 A。
5. C。词义猜测题。根据 First, the user inserts a document into the fax machine 可知使用者不是把文件打印(A)、挤压(B)、使用(D)而是放入到传真机里，由此选答案 C。
(3)
Flying over a desert area in an airplane, two scientists looked down with trained eyes at trees and bushes. After an hour?s flight one of the scientists wrote in his book, “Look here for probable metal.” Scientists in another airplane, flying over a mountain area, sent a message to other scientists on the ground, “Gold possible.” Walking across hilly ground, four scientists reported, “This ground should be searched for metal.” From an airplane over a hilly wasteland a scientist sent back by radio one word: “Uranium.”
None of the scientists had X-ray eyes: they had no magic power of looking down below the earth?s surface. They were merely putting to use one of the newest methods of locating minerals in the ground…trees and plants as signs that certain minerals may lie beneath the ground on which the trees and plants are growing.
This newest method of searching for minerals is based on the fact that minerals deep in the earth may affect the kind of bushes and trees that grow in the surface.
At Watson Bar Greek, a brook(小溪) six thousand feet high in the mountains of British Columbia, Canada, a mineral search group gathered bags of tree seeds. Boxes were filled with small branches from the trees. Roots were dug and put into boxes. Each bag and box was carefully marked. In a scientific laboratory the parts of the forest trees were burned to ashes and tested. Each small part was examined to learn whether there were minerals in it.
Study of the roots, branches, and seeds showed no silver. But there were small amounts of gold in the roots and a little less gold in the branches and seeds. The seeds growing nearest to the tree trunks had more gold than those growing on the ends of the branches.
1. Scientists were flying over a desert or a hilly wasteland or a mountain area in order to search for _______ in the ground.
A. gold B. silver C. metals D. minerals 2. The study of trees, branches and roots shows that _______. A. there were larger amounts of gold in the branches than in the seeds B. there were smaller amounts of gold in the roots than in the branches
C. there were less amounts of gold in the seeds growing on the ends of branches than seeds growing nearest to the tree trunks
D. there was more gold in the branches than in the roots 3. Which is the best title suggested below?
A. Scientists Searching for Metals with Special Power B. New Methods of Searching for Minerals C. Gold Could Be Found by Trees and Plants
D. A New Method of Searching for Minerals — Using Trees and Plants
4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as part of a tree that can help find minerals? A. Leaves. B. Roots. C. Branches.
A. X-ray
D. Seeds.
5. The scientists were searching for minerals by using _______.
B. magic power C. a special instrument D. trained eyes
【答案与解释】探测矿产资源历来是苦差事。科学家们通过研究，独劈蹊径，采用一种新的快捷有效的方法—根据地面植物情况来判定地下的矿产资源。
1. D。语义理解题。根据文章第1段的内容以及一般常识可推知答案。
2. C。细节题。从文中最后一句The seeds growing nearest to the tree trunks had more gold than those growing on the ends of the branches 可知。
3. D。主旨题。通读全文可知答案为D。
4. A。细节题。从最后一段可知通过研究 roots, branches 和 seeds 可判定地下是否有矿产，而 leaves 在文章却没有提到。
5. D。细节题。从文章第1段的第 1 句和第 2 段可找到答案。
(4)
New findings suggest that brainy card games such as contract bridge may temporarily(临时地) raise production of a key blood cell including in fighting off illness. After 90 minutes of play, bridge players had increased levels of immune(免疫) cells, according to the research reported last week.
A researcher, Diamond, studied bridge players from a women?s bridge club. She chose bridge players because the game includes skills stimulating(刺激) a part of the brain called the dorsolateral cortex. Earlier animal research suggests that this part of the brain may play a role in the immune system.
The findings are based on blood samples drawn from 12 women players. Their blood samples showed a rise in levels of white blood cells called T cells after they played bridge for 90 minutes. T cells are produced by the thymus gland(胸腺) and used by the immune system against diseases.
The T cell count jumped significantly in eight of the bridge players, and slightly in the other four. The findings contribute to the field of neuroimmunology(神经免疫学), whose name reflects the fact that the nervous system and the immune system are not considered separate and isolated(独立的) systems. What isn?t clear is whether the help to the immune system from an activity like contract bridge is lasting or temporary. It is also not clear whether the increase in T cells could finally be targeted against special illnesses.
1. Playing bridge can help one to fight off diseases because it can _______. A. raise production of a key blood cell B. make people joyful C. aid digestion
D. make break away from the bad habits
2. Diamond chose to study bridge players for the research because _______. A. the players are good friends of hers B. she loves playing bridge
C. this game stimulates a part of the brain that has something to do with immune system D. she is a clever manager, who operates her bridge club well 3. A T cell is _______ cell. A. a brain
B. a white blood
C. a red blood
D. a kind of dangerous blood
4. Which of the following is true according to this article?
A. The immune system and the brain system used to be considered separate and isolated systems. B. The help to the immune system that is brought about by playing bridge can last for a long time. C. Cortex is a kind of blood cell. D. The new findings are impossible.
【答案与解释】Diamond 通过对打桥牌的12名女士的血液抽样调查研究，发现神经系统与免疫系统不是分别独立的。人们从事智力游戏时，白细胞大量增加，对免疫系统有促进作用。
1. A。主旨题。从文章的第 1 句话中可知答案。 2. C。细节题。从第 2 段第 2 句话中可知答案。 3. B。细节题。从第 3 段第 2 句话中可知答案。 4. A。判断题。从第 4 段第 2 句中可找到正确答案。
(5)
Every living cell(细胞) contains genes(基因). They are too small to be seen under a microscope, but they are vitally important. Each set of genes in the body contains all the instructions needed to make a human being. Some genes determine hair color. Some determine the shape of a nose. Some genes help determine your height and even your weight.
Genes are made of a chemical called DNA — the letters stand for deoxyribonucleic acid. In the early 1950?s two scientists, Francis Crick and James Watson, figured out how the parts of DNA fit together. Once scientists understood this structure, it became possible to take pieces of DNA apart and put them together in new ways. New kinds of genes could be made in this manner.
Scientists have studied the genes of many plants and animals. They have worked out which genes affect the color of a tomato and the thickness of its skin. Working out which genes determine which features is called genetic mapping, scientists have begun the Human Genome Project, an ambitious effort to map all the genes in the human body.
Some genes may be defective(有缺陷的). For example, something might be wrong with the gene that makes blood clot(凝聚). An individual born with this defective gene could suffer serious hemorrhages(出血) or even bleed to death because his or her blood fails to clot. Scientists are trying to treat the defective genes, and have made great achievements. If scientists could know a child has any defective genes beforehand, they might even discover how to treat these genes before the child is born.
1. What was the achievement of francis Crick and James Watson? A. They discovered why people have different hair colors. B. They learned that some people bleed for long periods of time. C. They looked at human cells under the microscope. D. They worked out the structure of DNA. 2. What is the main idea of this passage? A. Defective genes can never be repaired.
B. Genes are too small to be seen through a microscope.
C. Genes help scientists understand how living things develop their characteristics. D. The Human Genome Project may explain the role of every gene in the body. 3. Which of the following statements is a fact? A. Genes help determine your height and weight.
B. Genetic engineering is the most important scientific discovery of the last 25 years. C. It is dangerous to make changes in genes.
D. Supermarkets should not sell genetically engineered food.
【答案与解析】 基因是由叫做DNA的化学物质构成的。科学家们已经开始绘制人体基因图了。 1. D。细节题。命题依据是第 2 段第 2 句话In the early 1950?s two scientists, Francis Crick and James Watson, figured out how the parts of DNA fit together。
2. C。主旨题。从文章内容可知，不同的基因有不同的功能。所以，本文主旨应该是C项。 3. A。判断题。只有A项内容文章涉及了，B、C、D三项内容文章没有体现。
(6)
Wind is the great maker of waves. There are exceptions, such as the tidal(潮汐的) waves sometimes produced by earthquakes under the sea. But the waves most of us know are produced by winds blowing over the sea.