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专题04 科学与技术篇(二)
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(2023秋·广东广州·高一广州市第十三中学校考期末)Many travelers are familiar with the UNESCO’s World Heritage List (世界遗产名录) However, less is known about the organization’s List of World Heritage in Danger. It currently specifies 53 World Heritage sites under threat of “serious and specific dangers” due to factors such as climate change, armed conflict, and development pressures. The accelerated degeneration(退化) of these cultural treasures is a reality that should concern the world, since the younger generation may not have the opportunity to visit them.
For this reason, insurance company Budget Direct, and Neo Mam Studios, a creative studio based in the UK, have started a project, creating a series of GIFs to repair World Heritage sites and demonstrate what these ruins would have looked like if they had been protected.
Drawing attention to sites at risk, the project aims to give everyone the opportunity to visit these sites virtually (虚拟的). It started with in-depth research around the sites on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Based on the results, the team made a selection according to two main criteria: First, they were man-made places. Second, they still had standing elements. Focusing on the selected sites, the team worked with architects Jelena Popovic and Keremcan Kirilmaz and industrial designer Erdem Batirbek to research and illustrate six of these legendary locations.
In this series of GIFs, six sites are digitally repaired to their former glory. They include Hatra in Iraq, Leptis Magna in Libya, Palmyra in Syria, Portobelo-San Lorenzo in Panama, Nan Madol in the Federated States of Micronesia as well as the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls. Time does not stand still, and neither does technology. Thanks to these technologies, we can travel virtually, without leaving home, to those places that, whatever their future may be, will always be part of the collective memory.
1.Why did the team develop the project GIFs?
A.They are curious about some World Heritage sites.
B.The List of World Heritage in Danger is not well-known.
C.The younger generation desire to visit World Heritage sites.
D.Young people may miss the chance to visit some World Heritage sites.
2.What kind of endangered World Heritage sites could be chosen for this project?
A.Natural sites that had standing elements.
B.Man-made sites that had standing elements.
C.Natural sites that were destroyed completely.
D.Man-made sites that were destroyed completely.
3.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A.More sites on the list will be repaired.
B.The World Heritage sites will be in danger.
C.Technologies make virtually travelling more convenient.
D.Technologies help people visit World Heritage sites virtually.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.An insurance company saving World Heritage Sites.
B.UNESCO protecting World Heritage Sites.
C.World Heritage Sites at risk of disappearing.
D.Endangered World Heritage Sites rebuilt in GIFs.
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(2023秋·广东广州·高一广州市第七十五中学校考期末)Keeping our environment clean, especially our waterways, is something everyone can agree on. That’s why people take part in the beach cleanup and work so hard to remove plastics from our oceans.
But sometimes things that come to pass can undo all of these efforts. One of the worst things that can happen to our oceans is an oil spill. Cleaning up after a spill has always been a costly and lasting process that often harms wildlife and further damages the sea environment. But now researchers at Northwestern University have developed a smart sponge to clean up oil spills in the ocean.
This new method is designed to absorb oil, leaving the clean water behind without influencing sea wildlife. Previous methods included removing oil from the surface, burning oil, and using absorbent materials. “Each method has its own disadvantages and none of them are green solutions,” Gondwana, a senior research associate said. “Our sponge can absorb these spills in a more economic, efficient and eco-friendly manner than any of the previous solutions.”
The secret of how the new sponge can selectively absorb only the oil lies in a coating of a special material that can be used to cover any ordinary sponge. All you have to do is apply a thin coating of the material to the sponge and let it dry before use. It’s really simple to change an ordinary sponge into a smart sponge. And the new sponge can absorb up to 30 times its own weight in oil. Moreover, it is reusable up to a dozen times.
The researchers even came up with a plan to better exploit the new sponge. Gondwana said, “The new sponge will come in large sheets that are rolled. While there are no limitations in the size, a width of 2-3 feet is enough. The new sponge can be used on a beach or in the ocean after an oil spill.”
5.How does the author consider the work of cleaning up oil spills?
A.Difficult and meaningless. B.Challenging and costly.
C.Significant but fruitless. D.Boring but rewarding.
6.Which of the following may Gondwana agree with?
A.Traditional solutions contribute a lot to sea protection.
B.The previous methods of cleaning up oil spills are unsatisfying.
C.Oil pollution is the main reason for the unbalanced ecosystem in the ocean.
D.The new method fails to meet the requirement of a green environment.
7.What can we infer about the new sponge?
A.It makes no use of the ordinary sponge. B.It relies on water to form a coating.
C.It enjoys excellent absorption capacity. D.It does some harm to sea wildlife.
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(2023秋·北京·高一北京市十一学校校考期末)As technology is developing rapidly, we can actually build VR headsets that meet high requirements. The interest in VR rises, so does the interest in creating new media to be experienced in using VR. Journalism is a medium built on relevance. Journalists are always finding new means to tell stories and report news. It is a goldmine for storytelling. What better ways to tell a story to someone than to put them right in the center of it?
People are already making use of VR in news. Creative director Spike Jonze and visual artist Chris Milk put viewers at the scene of the Millions March protest in New York in December, 2014. The University of Southern California created “Project Syria,” which allows viewers to experience the bombing of a crowded neighborhood and visit a refugee camp in the war-tom country. These are just a few examples of a growing number of projects that are out there.
VR is a powerful tool for journalists. The consumer isn’t just reading or watching something play out; they’re experiencing it. The immersive(沉浸式的) nature of VR allows people to connect with the subject matter on a much deeper level than just reading about it. The experience is emotional, speaking more to our instinct(本能) than our intellect(智力). There are a wide range of possibilities for storytelling here, and any storyteller wanting to do something more interesting than their peers should surely be considering the sheer power of VR.
The question of VR, though, is not how powerful it is. That is obvious. The question of VR is one of viability(可行性) and availability. Telling stories must be easy to do, and access to those stories must be readily available. This is the biggest challenge that VR faces. If the tools to tell a story with VR aren’t easy to pick up and learn, VR will fail. If VR technology isn’t both top-of-the-line and affordable, VR will fail.
“I think that current VR technology is pretty exclusive right now, but it’s very promising that it will not be a problem in the long run,” said Thomas Hallaq, assistant professor of journalism and mass communications. “We’re seeing more technology become accessible, and more people having access to that technology. Just look at smartphones.”
If the technology is widely available and companies like Oculus, Samsung, HTC and Valve can overcome the inherent difficulties, VR will succeed in being a desirable means of storytelling. Like radio, TV and the Internet before it, VR will change the way we tell stories.
8.Why is VR considered a powerful tool for journalism?
A.Because it is a medium built on relevance.
B.Because it is very popular and interesting.
C.Because it allows people to experience the news personally.
D.Because it is an exclusively new tool in telling news stories.
9.According to the passage, what is the biggest challenge VR is facing?
A.Whether it is easily accessible to people.
B.How powerful and interesting it can be.
C.Whether qualified VR headsets can be built.
D.What new ways people will find to report news.
10.What’s the author’s attitude towards the future of VR technology?
A.Neutral. B.Positive. C.Negative. D.Concerned.
11.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A.The Challenges of Virtual Reality
B.The Wide Popularity of Virtual Reality
C.The Future of Storytelling—Virtual Reality
D.The Development of Virtual Reality in the Future
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(2023秋·广东广州·高一广州市花都区邝维煜纪念中学校考期末)While facial recognition technology continues to promote many aspects of human life, it’s now being applied to aid the protection of giant pandas, Xinhua News Agency reported on 6 January 2022.
A nature reserve has built an AI-enabled video monitoring system to better protect giant pandas. Installed with 300 infrared (红外线) cameras, the monitoring system helps ensure the health and safety of 110 wild giant pandas there. It was put into operation two years ago, and has captured numerous photos and videos of pandas engaged in activities such as eating, resting and fighting for mates. It provides scientific data to help us grasp pandas’ living conditions and establish conservation strategies. More importantly, it achieves real-time monitoring of the reserve so that we can discern the threats to the wildlife as early as possible.
A recent study found the facial recognition system can automatically recognize various wild animals caught in infrared cameras, allowing researchers to collect data on giant pandas while staying indoors. It’s shown that by equipping the AI-aided system to retain the filed photos of giant pandas, we obtain a 98% success rate for species recognition. Its success rate of recognizing other wild animals can top 80%. In 2021 alone, this monitoring system captured 2, 896 photos of giant pandas and other rare animals and filmed 3,218 seconds of footage, showcasing the reserve’s sound ecological environment as well as a gradual rise in panda population there.
Head of the reserve’s administration, Liu Xingming, said researchers used the system not only to observe the dynamics and health of the giant panda population but also to learn about changes in the natural surroundings of their habitat. “The monitoring system has enabled systematic, scientific, and intelligent conservation of wildlife,” he added. “However, it is expected to be further improved and optimized in the near future.”
12.What does the underlined word “discern” mean in paragraph 2?
A.Solve. B.Affect. C.Detect. D.Attach.
13.What can be inferred about the new technology from the study?
A.It contributes to species data collection. B.It makes panda population rise rapidly.
C.It precisely recognizes any species. D.It understands pandas’ facial appearance.
14.What is Liu Xingming’s attitude to the facial recognition monitoring system?
A.Critical. B.Ambiguous.
C.Objective. D.Conservative.
15.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.Panda Facial Recognition Using Database
B.AI Technology for Better Panda Protection
C.Functions of Facial Recognition Technology
D.A Breakthrough in Video Monitoring System
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(2023秋·江苏徐州·高一统考期末)Do you go to the gym to strengthen your body? Well, you may be missing out on training some vital muscles-the ones involved in breathing. New research shows that training these muscles each day can reduce high blood pressure and promote heart health.
“The muscles we use to breathe atrophy, just like the rest of our muscles, as we get older,” explains Daniel Craighead, a physiologist at the University of Colorado Boulder. To test what happens when these muscles are given a good workout, he and his colleagues enlisted healthy volunteers aged 18 to 82 to try a daily five-minute technique using a resistance-breathing training device called PowerBreathe. The device forces the patient to use their breathing muscles to push and pull air through it, making them stronger.
“We found that doing 30 breaths per day for six weeks lowers blood pressure by about 9mmHg (毫米汞柱),” Craighead says. And those reductions are about what could be expected with traditional exercise, he says-such as walking, running or cycling. The impact of a sustained 9mm Hg reduction is significant, says Michael Joyner, a physician at the Mayo Clinic who studies how the nervous system regulates blood pressure.“That’s the type of redaction you see with a blood pressure drug” Joyner says. Research has shown many common blood pressure medicines lead to about a 9 mmHg reduction. The reductions are higher when people combine multiple (多种的) medicines, but a 10 mmHg reduction relates to a 35% drop in the risk of stroke and a 25% drop in the risk of heart disease.
“I think it’s promising.”Joyner says about the prospects of integrating strength training for the muscles used to breathe into preventive care. It could be beneficial for people who are unable to do traditional exercise, he says, and the simplicity is appealing, too, given people can easily use the device at home. However, the technique is not intended to replace exercise, he cautions, or to replace medication for people whose blood pressure is so high that they’re at high risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Instead, Craighead says, “it would be a good additive intervention (干预) for people who are doing other healthy lifestyle approaches already.”
16.What does the underlined word “atrophy” mean in Paragraph 2?
A.Run easily.
B.Age gradually.
C.Calmed slightly.
D.Relax frequently.
17.Which is ineffective to a 9 mmHg reduction on blood pressure?
A.Multiple medicines.
B.Breathing training.
C.Blood pressure devices.
D.Traditional exercise.
18.What’s Joyner’s attitude to the prospects of training the muscles used to breathe?
A.Objective.
B.Negative.
C.Indifferent.
D.Supportive.
19.What is the best title for the text?
A.The Relationship Between Training and Heart Health
B.The Potential Integration of Training and Medicines
C.Medicines Work in Controlling High Blood Pressure
D.Breath Training Helps to Lower High Blood Pressure
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(2022秋·宁夏中卫·高一中卫中学校考期末)Breathing is something you do all day long, without even thinking about it. However, you might be doing it wrong. Research shows that the way you breathe affects the amount of oxygen (氧气) you take in,as well as how you think and feel.
So which is it? Do you breathe through your nose or your mouth? Some health experts recommend people breathe in through the nose and out through the
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