When my 8-month-old cries, I ask him if he’s hungry, or wet or just needs a hug.
“Babububuu,” he says.
What I need is a baby cry translator. That’s just what a team of researchers say they’ve developed.
“Experienced nurses or pediatricians (儿科医师) can identify why baby is crying because they have experience, says Lichuan Liu, a professor of electrical engineering at Northern Illinois University, who conducted the research.” We talked to them, and they mentioned that based on the cry’s’ sound there’re’ some clues (线索).”
So Liu set out to identify the features of cries that can help mark them as expressions of pain or discomfort. These features include differences in pitch (音高) and frequency. The team then developed an algorithm (算法) based on automatic speech recognition to detect and identify these features. This “cry language recognition algorithm” was trained on recordings of baby cries taken from a hospital. It uses compressed sensing, a process that reconstructs a signal based on incomplete data. It can identify a baby cry against a background of, say, adult speech or loud television sounds. By classifying different cry features, like pitch, the algorithm can suggest whether the cry is due to sickness or pain, and identify the degree of urgency.
The team had experienced pediatric care providers assess forty-eight baby cry recordings for probable cause of crying hunger, tiredness, etc. They then compared these to the algorithm’s assessments. The algorithm agreed with the humans 70% of the time. Generally, so-called “uncommon cry signals”—signs of pain or sickness—are high-pitched and very loud compared to ordinary crying.
Liu and her team continue to train the technology for greater accuracy. They also plan to add more features, like the ability to identify and classify movement and facial expressions. This could help give more detailed reading of baby’s emotional (情感的) and physical state. They also hope to begin human trials in the near future.
1.The author mentions the 8-month-old child to ________.
A.draw attention to baby cries B.prove baby cries are common
C.lead in a translator for baby cries D.show the use of cry translators
2.What inspired Lichuan Liu’s idea of doing the study?
A.Pediatric care workers’ words. B.The pediatricians’ strong requests.
C.Her own nursing experiences. D.Her doubts about the previous research.
3.What did the researchers do in the study?
A.They collected baby cries from big hospitals.
B.They got 48 baby cry recordings evaluated.
C.They created an automatic speech recognition.
D.They analyzed cry features with compressed sensing.
4.What can we know about Liu’s cry language recognition algorithm?
A.It has been widely used in daily life.
B.It’s mainly meant for hungry cry signals.
C.It has been proved effective on babies.
D.It’s only been tested on recorded cries now.
高三英语阅读选择中等难度题
When my 8-month-old cries, I ask him if he’s hungry, or wet or just needs a hug.
“Babububuu,” he says.
What I need is a baby cry translator. That’s just what a team of researchers say they’ve developed.
“Experienced nurses or pediatricians (儿科医师) can identify why baby is crying because they have experience, says Lichuan Liu, a professor of electrical engineering at Northern Illinois University, who conducted the research.” We talked to them, and they mentioned that based on the cry’s’ sound there’re’ some clues (线索).”
So Liu set out to identify the features of cries that can help mark them as expressions of pain or discomfort. These features include differences in pitch (音高) and frequency. The team then developed an algorithm (算法) based on automatic speech recognition to detect and identify these features. This “cry language recognition algorithm” was trained on recordings of baby cries taken from a hospital. It uses compressed sensing, a process that reconstructs a signal based on incomplete data. It can identify a baby cry against a background of, say, adult speech or loud television sounds. By classifying different cry features, like pitch, the algorithm can suggest whether the cry is due to sickness or pain, and identify the degree of urgency.
The team had experienced pediatric care providers assess forty-eight baby cry recordings for probable cause of crying hunger, tiredness, etc. They then compared these to the algorithm’s assessments. The algorithm agreed with the humans 70% of the time. Generally, so-called “uncommon cry signals”—signs of pain or sickness—are high-pitched and very loud compared to ordinary crying.
Liu and her team continue to train the technology for greater accuracy. They also plan to add more features, like the ability to identify and classify movement and facial expressions. This could help give more detailed reading of baby’s emotional (情感的) and physical state. They also hope to begin human trials in the near future.
1.The author mentions the 8-month-old child to ________.
A.draw attention to baby cries B.prove baby cries are common
C.lead in a translator for baby cries D.show the use of cry translators
2.What inspired Lichuan Liu’s idea of doing the study?
A.Pediatric care workers’ words. B.The pediatricians’ strong requests.
C.Her own nursing experiences. D.Her doubts about the previous research.
3.What did the researchers do in the study?
A.They collected baby cries from big hospitals.
B.They got 48 baby cry recordings evaluated.
C.They created an automatic speech recognition.
D.They analyzed cry features with compressed sensing.
4.What can we know about Liu’s cry language recognition algorithm?
A.It has been widely used in daily life.
B.It’s mainly meant for hungry cry signals.
C.It has been proved effective on babies.
D.It’s only been tested on recorded cries now.
高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
If anyone happens to drop in while I am out, ____ him or her leave a message.
A. have B. get C. ask D. tell
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
In the clinic, I asked if Michael could be retested, so the specialist tested him again. To my _36_, it was the same score.
Later that evening, I _37_ told Frank what I had learned that day. After talking it over, we agree that we knew our _38_ much better than an IQ test. We _39_ that Michael’s score must have been a _40_ and we should treat him _41_ as usual.
We moved to Indiana in 1962, and Michael studied at Concordia High School in the same year. He got _42_ grades in the school, especially _43_ biology and chemistry, which was a great comfort.
Michael _44_ Indiana University in 1965 as a pre-medical student, soon afterwards, his teachers permitted him to take more courses than _45_. In 1968, he was accepted by the School of Medicine, Yale University.
On graduation day in 1972, Frank and I _46_ the ceremony at Yale. After the ceremony, we told Michael about the _47_ IQ score he got when he was six. Since that day, Michael sometimes would look at us and say _48_, “My dear mom and dad never told me that I couldn’t be a doctor, not until after I graduated from medical school!” It is his special way of thanking us for the _49_ we had in him.
Interestingly, Michael then _50_ another IQ test. We went to the same clinic where he had _51_ the test eighteen years before. This time Michael scored 126, an increase of 36 points. A result like that was supposed to be _52_.
Children often do as _53_ as what adults, particularly parents and teachers, _54_ of them. That is, tell a child he is“ _55_”, and he may play the role of a foolish child.
1.A. joy B. surprise C. disappointment D. dislike
2.A. hopefully B. fearfully C. cheerfully D. tearfully
3.A. student B. son C. friend D. doctor
4.A. decided B. realized C. argued D. understood
5.A. joke B. mistake C. warning D. wonder
6.A. specially B. naturally C. strictly D. carefully
7.A. poor B. average C. good D. standard
8.A. in B. about C. of D. for
9.A. visited B. chose C. passed D. entered
10.A. allowed B. described C. required D. offered
11.A. missed B. held C. delayed D. attended
12.A. high B. same C. different D. low
13.A. curiously B. eagerly C. jokingly D. calmly
14.A. faith B. interest C. pride D. delight
15.A. looked for B. asked for C. waited for D. prepared for
16.A. received B. accepted C. organized D. discussed
17.A. imperfect B. uncertain C. impossible D. unsatisfactory
18.A. honestly B. well C. much D. bravely
19.A. expect B. learn C. hear D. speak
20.A. wise B. rude C. shy D. stupid
高三英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
B
My 10-year-old nephew is timid. I was delighted when his mother, my sister, asked me to take him to the circus(马戏团). "Buy one bag of popcorn," she ordered.
"Is there anything we should avoid?"
"Yes, but you can’t avoid it. It’s the elephants’ parade around the ring."
David has read that the circus elephants are the most unhappy creatures in the universe. They’d rather be torn open by a lion than made fool of themselves before a crowd. So, when they started their act, David began to cry, "Those big, big tears …"
So, eyes still dry, sharing popcorn, we watched simian(猴的) cast rush into the ring to a burst of cheers. Then we watched the individual acts — the monkey from the Bolshoi, the famous clown who climbed the tallest pole, hanging on by a finger and a knee. He raised laughter from the audience of children. If the clown slipped, the net would catch him, although no net can be trusted. It’s easy to fall wrong, and if so you can break your silly neck. I would keep that information from David, I promised my schoolteacher. I was the cool adult here.
At last elephants came and did their parade, each wearing a hat. My arm slipped around my beloved nephew.
"Aunt Ella, they are so unhappy."
"I believe they are. But some day this act will be outlawed."
"Really?"
"Yes. The elephants will be returned to the grasslands in Africa and spend the rest of their lives eating green stuff, never having to grab a tail." I put my arms around him and whispered in his ear, "I love you."
He did not sob(呜咽) but nestled closer to me.
The elephants were the last act of the first half of the show, and enduring their performance earned us another box of popcorn.
【题文1】 Why did the author’s sister ask her to buy a bag of popcorn?
A. To show a new fashion.
B. To use it to help David kill time.
C. To use it to help improve David’s attention.
D. To use it to distract David’s attention to his fear.
【题文2】 What does the author use "clown" in Paragraph 5 to refer to?
A. The circus monkey. B. The circus worker.
C. The circus audience. D. The amusing actor.
【题文3】 How did the author feel when watching the monkey acting?
A. She was touched by its acting. B. She was afraid of her nephew’s fear.
C. She regretted taking David to watch it. D. She was worried about the monkey’s safety.
【题文4】What will the following paragraph be about?
A. How the author comforted her nephew. B. What the second half of the show was like.
C. What lesson the author got from the show. D. How much popcorn was needed in the play.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
My daughter thought she was________ when I asked him for the advice on the new plan.
A. something B. anything C. somebody D. anybody
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
A new app aims to help parents interpret what their babies want based on the sound of their cry. The free app ChatterBaby, which was released last month, analyzes the features of a baby's cry, to help parents understand whether their children might be hungry, fussy (大惊小怪) or in pain. While critics say caregivers should not rely too much on their smartphones, others say it's a helpful tool for new or tired parents.
Ariana Anderson, a mother of four, developed the app. She originally designed the technology to help deaf parents better understand why their babies were upset, but soon realized it could be a helpful tool for all new parents.
To build a database, Anderson and her team uploaded 2,000 audio samples of baby cries. She used cries recorded during ear piercings and vaccinations (接种) to distinguish pain cries. And to create a baseline for the other two categories, a group of moms had to agree on whether the cry was hungry or fussy.
Anderson's team continues to collect data and hopes to make the app more accurate by asking parents to get specific about what certain sounds mean.
Pediatrician Eric Ball pointed out that evaluating cries can never be an exact science. ''I think that all of the apps and technology that new parents are using now can be helpful but need to be taken seriously, '' Ball said. ''I do worry, that some parents will get stuck in big data and turn their parenting into basically a spreadsheet (电子表格) which I think will take away the love and caring that parents are supposed to be providing for their children.''
But Anderson says the aim of the app is to have parents interpret the results, not to provide a yes or no answer. The Bells say it's a win-win. They believe they are not only helping their babies now but potentially others in the future.
1.How does the app judge what babies want?
A.By collecting data.
B.By recording all the sounds.
C.By analyzing the sound of their crying.
D.By asking parents about specific messages.
2.Who was the app designed for in the beginning?
A.Deaf parents. B.All new parents.
C.Ariana Anderson. D.Babies often crying.
3.What can we know according to Ball?
A.Parents should use the app wisely.
B.The app can provide an accurate result.
C.Parents and babies are addicted to the app.
D.The app makes babies love their parents.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.App Knows Why Babies Cry B.App Prevents Babies Crying
C.Parents Build Babies' Database D.Parents Overrely on Smartphones
高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Curious about the world around him, my son____________ask me endless questions when he was young.
A.could B.might C.should D.would
高三英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析
When I was going home to India last year, I called up my mother to ask if she wanted anything from china,
When India had not opened up its markers to the world, I carried suitcase loads of dark glasses and jeans. Thankfully, we can get all these anywhere in India now,
Still ,her answer surprised me:“Green tea,”
As long as I can remember she didn’t even drink Indian tea.
I dutifully bought a big packet of Longjing and headed home to hear the story. My mother and her brother, both regular newspaper readers, believed that Chinese green tea was the wonder drug for all illnesses
At the turn of the century, China was not really familiar to the average Indian, It was a strange country
How things change [And how soon]
Now every town of any size seems to have a “China Market”. And everyone is talking about China
The government of India has planned to send a team to China to see how things are done A minister once said that India must open the doors for more foreign investment(投资)and such a step would “work wonders as it did for China”.
But it’s a two-way street, I just heard about a thousand Shenzhen office workers who have gone to Rangalore to train in software. Meanwhile, all the IT majors are setting up a strong presence in China,
No wonder that trade, which was only in the millions just ten years ago, is expected to his about us$15 billion for last year and us$20 billion by 2008, a goal set by both governments,
No wonder, my colleague wrote some weeks ago about this being the Sino-Indian(中印)century as the two countries started on January I the Sino-Indian Friendship Year,
But what is still a wonder to me is my mother drinking Chinese tea.
1.Why did the mother ask for Chinese green tea?
A, she was tired of Indian tea
B, she had a son working in China.
C, she believed it had a curing effect
D, she was fond of Chinese products,
2.What does the author mean by “it’s a two-way street’ in paragraph 10?
A. China and India have different traffic rules
B. Tea trade works wonders in both India and China
C. Chinese products are popular in both China and India,
D. The exchanges between India and China benefit both
3.What do we know about the Indian IT industry?
A. It will move its head office to Shenzhen
B. It is seeking further development in China
C. It has attracted an investment of US$15 billion
D. It caught up with the US IT industry in2008.
4.In the text the author expresses_____,
A. his concern for his mother’s health
B. his support for drinking Chinese green tea
C. his surprise at China’s recent development
D. his wonder at the growth of India’s IT industry
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Although it has been revealed in recent years that plants are capable of seeing, hearing and smelling, they are still usually thought of as silent. But now, for the first time, they have been recorded making ultrasonic (超声的) cries when stressed, which researchers say could open up a new field of precision agriculture where farmers listen for water-starved crops.
Itzhak Khait and his colleagues at Tel Aviv University in Israel found that tomato and tobacco plants made cries at frequencies humans cannot hear when stressed by a lack of water or when their stem it cut.
Microphones placed 10 centimetres from the plants picked up sounds in the ultrasonic range of 20 to 100 kilohertz, which the team says insects and some mammals would be capable of hearing and responding to from as far as 5 metres away. A moth may decide against laying eggs on a plant that sounds water-stressed, the researchers suggest. Plants could even hear that other plants are short of water and react accordingly, they speculate (推断).
On average, drought-stressed tomato plants made 35 sounds an hour, while tobacco plants made 11. When plant stems were cut, tomato plants made an average of 25 sounds in the following hour, and tobacco plants 15. Unstressed plants produced fewer than one sound per hour, on average.
It is even possible to distinguish between the sounds to know what the stress is. The researchers trained a machine-learning model to recognize between the plants’ sounds and the wind, rain and other noises of the greenhouse, correctly identifying in most cases whether the stress was caused by dryness or a cut, based on the sound’s intensity and frequency. Water-hungry tobacco appears to make louder sounds than cut tobacco, for example.
Enabling farmers to listen for water-stressed plants could “open a new direction in the field of precision agriculture”, the researchers suggest. They add that such an ability will be increasingly important as climate change exposes more areas to drought.
“The suggestion that the sounds that drought-stressed plants make could be used in precision agriculture seems feasible (可行的) if it is not too costly to set up the recording in a field situation,” says Anne Visscher at the royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in the UK.
She warns that the results can’t yet be broadened out to other stresses, such as salt or temperature, because these may not lead to sounds. In addition, there have been no experiments to show whether moths or any other animal can hear and respond to the sounds the plants make, so that idea remains based on guesses for now, she says.
1.The experiment by researchers at Tel Aviv University shows that________.
A.tomato plants cry more often than tobacco when hurt
B.plant sounds can be heard by plants quite far away
C.humans can hear water-hungry plants crying
D.moths like laying eggs on stressed plant
2.What is Anne Visscher’s attitude towards the finding of the experiment?
A.Disappointed B.Cautious. C.Appreciative. D.Optimistic.
3.Taking advantage of the new research finding,farmers can________.
A.harvest crops in time B.reduce greenhouse effects
C.diagnose plant condition faster D.detect and remove insects easily
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A.Plants get stressed Just Like Us.
B.Sounds of Plants Detected Far Away.
C.Cries of plants break Farmers’Hearts
D.Plants scream in the presence of stress
高三英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
If you ask me when I became a mom, I can tell you that the day I became a mom was not the day my daughter was born, but seven years later when I did the best thing I could do for my daughter and myself. I us from the home that wasn’t really a home at all.
That day, my daughter and I were sitting in our home having a quiet dinner just as I had always wanted for her. We were talking about what she had done in school and suddenly her little hand the full glass of milk by her plate. As I watched the white tablecloth and painted white wall become dark brown, I looked at her small face. It was filled with , knowing what the outcome of the event would have meant in her father’s a week before. When I saw that look on her face and looked at the running down the wall, I simply started . I am sure she thought I was , but then she must have realized that I was thinking, “It’s a good thing your isn’t here!” She started laughing with me, and we laughed until we . These were tears of joy and and were the first of many tears that we cried together. That was the day we knew that we were going to be okay.
That was the day I really became a mom. I that being a mom isn’t only going to ballet, and attending every school concert. It isn’t keeping a(n) house and preparing perfect meals. It certainly isn’t that things are always normal when they are not. For me, being a mom started when I could laugh over spilt milk.
1.A. protected B. removed C. separated D. prevented
2.A. new B. old C. beautiful D. cold
3.A. went over B. picked up C. took on D. knocked over
4.A. firmly B. carelessly C. slowly D. freshly
5.A. pleasure B. fear C. pain D. smile
6.A. absence B. patience C. presence D. arrival
7.A. jam B. juice C. milk D. water
8.A. laughing B. shouting C. scolding D. praying
9.A. sad B. excited C. sick D. crazy
10.A. friend B. father C. grandma D. brother
11.A. cried B. fainted C. slept D. stopped
12.A. bravery B. horror C. surprise D. peace
13.A. questioned B. discovered C. wondered D. remembered
14.A. splendid B. messy C. spotless D. lifeless
15.A. describing B. pretending C. creating D. meaning
高三英语完型填空中等难度题查看答案及解析