Technology makes listening to holiday music e...

Technology makes listening to holiday music easier than ever. There are endless sources to help you find your favorite Christmas tunes and many other songs. People have explored how to listen to holiday music with high-tech devices.

Apple Music

This is the first year you can use Apple Music to listen to holiday songs. Apple Music has more than 30 million songs and is available in over 100 countries.

Tell voice assistant Siri to "play holiday music" to open the music program on your iPhone, iPad or Apple TV. Apple Music app is available in the Google Play store, but not with a voice assistant.

For the first three months, you can use it for free. After that, users have to pay a subscription fee.

Google Play Music

Google Play Music is also in the holiday spirit. Go to the Google Play Music Holiday page and search for "holiday music."

Google Play Music is available for free if you don't mind the advertisements. If you do, buy a paid subscription to avoid them. Google Play Music offers more than 30 million songs from 58 countries.

Tune In Radio

Listen to radio stations with Tune In Radio. This is an online service and offers stations from all seven continents in the world, including Antarctica. Tune In Radio is available on your computer and is free to online users. In the United States, Britain and Canada, a paid subscription gives you more stations without advertisements.

1.What can we learn about Apple Music?

A.It is a new tool to listen to holiday music.

B.It is popular in over 100 countries.

C.It can only be used for three months.

D.It can only be used after the subscription .

2.According to the passage, Google Play Music _________.

A.is favored by young people B.can always be used for free

C.has the largest number of songs D.doesn't allow any advertisement

3.We can learn that Tune In Radio _________.

A.have over 30 million songs B.is available on our mobile device

C.offers stations from around the world D.is expensive in America and Canada

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

(2013·宜春五校联考)Technology is making life easier for some dairy farmers.They use robotic systems to milk their cows.Cows are trained to follow a series of paths that lead to milking stations.Only one cow at a time can enter a station.

Once inside，the cow is rewarded with food.As the cow eats，a robotic arm cleans and connects the animal to the milking machine.A few minutes later，milking is complete.The gate is opened，the cow is released and the next cow enters.

The robotic systems are designed to operate 24 hours a day.The cows get to decide when they want to be milked.Cows are milked an average of about three times a day.Some are milked four to six times a day.

The cows wear collars around their necks that identify them to the system.A computer keeps records on their eating and milking.A cow is released from the station if the computer decides it should not be milked.

The automated system also measures the temperature and color of freshly produced milk.Milk is thrown away if it does not pass the tests.

Professor Plaut believes the systems will appeal especially to the next generation of farmers.She means young people who are more interested in technology and less interested in working all the time on the farm.Still，she says the price of robotic milking systems will continue to limit their use.

Doug and Tina Suhr have more than 100 cows on their family farm.Last year it became the fourth farm in southeast Minnesota to get a robotic milking system.A recent story in a local agricultural newspaper said the first robot costs 175,000 dollars.The second costs 150,000 dollars.

Doug told AgriNews that wages that would have been paid for one employee in five years will pay for one robot.He says the increase in milk production reaches a high of more than six kilograms per cow per day.

1.From the first paragraph，we can infer ________.

A．the robotic system is designed to reduce labor

B．cows can be raised by robots in the future

C．robots direct cows into milking stations

D．cows are kept clean by robots on some farms

2.Besides milking cows，the robotic system also can ________.

A．adjust the temperature of milking stations

B．judge the quality of fresh milk

C．improve the appetite of cows

D．keep fresh milk for two weeks

3.Why is the robotic system not popular now?

A．Because young people have no interest in it.

B．Because it is difficult to learn how to use it.

C．Because people can't afford to buy it.

D．Because it usually causes the waste of milk.

4.According to Doug，what is the wage of an employee per year?

A．$150,000～$175,000.

B．over $75,000.

C．$150,000～$30,000.

D．$30,000～$35,000.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

One of the best uses of technology is to make life easier.

A new product from Microsoft Corporation can do just that for people who have trouble seeing. They may be blind or visually impaired. The product, an app, is currently available for free for Apple’s iPhone and iPad. The app is called Seeing AI. “AI” is short for artificial intelligence, a term for computers with an ability to think and learn like human beings.

Seeing AI uses both a camera and artificial intelligence to identify places, objects and people. The app then announces what the camera sees so users will know what is in front of them.

People can also use Seeing AI to learn words in English. With the app open, you can point your iPhone or iPad at any object and it will say what the object is. With Seeing AI, users can hear a description of not just objects, but other people. It can even tell you about their emotions. It will not just say that someone is smiling. The app will say that the person is happy. Or surprised. Or angry. People can use the app when going to a store or supermarket. It can read product bar codes so users will know whether a can is filled with fruit or dog food. Microsoft says Seeing AI will soon be able to identify banknotes so people know whether they are holding a bill that is worth $100 or $1.

At restaurants, diners can use the new app to hear a list of drinks and other menu offerings. It can recognize both food choices and prices. People can use the app to read signs and get directions, although Microsoft warns against using it for navigation（导航） purposes.

One of the more interesting tools of Seeing AI is its ability to read documents. The app can read documents aloud and even help a user position them on the center of the electronic device.

The app is currently available in just the US, Canada, India, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore---however, Microsoft says that the app will be available in other countries and districts soon.

1.Who is Seeing AI intended for?

A.people working at the restaurant

B.people having visual disabilities

C.people buying goods in the supermarket

D.people having difficulty in learning languages

2.Microsoft warns users not to use Seeing AI for___________.

A.describing a person B.navigating

C.reading documents D.reading product bar codes

3.What can we infer about Seeing AI?

A.It was developed by Apple B.It can be used on computers.

C.It identifies things only by the camera. D.It makes blind people’s life easier.

4.What will happen to Seeing AI?

A.It will soon be available on Android.

B.It will replace people’s eyes.

C.It will have more new functions

D.It will only be used in European countries.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Thanks to software like Apple’s Siri or Microsoft’s Cortana, it’s easier than ever to do something on our phone or computer. All we have to do is talk, and our favorite song starts playing a few seconds later.

But in the near future, asking our phone to play a song by using our voice will seem as old-fashioned as using CDs. That’s because US tech company Microsoft recently applied for a patent (专利) for a “brain control interface” (BCI), meaning that soon, we may be able to control our phone and computer with our thoughts.

BCI technology works by converting (转化) brain signals into computer commands, similar to how pressing a certain key on a keyboard is converted into an electrical signal.This technology isn’t brand new, however.

Last year, for example, it was reported that scientists were able to help a paralyzed man from the US, 53-year-old Bill Kochevar, to move again.To do this, Kochevar was fitted with BCI technology, as well as equipment to make his muscles move. After a few weeks of getting used to it, Kochevar was able to use his thoughts to “tell” the BCI to move his muscles, meaning he was able to feed himself for the first time in years.

Aside from helping disabled people, it’s hoped that BCI technology will improve the daily lives of other people too.

US social networking platform Facebook announced last year that it was working on BCI technology to help people type by using their brain.

By 2019, the company hopes to have created a system that will allow people to type up to 100 words per minute just by thinking about them. In turn, this could be used to offer live translation, from English to Chinese, for example.

However, many people are worried that technology that can read our thoughts will create privacy (隐私) issues, especially if social media companies are involved.

But Facebook researcher Regina Dugan said at a conference last year that the company has no interest in reading people’s random thoughts. “That might be more than any of us care to know. And it’s not something any of us should have a right to know,” she said.

1.What can BCI technology do?

A. It converts our voice into computer commands.

B. It offers a live translation service for people.

C. It allows our thoughts to control certain equipment.

D. It controls our brain signals with a computer.

2.How does Kochevar probably feel about BCI technology?

A. Disappointed.　　 B. Thankful.

C. Embarrassed.　　 D. Proud.

3.Who else could benefit from BCI technology besides disabled people, according to the article?

A. Bus drivers.　　 B. Medical workers.

C. Social media users.　　 D. Shop assistants.

4.Why are some people worried about BCI technology?

A. It might do harm to their health.

B. Their privacy might not be respected.

C. It might take away too many job opportunities.

D. The equipment may be too expensive for ordinary

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The Internet has made ______ easier than ever to start a business.

A. it B. that C. this　 D. One

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

Is it always easier ____ friends than to keep them?

高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

New technologies have made __________easier to enjoy life than ever before.

A.that              B.this             C.one              D.it

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

People should listen to music for no more than one hour a day to protect their hearing, the World Health Organization (WHO) suggests.

It says 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are at risk of permanently damaging their hearing by listening to “too much, too loudly”.

It said audio devices(音频设备), concerts and bars were causing a “serious threat”.

WHO figures show 43 million people aged 12-35 have hearing loss and the number is increasing. In that age group, the WHO said, half of the people in rich and middle-income countries were exposed to unsafe sound levels from personal audio devices. Meanwhile 40% were exposed to damaging levels of sound from clubs and bars.

The proportion of US teenagers with hearing loss went from 3.5% in 1994 to 5.3% in 2006.

“What we’re trying to do is raise awareness of the problem that is not talked about enough, but has the potential to do a lot of damage that can be easily prevented,” said Dr Etienne Krug, the WHO’s director for injury prevention.

The full report argued: “While it is important to keep the volume down, limiting the use of personal audio devices to less than one hour a day would do much to reduce noise exposure.”

Dr Krug said: “That’s a rough recommendation, it is not by the minute, to give an idea to those spending 10 hours a day listening to an mp3-player. But even an hour can be too much if the volume（音量）is too loud.”

1.What might be the main cause of hearing loss according to the passage?

A. Listening to music frequently.

B. Listening to music at concerts.

C. Listening to too much and too loud music.

D. Listening to music from poor audio devices.

2.How many people aged 12-35 were most likely to suffer from hearing loss according to WHO?

A. 3.5%.　　 B. 5.3%.　　 C. 40%.　　 D. 50 %.

3.Which of the following ideas would Dr Etienne Krug agree with?

A. Safe noise exposure is based on the limitation to both volume and time.

B. One hour of exposure to loud music a day will do no damage to hearing.

C. With proper volume, one can listen to an mp3-player for 10 hours a day.

D. It will be OK to be exposed to loud noise from personal audio devices.

4.What might be the best title for the passage?

A. Away from music

B. How to enjoy music

C. Risk of hearing loss

D. Warning of hearing damage

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The music you love could end up making you deaf. More 1. (special), the way you listen to the music you love could be making you deaf.

The problem is headphones. In the past, we 2. (play) music out into the air. Then earmuff-style（耳罩式）headphones were invented and we were able to music much 3. (close) to our ears. Now we have car buds（耳塞）, which many doctors think are worse than older headphones because they play music directly into the ears. Also, ear buds are not as good as blocking outside noise, so people 4. use them may turn the volume（音量）5. to dangerous levels.

What's dangerous level? Well, it 6. (depend) on how long you are going to listen to the noise. This is the next problem. Very, very loud sounds can be dangerous to your hearing even if you only listen to them for a few minutes. But scary 7. (true) is that even “normal” seeming noise can be dangerous 8. you listen to it all the time.

Think for t minute about how long you spend 9. (listen) to loud noises with headphones every day. Then do some research. There ore resources online to tell you what volumes 10.　　 (be) safe, and for how long. Don’t take your hearing for granted.

高三英语短文填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

In this day and age taking a photograph is easier than ever. There are____built into our phones, computers . . . The way we share photos has____changed. There was a time when you’d ____your photos and file them away into photo albums, but ____the advances in technology and the Internet, all this has changed.

Not only do we have what seems like a (n) ____ amount of space to ____ photos on our devices(设备), but we also have the Internet and social media. Social networks such as Facebook _____ us to post our pictures and albums to share with friends and family.

While you could argue this____ way to store, share and enjoy photos is fantastic, it also could be said that photographs have ____ some of their meaning. I have over 1,000 _____on my smartphone and several thousand stored on my computer. I love Instagram and occasionally post my pictures to Facebook. Sometimes, ____, I’ll be in the middle of taking or posting a photo and think, is this something worth　 ____? I try to ask myself, will I ____ want to look back at this picture of a coffee or a selfie(自拍照) taken in a bathroom by myself? Probably not.

Even though I’m guilty of occasionally taking ____and boring pictures like this, a couple of years ago I decided to find a way to make my photographs more meaningful .　 ___did I do this? Disposable cameras! When I go on a trip, I always try to ____ a disposable camera. With only 24 pictures you can take, you really ____ the photographs you’re taking. It’s also kind of ____ that you can’t see the photograph straight away. And ____, it’s so much fun to get the pictures ____ and look through them.

1.A. players　　 B. readers　　 C. cameras　　 D. calculators

2.A. even　　 B. only　　 C. also　　 D. just

3.A. print　　 B. check　　 C. share　　 D. forget

4.A. in case of　　 B. in spite of　　 C. instead of　　 D. because of

5.A. limited　　 B. equal　　 C. exact　　 D. endless

6.A. beautify　　 B. store　　 C. show　　 D. take

7.A. force　　 B. need　　 C. allow　　 D. expect

8.A. easy　　 B. traditional　　 C. bad　　 D. similar

9.A. carried　　 B. expressed　　 C. lost　　 D. refused

10.A. numbers　　 B. songs　　 C. articles　　 D. pictures

11.A. however　　 B. therefore　　 C. otherwise　　 D. besides

12.A. doing　　 B. watching　　 C. correcting　　 D. knowing

13.A. hardly　　 B. really　　 C. nearly　　 D. suddenly

14.A. interesting　　 B. meaningless　　 C. ordinary　　 D. precious

15.A. When　　 B. Where　　 C. How　　 D. Why

16.A. sell　　 B. fix　　 C. carry　　 D. donate

17.A. learn about　　 B. think about　　 C. depend on　　 D. put away

18.A. exciting　　 B. disappointing　　 C. confusing　　 D. satisfying

19.A. gradually　　 B. finally　　 C. recently　　 D. regularly

20.A. drawn　　 B. published　　 C. enlarged　　 D. developed

高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析