Cortana, Alexa ,Siri ,These are names of robotic voices that are often programmed on electronic tablets. They also become default (默认) identities for people with speech disorders who rely on technology to communicate. Now some speech scientists are developing personalized voices to reflect the broader diversity of the people who use them. To do it, they are tapping into a vast network of volunteers who are donating their voices to share with people who can’t speak.
The effort to build an international “Human Voicebank” has attracted more than 17,000 volunteers from 110 countries, including Priyanka Pandya, a 16-year-old from Columbia, Md., who plans to spend her winter vacation recording a string of sentences into her computer “To be able to give somebody the gift of voice, I think that’s really, really powerful,” she said.
“Everyone has a voice,” said Rupal Patel, founder of VocaliD, the company that started the voicebank. “Even people who are unable to speak have sounds that are unique to them.” Her company designs personalized voices by recording the unique sounds of the user, and then mixing them with 6 to 10 hours of recordings from a voice donor, matched by age, gender and region. The company is developing voices now for its first 100 customers.
Also, people’s voices change. The company is looking for donors who are willing to record their voices, and then record them again a few years later, as they get older.
Some of the first customers say they are happy with the results, John A. Gregoire was one of the first customers to receive a personalized voice from Vocalid last December. The voice came eight years after he developed ALS (肌萎缩侧索硬化症) and more than six years have passed since his voice became unintelligible to everyone except his wife and youngest son. “Having a distinctive voice is like getting something back that was stolen.” John said.
1.What can we know about the voicebank?
A.It collects all kinds of voices.
B.It gains strong public support.
C.It helps to recognize special voices.
D.It offers people personalized voices free.
2.What does the example of John A. Gregoire stress?
A. Customers' desire for personalized voices.
B.VocaliD's efforts to develop personalized voices.
C.Customers'satisfaction with personalized voices.
D.VocaliD's success in designing personalized voices.
3.What does the underlined word “unintelligible” mean in the last paragraph?
A.Unclear. B.Soft.
C.Incomplete. D.Rough.
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A.Volunteers donate their voices to VocaliD.
B.Vocalic is devoted to building a voicebank.
C.The Human Voicebank wins fame among people with speech.
D.The Human Voicebank helps people with speech problems.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
Cortana, Alexa ,Siri ,These are names of robotic voices that are often programmed on electronic tablets. They also become default (默认) identities for people with speech disorders who rely on technology to communicate. Now some speech scientists are developing personalized voices to reflect the broader diversity of the people who use them. To do it, they are tapping into a vast network of volunteers who are donating their voices to share with people who can’t speak.
The effort to build an international “Human Voicebank” has attracted more than 17,000 volunteers from 110 countries, including Priyanka Pandya, a 16-year-old from Columbia, Md., who plans to spend her winter vacation recording a string of sentences into her computer “To be able to give somebody the gift of voice, I think that’s really, really powerful,” she said.
“Everyone has a voice,” said Rupal Patel, founder of VocaliD, the company that started the voicebank. “Even people who are unable to speak have sounds that are unique to them.” Her company designs personalized voices by recording the unique sounds of the user, and then mixing them with 6 to 10 hours of recordings from a voice donor, matched by age, gender and region. The company is developing voices now for its first 100 customers.
Also, people’s voices change. The company is looking for donors who are willing to record their voices, and then record them again a few years later, as they get older.
Some of the first customers say they are happy with the results, John A. Gregoire was one of the first customers to receive a personalized voice from Vocalid last December. The voice came eight years after he developed ALS (肌萎缩侧索硬化症) and more than six years have passed since his voice became unintelligible to everyone except his wife and youngest son. “Having a distinctive voice is like getting something back that was stolen.” John said.
1.What can we know about the voicebank?
A.It collects all kinds of voices.
B.It gains strong public support.
C.It helps to recognize special voices.
D.It offers people personalized voices free.
2.What does the example of John A. Gregoire stress?
A. Customers' desire for personalized voices.
B.VocaliD's efforts to develop personalized voices.
C.Customers'satisfaction with personalized voices.
D.VocaliD's success in designing personalized voices.
3.What does the underlined word “unintelligible” mean in the last paragraph?
A.Unclear. B.Soft.
C.Incomplete. D.Rough.
4.What is the main idea of the text?
A.Volunteers donate their voices to VocaliD.
B.Vocalic is devoted to building a voicebank.
C.The Human Voicebank wins fame among people with speech.
D.The Human Voicebank helps people with speech problems.
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
Oh my God, the robots are taking over! We’re doomed! Doomed! Now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, it’s become clear that while we may or may not be doomed, the robots are taking over. The latest example is the government’s new guidelines for self-driving cars.
Tesla, Google and Uber are already testing driverless cars in cities across America. Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick is among those predicting that by 2021, self-driving cars will play a big part in urban settings.
Nearly 40,000 people died last year in this nation in automobile-related accidents, and we believes driverless cars can save tens of thousands of lives annually.
Makes sense. Robot drivers are less likely to get drunk, drive without a license, text while driving or feel agitated at the scene of a pileup. On the other hand, I wonder how these highly sensitive cars will react, with walkers constantly dashing into the street. Will they jam on the brakes every 10 seconds?
But there’s a bigger picture. Not only are robots replacing humans behind the wheel, but behind the work desk, in warehouses, senior homes, you name it. Robots aren’t just taking over in the workplace.
The question is, where can’t a robot function better than a human? How about writing songs? A robot can go through every combination of notes in record time and come up with a pleasing melody. The lyrics might be a different story. Is a Grammy-winning song co-written by Hank Human and R-3071 in our future?
Finally, it’s only a matter of time until we have robot politicians and presidential candidates. Why not? They can be programmed to be experts in world and domestic affairs and come up with the best solutions without corruption and bad humors.
Actually, it’s too bad such technology isn’t available in 2016. Pretty sure the robot would win in a landslide.
1.What does the underlined word “agitated” mean?
A. Tired B. Cautious
C. Careful D. Anxious
2.What doubt does the writer have about self-driving cars?
A. How passengers behave in it.
B. How robot drivers get the license.
C. How they avoid crashing into other car.
D. How they respond to walkers on a busy street.
3.The last questions asked in the sixth paragraph reflects the writer’s ________.
A. confidence in robots, winning Grammy Awards
B. eagerness to listen to songs written by robots
C. doubt about robots’ ability to write songs
D. curiosity about the future Grammy songs
4.What might be the most suitable title for the text?
A. Robots will control the world in every field
B. Robots are coming but not soon enough
C. Robots are being used in our daily life
D. Robots can drive cars and write music
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Oh my God, the robots are taking over! We’re doomed! Doomed! Now that I’ve got that out of my system, it’s become clear that though we may or may not be doomed, the robots are taking over. The latest example is the government’s new guidelines for self-driving cars.
Tesla, Google and Uber are already testing driverless cars in cities across America. Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick is among those predicting that by 2021, self-driving cars will play a big part in urban settings.
Nearly 40,000 people died last year in this nation in automobile-related accidents, and we believe driverless cars can save tens of thousands of lives annually.
Makes sense. Robot drivers are less likely to get drunk, drive without a license, text while driving or feel anxious at the scene of a pileup. But I wonder how these highly sensitive cars will react, with walkers constantly dashing into the street. Will they jam on the brakes (紧急刹车) every 10 seconds?
But there’s a bigger picture. Not only are robots replacing humans behind the wheel, but behind the work desk, in warehouses, senior homes, you name it. Robots aren’t just taking over in the workplace.
The question is, where can’t a robot function better than a human? How about writing songs? A robot can go through every combination of notes in record time and come up with a pleasing melody. The lyrics might be a different story. Is a Grammy-winning song co-written by Hank Human and R-3071 in our future?
Finally, it’s only a matter of time until we have robot politicians and presidential candidates. Why not? They can be programmed to be experts in world and domestic affairs and come up with the best solutions without corruption and bad humors.
Hopefully, such technology will be available in the near future. Pretty sure the robot would win in a landslide.
1.According to the text, which statement is NOT true about self-driving cars?
A.New guidelines for self-driving cars have been set up by the government.
B.Some companies are testing self-driving cars in the US.
C.Self-driving cars will play an important role in rural areas.
D.Self-driving cars can help reduce car accidents.
2.What doubt does the writer have about self-driving cars?
A.How passengers behave in it.
B.How they respond to walkers on a busy street.
C.How robot drivers get the license.
D.How they avoid crashing into other cars.
3.The last question asked in the sixth paragraph shows the writer’s _________.
A.confidence in robots’ winning Grammy Awards
B.desire to listen to songs written by robots
C.puzzle about robots’ ability to write songs
D.curiosity about the future Grammy songs
4.What is the author’s attitude towards the future of robots?
A.Indifferent. B.Doubtful.
C.Pessimistic. D.Optimistic.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
You are trapped at the window of a building that is on fire. You hear a man’s voice through the smoke ______ you shouting, “Jump!” Will you jump? Will you leave the known, as ______ as it is, and jump into the unknown?
The ______ depends on two factors (因素). The first has to ______ how much you know about the person who is shouting to you. Is he ______? Will he let you fall to the ground ______ support your weight?
So it is with all of our ______. What do we know about the people we would like to ______? Will they stand by you when surroundings ______? Can they be depended on?
It’s like a woman who once purchased two watches from a street vendor (小贩) on London’s Oxford Street. When she asked if the street salesman could ______ her guarantees, he said. “Certainly, madam. I can give you even ______ guarantees.” Then he added, “The only thing I ______ guarantee is that I will be here this time next Monday morning”
So the first part of trust is ______. Is the other person worthy of your trust?
____ important is a second factor, which is ACTION. Will you jump? It ______ little how much you believe you trust someone if you are finally ______ to jump. Will you show your trust for them by jumping?
You may be ______ to make a jump. Staying in the burning building is ______ an option, but not one you’ll want to make for long. ______ it feels risky to jump into the smoke, you may discover there is a safe and secure ______. You may also discover that there are those to be trusted. And you may discover that it is worth the jump.
1.A. beside B. below C. behind D. above
2.A. strange B. dangerous C. secure D. complex
3.A. phenomenon B. problem C. answer D. approach
4.A. go with B. make out C. look over D. do with
5.A. reliable B. able C. strong D. clever
6.A. but B. and C. or D. then
7.A. situation B. options C. character D. relationships
8.A. accompany B. trust C. support D. protect
9.A. change B. continue C. disappear D. improve
10.A. delay B. consult C. offer D. acquire
11.A. lifetime B. professional C. certain D. annual
12.A. mustn’t B. can’t C. needn’t D. won’t
13.A. COURAGE B. DEPENDENCE C. STRENGTH D. BELIEF
14.A. Equally B. Absolutely C. Basically D. Relatively
15.A. costs B. bothers C. matters D. differs
16.A. unwilling B. unlikely C. eager D. ready
17.A. expecting B. demanding C. deciding D. failing
18.A. merely B. always C. hardly D. occasionally
19.A. Though B. Because C. When D. Once
20.A. survival B. jump C. escape D. landing
高三英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Some scientists believe that it won’t be long _______ robots are widely used in all walks of life．
A． since B． after C． before D． until
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Some scientists believe that it won’t be long _______ robots are widely used in all walks of life．
A． since B． after C． before D． until
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Some scientists believe that it won’t be long _______ robots are widely used in all walks of life．
A． since B． after C． before D． until
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
When people talk of a virus these days, chances are that they are talking about computer virus that have the power wipe out all the valuable work people may have stored in their computers. Imagine, the virus has the power to make military systems, giant banks, airports, hospitals and traffic system come to stop!
What does a computer virus do? It targets electronic objects that are programmed. The virus spreads through connections between these electronic objects. For virus spreading experts, e-mail is a favorite method of sending their destructive (破坏性的) weapon.
But scientists warn that this is not the worst that can happen. There is more. People are also connected through phones. The next virus may actually target mobile phones, especially those that are programmed to do many tasks apart from just communicating. It would then be easy for a virus to infect those programs and create major disorder.
For example, these virus may have the power to record your phone conversations and make others hear them. They create problems with your electronic money accounts, or they could create a mountain of telephone bills for calls you never made. And that would be a disaster. A report on this was published in the New Scientist recently.
One way out would be to have simpler phones with not so many different functions. This would mean there would mean there would be fewer programs for the virus to attack. But mobile phone producers are in a fix. People on longer want an electronic item to perform just one task. They want more and more functions added. That would mean more software programs to make the mobile phone perform all those functions. And that means the possibility of more viruses.
1.It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A．computer viruses are not so as destructive as mobile phone viruses
B．people should be careful when receiving e-mails
C．people find it difficult to use electronic equipment correctly
D．having electronic money accounts brings people a lot of convenience
2.Which of the following shows that your mobile phone is infected with a virus?
A．You can’t hear the person who answers the phone clearly
B．You can’t send e-mails with your mobile phone
C．your phone bill increases for unknown reasons
D．You can hear other people’s phone conversations
3.What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?
A．Mobile phone producers have made no progress.
B．Mobile phone producers are proud of their products.
C．Mobile phone producers are faced with a difficult situation.
D．Mobile phone producers refused to fight against virus.
4.For whom is the passage written?
A．Government officials B．Virus spreading experts
C．Electronic scientists D．Mobile phone users
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
None of these arguments are_________ in that they are unconvincing and impossible to justify
A.vague. B.arbitrary. C.valid. D.absurd
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析